Cleft of the Rock Light
Encyclopedia
Cleft of the Rock Light is a privately owned lighthouse
located on the Pacific coast
of the U.S. state
of Oregon
, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south of Yachats
on Cape Perpetua
.
It was built in 1976 by former Tillamook Rock Light
attendant and lighthouse historian James A. Gibbs
who was active in preserving the lantern room of Smith Island Light
.
Cleft of the Rock Light is designed after Fiddle Reef Light, which operated from 1898 to 1958 in Oak Bay, British Columbia
, a suburb of Victoria, Canada.
The Cleft's tower contains a stair railing from the original keeper's dwelling at Yaquina Head Light
.
Other historic items include a stopwatch from Desdemona Sands Light
, two brass oil cans from Tillamook Rock Light
and Heceta Head Light
, and a crank handle which wound the weights at Point Sur Light.
It also has two fourth order Fresnel lenses.
The Coast Guard made it an official navigational marker in 1979.
The lighthouse is part of Gibb's home, and the grounds and tower are closed to the public. However, they are conveniently viewable from U.S. Route 101
near mile marker 166.
It is just outside the northwest corner of the Cape Perpetua National Scenic Area.
Jim Gibbs died May 1, 2010. His daughter and son-in-law—who have shared the property for 27 years—will maintain the lighthouse as an official aid to navigation. The facility is still closed to the public.
Cleft of the Rock is named after a Christian hymn named He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock, which is based on a biblical passage.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on the Pacific coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, 1.8 miles (2.9 km) south of Yachats
Yachats, Oregon
Yachats is a small coastal city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the name comes from the Siletz language, and means "dark water at the foot of the mountain". There is a range of differing etymologies, however. William Bright says the name comes from...
on Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua
Cape Perpetua is a large forested headland on the central Oregon Coast which projects into the Pacific Ocean. The land is managed by the United States Forest Service as part of the Siuslaw National Forest.- Geography :...
.
It was built in 1976 by former Tillamook Rock Light
Tillamook Rock Light
Tillamook Rock Light is a deactivated lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located approximately offshore from Tillamook Head, and south of the Columbia River, situated on less than acre of basalt rock in the Pacific Ocean. The construction of the lighthouse was commissioned...
attendant and lighthouse historian James A. Gibbs
James A. Gibbs
James A. Gibbs was an author and lighthouse keeper.He was one of the lighthouse keepers at Tillamook Rock Light for a year beginning in 1945. in 1948 Gibbs was one of the five founders of the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society....
who was active in preserving the lantern room of Smith Island Light
Smith Island Light
The Smith Island Light was a lighthouse on Smith Island, Island County, Washington. Before erosion toppled it into the sea, maritime author Jim Gibbs obtained permission from the Coast Guard to retrieve the lantern room. The lantern room is now part of the Skunk Bay Memorial lighthouse.- Erosion...
.
Cleft of the Rock Light is designed after Fiddle Reef Light, which operated from 1898 to 1958 in Oak Bay, British Columbia
Oak Bay, British Columbia
Oak Bay is a municipality located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian Province of British Columbia, Canada. A member municipality of the Capital Regional District, it is a community east of and adjacent to the City of Victoria...
, a suburb of Victoria, Canada.
The Cleft's tower contains a stair railing from the original keeper's dwelling at Yaquina Head Light
Yaquina Head Light
The Yaquina Head Light, also known early in its existence as the Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, is a lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located in Lincoln County, near the mouth of the Yaquina River near Newport at Yaquina Head. The tower stands tall, and is the tallest...
.
Other historic items include a stopwatch from Desdemona Sands Light
Desdemona Sands Light
Desdemona Sands Light was a lighthouse located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River to aid navigation of the Columbia Bar.It was built in 1901or 1902as a replacement for Point Adams Light...
, two brass oil cans from Tillamook Rock Light
Tillamook Rock Light
Tillamook Rock Light is a deactivated lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located approximately offshore from Tillamook Head, and south of the Columbia River, situated on less than acre of basalt rock in the Pacific Ocean. The construction of the lighthouse was commissioned...
and Heceta Head Light
Heceta Head Light
Heceta Head Light is a lighthouse located on the Oregon Coast north of Florence, Oregon and south of Yachats, Oregon, United States. It is located at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint midway up a 205-foot tall headland...
, and a crank handle which wound the weights at Point Sur Light.
It also has two fourth order Fresnel lenses.
The Coast Guard made it an official navigational marker in 1979.
The lighthouse is part of Gibb's home, and the grounds and tower are closed to the public. However, they are conveniently viewable from U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101, is an important north–south U.S. highway that runs through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington, on the West Coast of the United States...
near mile marker 166.
It is just outside the northwest corner of the Cape Perpetua National Scenic Area.
Jim Gibbs died May 1, 2010. His daughter and son-in-law—who have shared the property for 27 years—will maintain the lighthouse as an official aid to navigation. The facility is still closed to the public.
Cleft of the Rock is named after a Christian hymn named He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock, which is based on a biblical passage.