Casino Connection Atlantic City

Seeing the Light

Lighthouses of the South Jersey coastline

by Beth Joseph

The year is 1854 and the Powhattan vessel, packed with German immigrants, sways with each crashing wave. The skipper fights to stay on course against the fierce northeastern wind and the approaching darkness. Only 600 yards from shore, the watermen battle weather, winds and weariness, but a safe arrival seems a daunting task.

The Powhattan never made it ashore, sinking just off the coast of Absecon Island, marking one of the most tragic shipwrecks in East Coast history. At 5 p.m., the vessel broke in two as rough seas tossed bodies into the waters. Three hundred and eleven immigrants lost their lives to the Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1854. The same evening, less than one mile south, a schooner struck the Brigantine shoals, and nine of the 10 aboard perished. The shoals—also known as sandbars—off the Brigantine coast became a feared stretch for sailors.

Ship to Shore

Over the decade of 1846-1856, 64 ships went down within a 10-mile radius of the Atlantic City area. While hundreds of vessels traveled along the shoreline, more than 5,000 shipwrecks in New Jersey waters earned the coastline the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.”

Due to the massive number of wrecks and ships that ran ashore, the government created eight life-saving stations. These stations were designed to warn the ships’ crews of impending dangers, assist the captains of passing ships, assist boaters in seeing the mainland, help distressed vessels and rescue those in need.

By 1857, help arrived, as the first of the Jersey Shore’s legendary lighthouses appeared. Nearly 20 stations were erected to illuminate the coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May including Absecon, Barnegat, Brigantine, Ship Bottom and Long Branch. Early life-saving stations housed a keeper and a six- or eight-man crew, called surfmen. The personnel running the life-saving stations in New Jersey and other states were banded together to create the U.S. Life Saving Service in 1848.

While budgets and salaries were tight during early years, the service, along with the newly constructed lighthouses, helped significantly reduce the number of casualties at sea.

Only three lives were lost during the first three years of the Life Saving Service. Despite the new technology and manpower, the Giovanni wrecked in 1875 along Cape Cod, killing all 14 men aboard. Over the following five years, only 16 lives were reported lost along the coast. From 1848 to 1854, the Life Saving Service assisted 407 distressed vessels and preserved an estimated 4,650 lives. While the U.S. Life Saving Service was replaced in 1915 by the United States Coast Guard, the use of lighthouses still remains prevalent today.

Beauty of the Beacons

It has been nearly 350 years since the first United States lighthouse was erected on Little Brewster Island in Boston. Due to advances in technological navigation, the need for lighthouses has declined over the years, leaving a mere 1,500 still in operation today.

Lighthouses erected around the state display true gems of the Jersey Shore, and with 11 structures open to the public, lighthouses have become popular visitor spots—to learn and to climb.

In the beginning, lighthouses were constructed mainly of sandstone, then advanced to brick and mortar to ensure a stronger, longer-lasting structure. The lighthouse towers were constructed to be cylindrical to reduce the effect of wind on the tall structure, especially on soft soil or wet land.

Made of 598,634 bricks, the Absecon Lighthouse is planted in Atlantic City’s back yard on Vermont and Pacific avenues. Erected in 1854 as a result of the Powhattan tragedy, the Absecon Lighthouse stands 171 feet high. On January 15, 1857, the lantern was lit, shining 19.5 nautical miles out to sea.

While construction took nearly two years, the Absecon Lighthouse reported no lost ships or lives lost during its first year of operation. The lighthouse remained active until 1933, when its light was extinguished. Now listed on the New Jersey and National Historic Registries, the Absecon Lighthouse has been fully restored and contains lightkeeper housing, museum and lens exhibit.

“The Absecon Lighthouse is off the beaten path of the Boardwalk and other hot spots,” says Executive Director Jean Muchanic. “But judging by the reaction of everyone who finds their way here, and the words they use to describe the lighthouse—like amazing, spectacular and beautiful—it is a must-see in Atlantic City.”

Approximately 15,000 visitors climb the 228 steps to the top of the country’s third-tallest lighthouse every year.

Traveling north to Long Beach Island, the Barnegat Lighthouse, otherwise known as “Old Barney,” stands at 165 feet in height. While Barnegat contains 217 steps and is slightly shorter than the Absecon Lighthouse, due to its location above sea level, it is considered the second-tallest lighthouse in the United States.

“It’s a very fine lighthouse, and was one of the most important change-of-course points for oceanic travel due to its location,” says Alex Butrym, visitor service assistant at Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. “Its historic value makes this point a recognizable one in American history.”

Used as a lookout during World War I, the red-and-white tower now represents a symbol of the state, as it is depicted on the “Shore Conservation” license plates.

New Jersey’s southernmost lighthouse, located at the tip of Cape May, features views from Wildwood to Delaware on a clear day. Built in 1859, under the supervision of First Lieutenant and famous Civil War General George Meade, the lighthouse juts 157.5 feet into the air. As a part of the 190-acre Cape May Point State Park, the lighthouse, topped with a red cupola, is a popular sightseeing spot for thousands of peninsula visitors.

