Coquille River Lighthouse, Historic lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon, US.
The Coquille River Lighthouse is a historic tower at the mouth of the Coquille River, just outside Bandon on the Oregon coast. The tower has an elongated octagonal shape and sits on a small spit of land between the river and the Pacific Ocean.
Originally named Bandon Light, the Coquille River Light was first lit on February 29, 1896, to guide mariners past shifting sandbars into the Coquille River and Bandon harbor. It was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens and connected to the keeper's house by a wooden walkway. After a 1936 wildfire destroyed most of Bandon and shipping declined, the light was shut down in 1939 and replaced by an automated light on the south jetty.
The light was originally called Bandon Light, after the town it served. Its Daboll trumpet foghorn was replaced in 1910 by a fog siren that mariners liked but many Bandon residents did not, and the siren was removed with the Fresnel lens after decommissioning. The lower level opens to the public in summer.
The site is generally open to visitors from late spring through early fall, and clear days give the best views of the river mouth and coast. Parking is available north of the tower, with a short flat walk to reach the building.
The original foghorn was a Daboll trumpet, but in certain weather its sound failed to carry out to sea, so in 1910 it was replaced by a fog siren. Mariners approved of the new signal, yet many Bandon residents disliked it. The siren was removed along with the Fresnel lens after the light was decommissioned.
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