The year is 1805. Standing on a mist-shrouded shore, a band of haggard travelers gazes out in awe at the vast stretch of sea before them. This ocean, once a distant dream, now unfurls before their eyes. Their journey has been long – over 2,000 miles through treacherous, uncharted wilderness. But as the relentless waves crash against the rocky shore, the sound rises like a chorus of triumph, echoing the long-awaited toll of victory.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, alongside their Corps of Discovery, have finally reached the Pacific. Their feet, now planted on the western edge of the continent, have forged a path for President Jefferson’s vision of westward expansion – a path that leads to Oregon.
In the years to follow, nearly 400,000 travelers would make the same arduous trek from St. Louis to the Willamette Valley via the Oregon Trail, establishing the first American settlements in what became known as the “land of milk and honey.” These settlements would grow into Oregon’s largest cities, including Portland, Salem and Eugene. But why did the journey end there? Why didn’t more pioneers continue the extra 50 miles to the coast that Lewis and Clark had fought so hard to reach? And why is it that today, only 5% of Oregonians – around 190,000 people – live by the sea?
The very challenges that make the coast difficult to settle are also what make it so striking.
The answer is simple: geography. The Oregon coast is separated from the state’s interior by the Oregon Coast Range, a low-slung stretch of mountains that runs parallel to the shore. Unlike the flat, fertile valleys to the east, the rugged coastline is less hospitable. Jagged terrain and steep cliffs have made infrastructure a challenge, limiting the development of major towns and cities. Meaning the Oregon coast remains a place of scattered small communities where nature dominates and human footprints are few.
Yet the very challenges that make the coast difficult to settle are also what make it so striking. The steep, rocky shorelines that prevent the construction of ports also give rise to towering cliffs, like gray cathedrals rising from the sea. Thick ocean fog, stifling to agriculture, blankets the coast in a dramatically ever-changing atmosphere. And the narrow headlands that limit development lend an air of supreme privacy to the few homes that dot the landscape.
One such home, located in the small town of Neskowin, 100 miles west of Portland, boldly crowns one of the region’s coastal bluffs. Contrasting the unbridled beauty of its location, the Cape Cod-style home, known as Neskape, is cleanly cut. The natural accents of its interior – ceiling beams, quartz countertops, hardwood floors – are smoothed to a perfection not often found in the natural world. Comforts exceed expectations for a remote retreat, including a sauna, a game room and a ten-person hot tub.
Though the seven-bedroom home’s neat appearance may seem like an attempt to tame its setting, it’s much more about taking a backseat to nature’s grandeur. The understated interiors make a conscious effort not to distract from the views outside. Instead, walls of glass and expansive open-air decks invite the vast vistas to take center stage.
Priced at $5.6 million, Neskape represents the pinnacle of Oregon’s coastal market. A home that demands a buyer with a spirit as untameable as the land on which it resides.
The listing is held by Terry Sprague, CEO and founder of LUXE.