“It’s a huge view of the ocean and the city below. Once upstairs, the watch gallery of the 1859 structure has a panoramic view of the Jersey cape and the Atlantic Ocean,” says Communications Coordinator Margo Harvey. “More than 100,000 visitors per year come to the house. New this year are ‘Ghost of the Lighthouse Tours,’ which tell people about the supposed spirits of the lighthouse.”

In addition to bringing thousands of visitors who listen to ghost stories and take in the sights, the Cape May Lighthouse is operated by the United States Coast Guard—it is still an active nautical navigation guide. Its light shines 24 nautical miles, flashing every 15 seconds to aid ships along the state’s south end.

The state’s oldest lighthouse at Sandy Hook is among those that still shine brightly each night. Built in 1764 by Isaac Conro, it was originally called the New York Lighthouse, since it was funded by the New York state ship taxes and lottery. As the northernmost lighthouse in New Jersey, Sandy Hook was the first visible landmark for sailors approaching the New York harbor.

The octagonal white tower was originally built 500 feet from the hook’s tip. However, due to expansion from shifting sand, it is now 1.5 miles from the point. First lit on January 11, 1764, the lighthouse is now run with a 1,000-watt bulb that emits 45,000 candle-power. Sandy Hook’s light is visible 19 miles out to sea, and has only gone dark twice in its more than 200-year history, during the Revolutionary and Civil wars.

Lighting the House

While the size and design of the lighthouses have captivated visitors for years, the beacons are the real focuses of attention. Each lighthouse contains a light source known as a lamp that can be run by either fuel or electricity. The light is then magnified using lenses to create a powerful, bright beacon that beams out onto the ocean.

Original lighthouses were operated using a continuously burning fire supplied by wood and coal that was lit similarly to that of a candlewick. Whale oil was used in later years, before being replaced by kerosene. Lighthouse keepers took on the job of carrying the fuel to the tower’s top, daily cleaning of lenses and mirrors and maintaining a non-stop illumination. Despite the difficult and often mundane task, the keeper wasn’t allotted a salary until 1857 when the government appropriated a $200 yearly stipend.

With the advancements of technology and the introduction of the satellite navigational system, the seaside towers were upgraded to use solar power which required less maintenance, eliminating the role of a keeper at most lighthouses.

The largest advancement in lighting technology was the invention of the Fresnel lens by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. The new, thinner lens allows for more light to pass through, in turn creating a longer beam of light. Today there are six orders of Fresnel lenses depending on their focal length, which vary from 36 inches to 17 inches. Most light beams for New Jersey lighthouses shine from approximately 20 to 30 nautical miles from the lantern room to the ships’ decks.

All operating New Jersey lighthouses contain Fresnel lenses. Sandy Hook uses a third order lens that displays a fixed white beam while Hereford Inlet uses a slightly smaller fourth order lens in a white flash that is displayed every 15 seconds.

\Each lighthouse uses tower colors and designs known as their “daymark,” and differing beam characteristics, or “nightmark,” to identify themselves. This gives sailors an easy way to find placement in the water as well as avoid submerged obstacles while guiding them safely around the shoreline.

Meeting the Challenge

Just like no two fingerprints are exactly the same, neither are the lighthouses. New Jersey has 11 public lighthouses totaling more than 1,100 steps. Visiting them all in two days is a challenge that thousands tackle each year during the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge. Held this year October 20-21, the 8th annual challenge teaches visitors the history, importance and beauty of the towering beacons.

“All lighthouses look different and have their own unique features,” says Doreen Berson, Lighthouse Challenge chairman. “The Challenge raises awareness by exposing participants to these important structures and their history.”

The New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge rewards challengers as they arrive at the various sites with a souvenir. Those who collect all 11 lighthouse (Sandy Hook, Twin Lights, Barnegat, Tucker’s Island, Absecon, Hereford Inlet, Cape May, East Point, Finn’s Point and Tinicum) tokens complete the challenge and are honored with an additional token to commemorate the statewide lighthouse tour.

For a chance to see the shining beacon working under the moonlight, the challenge offers night climbs at Sandy Hook, Cape May and Tinicum. Additional evening hours are available at Absecon and Tucker’s Island for visitors to get a glimpse of the night skyline.

For more information about the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge, contact the Lighthouse Society at 856-546-0514 or online at www.njlhs.org.

On September 15, the Delaware Bay Lighthouse Adventures invites the public to cruise the waterways while visiting nine local lighthouses. The seven-hour tour departs at 10 a.m. for a chance to experience Cape May Lighthouse, Harbour of Refuge (Lewes); Delaware Breakwater East End (Lewes), Brandywine Shoal, Fourteen Foot Light, Miah Maull Shoal, Cross Ledge, Elbow of Cross Ledge and Ship John Light. The cost of the trip is $99 per person, and includes breakfast and lunch. For more information, visit www.capemaymac.org.

A southern lighthouse series on September 16, run by the Littoral Society, starts at Absecon then travels to Hereford Inlet and Cape May for a day of touring. This day-long trek costs $35 and includes lunch. For more information, visit www.littoralsociety.org.