LIGHTHOUSE V

NORTH HEAD LIGHT – WASHINGTON

Order No. 065

HISTORY: Two beacons guard the treacherous entrance to the Columbia River known as "Graveyard of the Pacific." One is North Head lighthouse, circa 1898. Located on the ocean side north of Cape Disappointment, this light marks the Columbia River entrance for vessels traveling along the Pacific coast from the north. It is 65 feet tall with a focal plane of 194 feet above sea level. Conical in shape, it was built from dressed stone with a brick lining.

North Head is said to be the third windiest spot in the nation. Winds blast across the peninsula at speeds clocked at up to 150 miles per hour. With the wind in mind, builders fixed handrails to the lantern room window frames so the keepers could grasp them firmly while cleaning the glass.

The two-story brick keeper’s quarters were constructed in 1898. There is also an assistant keeper’s house and both are used as vacation rentals.

When it was constructed, it received the first-order Fresnel lens from the Cape Disappointment Light. That lens was replaced in 1939 by the Coast Guard, and the original lens is on display at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Fort Canby State Park. A later fourth-order Fresnel lens can now be seen at the Columbia Maritime Museum. The new light is a VRB-25 installed in 1999. The light was automated in 1961.

North Head Light’s tower is 65 feet high and is perched on cliffs almost 130 feet high in the north part of Fort Canby State Park. It is open for tours on weekends beginning in May. When accompanied by guides, visitors are allowed to climb the 69 steps to the top of the tower. The enormous lens that once crowned the tower is a prime attraction at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Fort Canby State Park. The light continues to be an aid to navigation.

STITCHING INFORMATION: Stitch count: 89 wide x 108 high. Our model was stitched on a 11" x 12" piece of white 18-count AIDA fabric. To use a different type of fabric or different AIDA sized fabric, give the stitch count to your fabric store and they will help you select the correct amount of fabric to complete this design. Our threads were carefully chosen to depict the actual colors of the lighthouse to give it the most realistic appearance possible.