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This Page Sponsored by:
Tom McGuire Photography
Featuring a large selection of Shore photography for sale
| The Navesink Light Station |
The Navesink Light Station also known as the Highlands light was mentioned in a 1765 history of New Jersey and is believed to have been constructed around 1756.Construction of the first Twin Lights was completed in 1828. The light station consisted of identical, but unconnected, octagonal towers and a keeper's dwelling. The towers were made of blue split stone and stood 320 feet apart. The focal plane of the north tower was 246 feet above sea level. US Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry purchased a firstorder and secondorder Fresnel lens and in 1841 they were installed in the Navesink Light Station. It was America's first use of the Fresnel lenses. In 1841, the Lighthouse Board reported the Twin Lights were the "best on the coast of the United States " But, it also found the dwellings and outbuildings in serious need of repair. Rather than rehabilitate the 1828 station, the Board decided to construct new towers. Work began in 1861 and was completed on May 1st the following year. Strangely enough, architect Joseph Lederle chose to make the south tower square and the north tower octagonal. The lighthouse was built of brownstone quarried at Belleville, New Jersey. Total cost of construction was $74,000. The beam of the light was visible for 22 miles and its "glooming," or reflection in the night sky, could be seen from 70 miles at sea. Local residents complained the powerful light kept their cows awake at night and the animals refused to give milk in the morning. A happy compromise was reached with the installation of blackout panels on the landward sides of both towers. The south tower's Fresnel lens was extinguished in 1949 when the light station was decommissioned by the US Coast Guards. For the first time in nearly two centuries, the Highlands of Navesink were darkened because the development of modern navigational aids made Twin Lights (and many other Light houses as well) obsolete. Shipping in and out of New York Harbor is guided now by highly sophisticated nautical aids. The Navesink Attendant Light Station became a New Jersey State Historic Site in 1960. It is administered by the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, State Park Service. Beachcomber has added additional Photos including Views from the top of the South Tower for your enjoyment. Beachcomber Note: The Tour of Twin lights is free to the public (Donations accepted). You can visit the Lighthouse, Tour the grounds, climb to the top of the South Tower, and visit numerous exhibits in the main buildings exhibition area. Combine this trip with a trip to Historic Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook and you have an excellent and informative day trip. |
| Sandy Hook Light (1764) |
The Sandy Hook Light is the oldest light tower in the United States, New Jersey, at the entrance to New York Harbor.In 1838, the lighthouse was found to be in good order, and in 1852, the Lighthouse Board reported it in a remarkably fine state of preservation with a light adequate as an entrance light. In addition to the tower, the station had two beacons, and the one keeper was expected to take care of all three lights. In 1856, the board placed a thirdorder lens on the tower, where it has remained. Although threatened by erosion in the 1870's, the octagonal tower has lasted through the years, a monument to its builder, Isaac Conro.
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| Barnegat Light (1835) |
Barnegat Light Station, New Jersey, Also known as "Ole Barney" came into existence on July 20, 1835 - Additional Photos and Description, and had been built by Winslow Lewis.Located on the south side of Barnegat Inlet about forty five miles south of Sandy Hook, the light was apparently primarily a guide to the inlet; the tower was but forty feet high. In 1851, the Lighthouse Board found that the lamps had fourteeninch reflectors and figured the light was equivalent to a fifthorder lens. The first order Barnegat lighthouse, New Jersey, about 1835. This light, 175 feet above sea level, was lighted in 1859 in an attempt to lessen the frequency of shipwrecks along the treacherous New Jersey coast. Since Barnegat Light was usually the first one sighted by vessels from Europe and from the south, the Lighthouse Board in 1857 began construction of a new tower 900 feet south of the old one. Exhibited January 1, 1859, the new firstorder light was truly a seacoast light, since its focal plane was 175 feet above sea level. Through the years the light tower was often threatened by erosion, but brush jetties slowed the progress of the abrasion. In 1926, the Bureau of Light Houses gave the station, except for the tower, to the state of New Jersey. The bureau continued to maintain an automatic light in the tower until January 1, 1944, when it decided to discontinue the light because the same job was being done by the Barnegat lightship, which had been established in 1927. The old tower still stands, and is viewed annually by thousands of seashore visitors. |
| Absecon Light (1857) Additional Photos |
One of the most frequently visited light stations during its active days
was the lighthouse at Absecon in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Although first
authorized in 1837, the Absecon light was not completed and lighted until
January 15, 1857. Built under the supervision of Lt. George G. Meade, the
brick tower, which was erected on a stone foundation resting on a wood platform,
rose 150 feet into the air. In keeping with its role as a primary seacoast
light, the board installed a firstorder lens on the tower. Its purpose was
to guide ships past Absecon and Brigantine Shoals. The wrecks along that
section of the coast had been "frequent and appalling," but in
the first ten months of the light's service not a single wreck was reported.
