Hughes House and Ranch (1898) Elegant Victorian farmhouse designed by Pehr Johan Lindberg for prosperous dairyman Patrick Hughes
Cape Blanco Light Station (1870) Holds five Oregon records including most westerly and oldest continually operating lighthouse on the Oregon coast
Port Orford Lifeboat Station (1934) Home to Coast Guard surfmen who bravely rescued mariners for 36 years
The Cape Blanco Heritage Society
Cape Blanco Heritage Society (CBHS) works cooperatively with the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (ORPD), The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, The Coquille Indian Tribe and Curry County at three historic sites on the beautiful southern Oregon Coast: Hughes House and Ranch, Cape Blanco Light Station, and Port Orford Lifeboat Station. Our partnerships vary at each site, so read more about the mission of our organization to more fully understand the purpose of the Cape Blanco Heritage Society.
Each landmark property preserves significant elements from the past and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Volunteers carry out our mission to provide interpretive and educational services at these locales, enriching the experience for tourists from around the world as well as local residents and their guests.
Gift shops at two locations offer unusual mementos with a history theme to remind sightseers of their visit. Souvenir sales help provide funding for large projects such as restoring Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat No. 36498 and revealing original floors in Hughes House.
Donations, memberships and volunteers are always welcome to help continue our outstanding work.
A Brief Organizational History
Originally, our organization functioned as two distinctly separate groups: The Friends of Cape Blanco (which represented the Cape Blanco Lighthouse and Hughes House) and the Point Orford Heritage Society (which represented the Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum). In 2000, the Point Orford Heritage Society partnered with Oregon State Parks. In 2004, the Friends of Cape Blanco partnered with the Bureau of Land Management. That same year, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, The Coquille Indian Tribe and Curry County entered into the Cape Blanco Partnership. In 2011 the two groups merged and grew to form the Cape Blanco Heritage Society with its unique cooperative partnerships, as it is known today.
Please see our mission page for more information on our Board of Directors.