The Long Way
Columbia County
A tall red structure stands against a clear blue sky.
Plate I. Peace Candle of the World roadside landmark. From kxl.com
Peace Candle of the World in Scappoose.
Plate II. Peace Candle of the World in Scappoose. Photograph by Cacophony, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Peace Candle of the World

Scappoose, Columbia County, Oregon. Distinctive roadside attraction.

Details

Map. Scappoose, Columbia County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
US Hwy 30, Scappoose, OR. Directions
When
any time of day.
Getting there
On the south end of town, on the northbound side of US 30.
Fees
free.
Access
The 1.9-acre property was purchased earlier this year by Mark Madden through a limited liability corporation called VW 1 PDX; WDC Properties is the developer.
Phone
503-543-7146
Website
lewisandclark.travel
Managed by
City of Scappoose.
Established
May 9, 1971.
Coordinates
45.7435, -122.8761.

A cylindrical structure approximately 50-feet tall and 18-feet in diameter, once covered with real candle wax, now painted red with a custom neon flame replica.

Notable Events

  1. 1971The Candle was dedicated by Gov. Tom McCall on Mother's Day, May 9, 1971. columbiacountyspotlight.com
  2. 2015It's listed in many travel publications and websites, with the Weather Channel in 2015 calling it Oregon's most famous landmark. kxl.com
  3. 2015Weather.com, a weather and travel website, selected the Scappoose Peace Candle of the World as Oregon's Most Incredible Roadside Attraction. oregonencyclopedia.org

People

  • Grabhorn family, private landowners who maintained the Candle for years.
  • Mark Madden, founder and chief executive officer of WDC Properties.
  • Patty Conroy, Scappoose resident who urged the city to focus on the Candle as a beacon for world peace.
  • Darrell Brock, builder of the Peace Candle; candle maker who came to Oregon in 1955, worked on the 1959 Oregon Centennial Candle, and ran Western Candle in a reconstructed Scappoose dairy barn (1971).
  • Tom McCall, governor of Oregon who dedicated and lit the Peace Candle of the World alongside Darrell Brock (1971).

Sources

  1. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/scappoose_peace_candle
  2. lewisandclark.travel/listing/peace-candle-of-the-world
  3. sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/government/pages/scappoose.aspx
  4. columbiacountyspotlight.com/2019/11/27/peace-candle-preservation-efforts-continue-with-new-owner
  5. kxl.com/sprucing-up-the-world-peace-candle