A painting by
Willy Mueller

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.