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.
No comments:
Post a Comment