

A painting by
Willy Mueller
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History | Visiting Info
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History
Barnegat Lighthouse
is located on the northern tip of Long Beach Island,
in the town of Barnegat Light, New Jersey.
The present
lighthouse is the third on the tip of the island. The
first lighthouse was a 40 foot masonry tower
constructed in 1834. It had a miserable reputation as
a lighthouse. It stood until 1856, when it became in
undulated by the sea and toppled into the sea during
Keeper James Fuller's watch. Fortunately, the
circumstances had been foreseen and the lamps had been
removed and replaced in a temporary wooden tower
constructed further inland.
Construction began
on the present lighthouse in 1857 and was completed in
1858. Because of the similarity in size to the Absecon
Lighthouse to the south, Barnegat Lighthouse's light
was given a different characteristic to help
distinguish from its southerly comrade. The light at
Barnegat was a first-order Flashing Fresnel which
flashed once every ten seconds at each point of the
compass. The lens was removed in 1927 when the
Barnegat Lightship took up station off Barnegat Inlet.
The lens was sent to the Tompkinsville Lighthouse
Depot on Staten Island, New York. In 1954, the lens
was returned to the town of Barnegat Light and now is
on exhibit in the Barnegat Light Historical Museum.
The museum is open June & September on weekends
from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and July & August,
daily from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Today, the
Lighthouse is owned by the State of New Jersey and is
the centerpiece of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The
park address is Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, P.O.
Box 167, Barnegat Light, New Jersey 08006. The park is
open year round, but the lighthouse is normally only
open during the summer season.
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