Cape Arago Light Station Footbridge, Gregory Point, Charleston, Coos County, OR

See also HABS OR-189 for documentation on the Cape Arago Lighthouse

Significance: Completed in 1938, the Cape Arago footbridge was the third "high" bridge constructed at the Cape Arago Light Station that was established in 1866. The light station is significant for its association with the federal government's efforts to provide safe maritime transportation into the Coos Bay harbor and along the Pacific Northwest coast during a time when Oregon's economy was dependent on the sea for transport and trade. Keepers at the Cape Arago Light Station relied on the footbridge to provide safe access to the lighthouse island.

Over 389' long, the footbridge is also significant as a good example of a Howe pony truss footbridge constructed of locally milled Douglas fir. The bridge was completed in 1938 near the end of the Great Depression, and still serves as the only pedestrian access to the lighthouse island.

The Cape Arago footbridge meets registration requirements as defined by the multiple property submission "Lighthouse Stations of Oregon." The footbridge was listed as a contributing feature to the Cape Arago Light Station. The footbridge and 1934 lighthouse (the only extant structures at the station) were listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The lighthouse is documented in a separate survey, HABS OR-189 Lighthouse."

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1159

Survey number: HAER OR-156

Building/structure dates: 1938 Initial Construction

National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 73002338

pedestrian bridges pony truss bridges maritime charleston or cape arago footbridge cape arago light station footbridge gregory gregory point charleston coos coos county oregon historic american engineering record us coast guard photo ultra high resolution high resolution lighthouse library of congress national register of historic places

1969 - 1980

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html