Cape Disappointment Lighthouse has watched over the entrance of the Columbia River since it was first lit on October 15, 1856. It stands fifty-three feet tall, has a focal plane of 220 feet above the sea, and tapers from a diameter of fourteen feet four inches at its base to ten feet six inches at the lantern room. Built in 1856, its first keeper was John Boyle. During the Civil War period, the site had fifteen-inch guns as fortifications. Its light is alternating white and red, visible for 10 nautical miles, and it has a black band to differentiate it from North Head Light.