An Unforgettable Experience

The Cape May Lighthouse in New Jersey was the first lighthouse I ever visited. I had seen lighthouses in magazines and other media, but never saw one in person. A few years have passed now since visiting this lighthouse, but the visit remains an unforgettable experience. I felt extremely small in stature as I stood at the base of this towering lighthouse.

Built in 1859, this lighthouse tower stands 157-feet 6-inches tall and consists of two separate walls. The outside wall is cone-shaped and is 13-feet 10-inches thick at the bottom, and tapers to 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. There are 218 steps from ground to the top. Of those steps, 199 are in the tower's cast iron spiral staircase. The walls are designed to withstand winds several times above hurricane force.

The need for keepers stationed at the tower was eliminated when the light was electrified in 1938. Of the two keepers dwellings evacuated, only one remains. Not pictured.

Because of  WWII, in 1941 the lighthouse was darkened until 1945. The Atlantic coast was on blackout due to the presence of enemy submarines.

The lantern room originally housed a first order Fresnel lens. It was removed after World War II, loaned to Cape May County Museum in 1946, and is on display. A beacon type light which flashes every 15 seconds and visible for 24-miles out to sea replaced that lens.

 

The Coast Guard leased the tower to the state of New Jersey in 1986 and later transferred ownership of the light station in 1992. The light continues as an active aid to navigation.

This is the third known lighthouse built at Cape May Point. The first lighthouse was built in 1823 and the second in 1847. The exact locations of those first two lighthouses are uncertain, as they are now under water due to erosion.

Concerned Citizens Save Historic Landmark

Located at the mouth of the Maurice River, near Heislerville, NJ is the East Point Lighthouse. Built in 1849, it stands 40-feet high. Preceding this light were Range Lights positioned at the entrance of the river to guide all mariners and those involved in the oyster trade. Initially, lamps and reflectors were used to produce the light in the lighthouse. In 1865 these were replaced by a sixth-order Fresnel lens.

The light was darkened in 1941 during World War II, and then later completely taken out of service. Due to the shutdown and lack of maintenance for several years, the lighthouse suffered neglect and much deterioration until local citizens became concerned. They formed the Maurice River Society in 1971 with the mission to save the historic landmark. Restoration efforts by this society and their prompting of the Coast Guard, succeeded in getting the light relight in 1980. At the time of my visit here in 2001, this was an active lighthouse and open to the public.

Originally named the Maurice River Lighthouse, the East Point Lighthouse has guided mariners into the Maurice River from the Delaware Bay for over 165 years. This lighthouse is New Jersey's second oldest lighthouse, and the last working land-based NJ lighthouse on the bay.