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101 Explore Port Orford's history

On the headlands overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Port Orford, U.S. Coast Guard lifeboat station No. 318 still stands 280 feet above the water.

For 36 years, crews manned the motor lifeboats, helping mariners plying the waters of the Southern Oregon Coast.

Built in 1934, the station featured Cape Cod and Craftsman style buildings, residences, storage buildings and a pump house. Now, it's maintained as a museum and interpretive center by the Point Orford Heritage Society.

The boats were docked in Nellie's Cove, a 532-step descent from the station to the water's edge.

Crews carried supplies and fuel for the boats by hand up and down the stairs.
The station was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1970. It was used by Oregon State University for six years, being dedicated to the Oregon State Parks Department and the Port Orford Heads State Park was created.

In 1995, the Point Orford Heritage Society and State Parks worked together to restore the station and create the museum. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places and was opened to the public on June 3, 2000.

On the grounds is a project the society is tackling, the restoration of lifeboat No. 36498, a 36-foot motor lifeboat that worked from 1946 through 1979.
Besides the museum grounds, there is a trail system that takes visitors to various points along the headlands.

The road leading to the museum is well marked on U.S. Highway 101 in Port Orford. The museum is open April through October, Thursdays through Mondays, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Planning a trip?

101 Explore Port Orford's history

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