The tower of this lighthouse is 157-feet 6-inches tall and has a total of 218 steps from ground to the top, which 199 of those steps are in its cast iron spiral staircase. The lighthouse actually has two separate walls. The outside wall is cone-shaped, and is 13-feet 10-inches thick at the bottom, and 1-foot 6-inches thick at the top. The inside wall is a cylinder with 8.5-inch thick walls which support the spiral staircase. The walls were designed to withstand winds several times above hurricane force.
Three keepers, one head and two assistants with their families, lived at the lighthouse site until 1938 when the light was electrified. That action eliminated the need for keepers to be stationed at the site.
This lighthouse was darkened from 1941 until 1945 because of WWII. The Atlantic coast was on blackout due to the presence of enemy submarine's.
At the time of my visit here in 1997, the U.S. Coast Guard continued to operate the light as an active aid to navigation. The light is visible 24-miles out to sea and flashes every 15-seconds. In 1992, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the State of New Jersey.
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