BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE
Long Beach Island, New Jersey
Located at the north end of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, Barnegat Lighthouse stands towering over the entrance to Barnegat Inlet, reaching 165 feet into the sky. Good ole' Winslow Lewis built the first light here, in 1835, a short 40 foot tower made of cheap brick. More than likely it fell down of its own, but George Meade reported in 1855, that the existing light did not serve its purpose. The current tower was finished in 1858 and the new 1st order lens began shining on January 1st, 1859. However, in 1927, a lightship began servicing the area and so Barnegat was automated and reduced in candlepower, eventually turning off in 1944.
The big lighthouse is now a part of the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and is listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places. A small admission fee gets you in, your legs have to get you up those 217 steps to the top. An outstanding view of the coast is the reward. I wish I had the time to do it, but I had three more lights to find and my day had entered the afternoon. It is easy to find. Take Hwy 72 east from the GS Pkwy to Long Beach Island and turn north. Drive until there is no more island. Nice parking area and beach. Gotta leave the way you came. This too is another light that has been threatened by the sea. The rock around the base of the tower seems to be holding off the ocean for now. It is a grand sight.
OF THE MOUNTAINS
John B Caddell
Copyright 2001