SANDY HOOK LIGHTHOUSE
Highlands, New Jersey
If you think you're old, just read this. Sandy Hook Lighthouse was built in the colonial days and on June 11, 1764 the keeper fired up the light for the first time. Keep in mind that this far back, the 'light' was actually 18 of Winslow Lewis' Argand lamps, using 21 inch reflectors, qualifying it for the duty of a harbor light. And now, it is still standing and still shining each night as it has for the last 237 years. This is the only lighthouse that survived the colonial era of the country, making it the oldest active light in the United States. The Boston Light was first to be built but it was blown up by the British in 1776, only to be rebuilt in 1783.
The people of New York were the ones who built the light to help guide ships into the New York harbor. But they located it on the tip of that little hook that stick up from Highlands, which is in New Jersey. After the war was over, the two states started bickering over ownership, but squelched when the U.S. government put all the lighthouses under Federal control. In 1857, the lighthouse was received a 3rd order lens after an inspection found it to be in a "good state of preservation". This then upgraded the function of Sandy Hook, it could be seen 15 miles out to sea with its fixed white light situated 88 feet above sea level. The station acquired a siren fog signal in 1868.
The lighthouse is now a part of the Gateway National Recreation Area known as the Sandy Hook Unit. Some sources say the grounds are open and the tower is closed, other sources say you can get a tour of tower as well. I didn't take the time to find out. The sun was setting and I still needed to find Navesink. This one is very easy to find. Take Hwy 36 east to Highlands and turn north into the Sandy Hook National Park. You'll run into the lighthouse up at Fort Hancock. This is extremely scenic, even with New York City looming across the water.
Here's how I
saw it:
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OF THE MOUNTAINS
John B Caddell
Copyright 2001