To increase its effectiveness as a daymark, the board in 1872 had the tower
painted white with a wide red band about its middle. The board changed this
marking in 1898 to an orange tower with a black middle band.The Lighthouse Bureau discontinued the light in July, 1933; an electric beacon on the Steel Pier had replaced it. Although the station's other buildings disappeared in subsequent years, the tower remained standing. In 1948, the U. S. Coast Guard gave the tower to the city, which in time restored it as a historic structure. Today the old tower is the centerpiece of a city park. |
| Cape May Lighthouse (1859) |
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This 1859-vintage structure, one of the oldest continually operating Light houses in the United States, offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the Jersey
Cape, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. An Oil House, at
the base of the lighthouse, contains a fully-accessible Visitors Orientation
Center with a video about the structure, a photo mural of the view from
the top, and reproductions of each display in the Lighthouse. The Oil House
also contains a museum shop carrying lighthouse souvenirs, books, videos,
and other maritime items. a unique living history tour, "The Keeper's
on Duty," is offered at various times throughout the season. Actors
portraying Harry of Belle Palmer, the Lighthouse's last keepers, will greet
you at the top with tales of their lives and work in the 1920s. For more
information about the Cape May Lighthouse, write to the Mid-Atlantic Center
for the Arts (MAC), a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and
interpreting Cape May's Victorian heritage and architecture to promoting
the performing arts, at PO Box 340, Cape May, NJ 08204, or call (609) 884-5404
or 1-800-275-4278. |
| Robbins Reef Lighthouse |
| Kate Walker, keeper from 1885-1919, began her career as assistant keeper
at Sandy Hook. She rowed her children to school on Staten Island; was responsible
for saving many lives. Before her husband died, he told her, "Katy,
mind the light." Located in NY Harbor. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Located in New York Harbor, can be seen from Navesink. Maintained by Coast
Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Conover Beacon |
| Together with Chapel Hill Light farther inland, it formed a pair of "range
lights" to facilitate access into Sandy Hook Bay. Sea captains lined
up front and rear lights to find the middle of the channel. Located in Leonardo, NJ near Naval Weapons Center. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Great Beds Lighthouse |
| Located in Raritan Bay, it can be seen from South Amboy area. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Chapel Hill Lighthouse |
| An abandoned structure situated on the bayside. Together with Conover Beacon,
it formed a pair of "range lights" which captains used to navigate
the channel. Located in Middletown, NJ. Is now a private residence. |
| Sea Girt Lighthouse |
The nation's first lighthouse equipped with radio fog signal, the red brick
Victorian structure has been 90% restored and offers historic displays and
artifacts.Located in Sea Girt at Beacon Blvd. and Ocean Avenue. Open periodically. |
| East Point Lighthouse |
Built in early 1800's, it is presently undergoing restoration, with open
house and fundraisers held yearly near the end of July, early August.Located at the mouth of the Maurice River, Cumberland County. Group tours may be arranged. |
| Finns Point Rear Range Light |
| Also known as the Fort Mott Range Light, it features rare wrought-iron work
and a Greek Revival doorway. There is a fascinating fort nearby plus picnic
facilities. Located in Fort Mott area, Pennsville, NJ. Open April - October restricted hours. |
| Brandywine Shoal Lighthouse |
Originally built in 1850 using breakthrough technology p; because of
the channel's sandy bottom, the entire structure was actually built on screw
piles.Located north of Lewes, Delaware, in Delaware Bay. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Cross Ledge Lighthouse |
|
Like many others, it had to be rebuilt several times. Following destruction
by a ship in the '50s, only a steel skeleton and automated beacon remain
today. Also known as Elbow of Cross Ledge Light. Located near Brandywine Shoal in Delaware Bay. |
| Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse |
|
Named after river pilot who drowned in a storm. Caisdson type construction
involved floating cylinders out into bay and then sinking them into sandy
bottom. Still being used to guide ships into port of Philadelphia. Located in Delaware Bay, off Fortescue and Egg Island Point. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Ship John Shoal Lighthouse |
|
Named after ship that sank in 1797, it is still being used to guide ships
into port of Philadelphia. Located in Delaware Bay southwest of Sea Breeze. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
| Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse |
| Located in Billingsport just west of Paulsboro, NJ by the Delaware River. Maintained by Coast Guard; interior closed to public. |
Photo, © 1999, Tom McGuire Photography
Updated October 21, 1999 | © 1999, beachcomber.com