
Photo from Coast Guard Historians
Office

Photo by Kim M. Ruth
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History
This light was also known as the Fort Mifflin Bar Cut
Range, and Mifflin Bar Range. The front range light was
also known as the Billingsport Light.
The front range light was located south of
Billingsport, New Jersey, just below Lincoln Park. Its
position was 39° 50' 51" latitude by 75° 15' 11"
longitude. The lighthouse was first lighted December 31,
1880. It was equipped with a fifth order lens. The
keepers house sat at the edge of a sloping bank. The
original light was in the keeper's dwelling, but by 1887
the shipping channel had changed and the light was moved
to a detached square frame tower on concrete base just
slightly off the shoreline. The keeper's house and the
new tower were connected by a wooden walkway. The front
range light had the unusual distinction of serving as
the front range for two ranges - The Mifflin Range
pointing upriver (towards Trenton) and the Tinicum Range
pointing down river. It was automated in 1938.
Eventually the site became the property of the DuPont
Company. The keeper's house was eventually torn down.
The wooden tower was replaced by a steel skeleton tower,
possibly in the late 1970's or early 1980's. Like the
old tower it replaced, it has two lights, one facing
upriver and one facing down river. It is built on the
foundation of of its earlier predecessor.
The Fort Mifflin Rear Range Lighthouse was located at
39° 50' 35" latitude by 75° 15' 40" longitude which is
about 1/2 mile behind the front range light. The rear
range light as a white pyramidal wooden tower with a
black watchroom and lantern with a black slatted daymark
above the roof of the lantern. The tower was not
attached to the keepers house. the keeper lived in a
two-story, square white dwelling with lead colored trim
and green shutters.
The rear range light was originally equipped with a
fifth order lens. It was automated in 1938. Eventually
the site became part of the Mobil Oil Refinery complex
and the lighthouse was torn down. The site is
restricted.
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