'Terrible Tilly,' Lonely, Decrepit Oregon Lighthouse for Sale at $6.5 Million

Terrible Tilly
The storm-ravaged "Terrible Tilly" lighthouse.U.S. Coast Guard

Built in 1881, the Oregon lighthouse has sat empty for 65 years.

You can be the owner of a spooky, abandoned lighthouse off the northwest coast of Oregon, accessible only by helicopter and without running water or indoor plumbing, for a mere $6.5 million.

Built in 1881 and abandoned for 65 years, the towering structure is the state's only offshore lighthouse. 

Set on a rocky island, it is nearly impossible to access by boat because of extreme weather. The crews who worked there, stranded for months at at time, called it "Terrible Tilly" because it was cold, wet and dangerous.

The lonely lighthouse is one mile off Oregon's Tillamook Head.

The private property, which is part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, can only be reached by helicopter and with permission of the owners.

The lighthouse once guided ships on dangerous journeys to the Columbia River and played important roles in the World War II shipbuilding enterprises and development of the Pacific Northwest.

Because of its remote location, construction costs were $123,493 in 1881 dollars, making it the most expensive lighthouse built on the West Coast at the time. Seawater, storms and wave-born boulders have left the structure in deplorable condition with extensive rust and broken windows.

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