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Five volunteers recently landed by helicopter at the endangered Tillamook Rock Lighthouse off the coast of Seaside, Oregon, in an effort to spruce it up.
The 1881 lighthouse that sits 134 feet above sea level was deactivated in 1957 and has been privately owned for a number of years, most recently as a depository for the ashes of the deceased. Although it lost its license to be a columbarium, the owner hopes that one day, she, or perhaps a new owner, can change that.
Although no restoration work was done on the fortress-like structure, the coat of paint on the front side did give it a fresh look, something that might convince a possible buyer to pay the $6.5 million asking price.
The volunteers, who camped in tents on the rock soon realized what the keepers of yesteryear had to endure. Their tents were ripped to shreds by the high winds and they were forced to sleep inside the walls of the abandoned lighthouse. Even the helicopter that was to take them off the rock had to wait until the weather calmed down.
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