Cape May Lighthouse
Cape May Light
Cape May Lighthouse | |
Location | Cape May Point, New Jersey |
---|---|
Coordinates | 38°55′58.8″N 74°57′37.5″W / 38.933000°N 74.960417°W / 38.933000; -74.960417Coordinates: 38°55′58.8″N 74°57′37.5″W / 38.933000°N 74.960417°W / 38.933000; -74.960417 |
Year first lit | 1859[1] |
Automated | 1946[1] |
Deactivated | Active[1] |
Foundation | Surface rock[1] |
Construction | Brick, biegetower, red cupola[1] |
Tower shape | Conical |
Height | 157 feet (48 m)[1] (165 feet (50 m) above sea level) |
Original lens | First order Fresnel lens[1] |
Range | 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi) |
Characteristic | White, Flashes every 15 sec |
Cape May Lighthouse | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
New Jersey Register of Historic Places | |
NRHP Reference # | 73001090 |
NJRHP # | 998[2] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | November 12, 1973 |
Designated NJRHP | June 15, 1973 |
The Cape May Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in New Jersey at the tip of Cape May, in Lower Township's Cape May Point State Park. It was built in 1859 under the supervision of U.S. Army engineer William F. Raynolds, was automated in 1946, and continues operation to this day. It is the third fully documented lighthouse to be built at Cape May Point. The first was built in 1823;[1] the second in 1847.[1] The exact locations of the first two lighthouses are now underwater due to erosion. There are 199 steps to the top of the Lighthouse. The view from the top extends to Cape May City and Wildwood to the north, Cape May Point to the south, and, on a clear day, Cape Henlopen, Delaware, to the west.
Contents
[hide]- 1 Operation
- 2 Design
- 3 Gallery
- 4 See also
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Operation[edit]
The lighthouse is owned by the state of New Jersey[1] after ownership was transferred from the Coast Guard in 1992, which maintains it as an active aid to maritime navigation. The State of New Jersey leases the structure and grounds to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC).[1] MAC raises funds for the restoration and upkeep of the structure and opens the lighthouse to the public for climbs to the top.[3] MAC has installed interpretive exhibits about the lighthouse's history, the lives of the former lighthouse keepers, and other maritime history of the Jersey Cape for visitors who climb. In 2013, MAC celebrated the 25th anniversary of the opening of the lighthouse to the public for climbs. From its opening in May of 1988, over 2.1 million people have paid to climb to the top.[4] MAC offers free admission to Family Fun Days during summer months at the base of the lighthouse. Every October, the Cape May Lighthouse is a participant in the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge, a statewide event.