Tillamook Rock Light
As seen in 1947
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| Location | Off Tillamook Head, Clatsop County, Oregon |
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| Coordinates | 45°56′15″N 124°01′08″W / 45.9375°N 124.019°W |
| Year first lit | 1881 |
| Deactivated | 1957 |
| Foundation | Concrete |
| Construction | Basalt masonry, brick, iron |
| Tower shape | Round lantern on square tower |
| Height | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Original lens | First order Fresnel lens (removed) |
| Range | 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
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Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
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| NRHP Reference # | 81000480 |
| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1981 |
| Heritage | place listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
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Tillamook Rock Light is a deactivated lighthouse on the Oregon Coast of the United States. It is located approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) offshore from Tillamook Head, and 20 miles (32 km) south of the Columbia River, situated on less than an acre of basalt rock in the Pacific Ocean. The construction of the lighthouse was commissioned in 1878 by the United States Congress, and began in 1880. The construction took more than 500 days to finish, with its completion in January 1881. In early January 1881, when the lighthouse was near completion, the barque Lupatia was wrecked near the rock during inclement weather and sank, killing all 16 crew members.
The Light was officially lit on January 21, 1881. At the time, it was the most expensive West Coast lighthouse ever built. Due to the erratic weather conditions, and the dangerous commute for both keepers and suppliers, the lighthouse was nicknamed "Terrible Tilly" (or Tillie). Over the years, storms have damaged the lighthouse, shattered the lens, and eroded the rock. It was decommissioned in 1957, and has since been sold to private owners. Until 1999, it was an unofficial columbarium, and is privately owned. The light is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. It is visible from the coastal cities of Seaside, Cannon Beach, as well as from Ecola State Park.
In 1878, the United States Congress appropriated $50,000 for a lighthouse to be built on Tillamook Head; however, after a survey was conducted, it was determined that due to the height of the Head (1,000 feet), the light would be obstructed by fog, and the Tillamook rock was selected as the alternative site for the construction. A survey of the rock was ordered in 1879, which was headed by H. S. Wheeler and his cutter Thomas Corwin. Wheeler's initial assessment determined that access to the rock was severely limited, if not impossible, but was ordered to continue. During his second assessment, he was able to land on the rock, but was unable to move his survey equipment without the use of a tape line. He then relayed that the rock would need considerable blasting to create a level area in order lay down a foundation for the lighthouse, and that more money was going to be needed to complete the project.
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