The Heceta Lighthouse B&B In Oregon

Have you ever dreamed of staying in a cozy inn by the sea steeped in history and surrounded by natural beauty?

Here it is!

Set along the dramatic Oregon coastline is this historic bed and breakfast – an old light keepers cottage near the regional lighthouse whose light has shone for over a century providing safe navigation to seafarers.

As you can see from these panoramic photos, the lightkeeper’s house is just a short jaunt along a steep road to the actual lighthouse.

The Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast is located along the Oregon coast between Coos Bay and Newport.

Dating back to 1892, the construction of this project was no small feat due to its rugged landscape and isolated location.

A powerful First Order Fresnel Lens had to be shipped to Heceta Head, where construction of two Queen Anne-style Lightkeepers’ houses and the Lighthouse tower had already begun.

Yes, you read that right – there were actually 2 original Lightkeeper’s houses as you can see in the vintage photo below:

The lighthouse mechanism required two full-time keepers to keep it running around the clock. Each of the keepers had his own home where his family could live.

The following history has been excerpted from the Heceta Lighthouse website.

On March 30, 1894, the lighthouse cast its first beam. The first eight years were trying times for the three Lightkeepers and their families who lived in the little community of Heceta Head. The conditions were harsh and isolated. They constructed vegetable gardens, a schoolhouse, and the Heceta Head Post Office.

Heceta Lighthouse historic photo

Things changed in the 1930s when Oregon finished the construction of U.S. Highway 101 and the Lightstation received electricity. Electricity allowed for a partially automated lighthouse, ending the duty of one Lightkeeper.

Accordingly, the U.S. Coast Guard retired the Head Keeper’s dwelling and sold the house for $10. It was deconstructed and the lumber was salvaged and sold.

During World War II, the Coast Guard Beach Patrol manned Heceta Head with 75 men.

After WWII, the Coast Guard continued to man the Lightstation as an aide to navigation. Two men and their families remained at Heceta. In 1963, the Lighthouse was fully automated. The Keeper’s House was then turned over to the U.S. Forest Service.

Heceta Lighthouse historic photo

From 1970 to 1995, the U.S. Forest Service leased the Keepers House to Lane Community College for use as a satellite campus.

When the Keepers House was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973, the U.S. Forest Service looked for alternative uses that would allow it to be more accessible to the public and to share its rich history. It was decided that a Bed & Breakfast would make this feasible.

Heceta Head entered a new era in 1995, when Mike and Carol Korgan were chosen to be the first Innkeepers for the Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast. Now retired, their daughter Michelle continues to run the bed and breakfast and hosts special events year-round.

Let’s have a look inside this historic abode…