Barnegat Lighthouse
by Ben Prepelka
Title
Barnegat Lighthouse
Artist
Ben Prepelka
Medium
Photograph
Description
About midway on the New Jersey Coast, Long Beach Island was always known for its swift currents, shifting sand bars and shallow shoals. Early 19th century mariners longed for the day when a lighthouse illuminated the shoreline. Unfortunately the first lighthouse was a bitter disappointment for ship captains heading to New York Harbor.
Fresh from the development of Absecon Lighthouse, U.S. Army engineer Lt. George Meade began working on the Long Beach Island lighthouse replacement. Four times the height of the original, the 163 foot Barnegat tower was perched on a sand ridge 172 feet above sea level. The top notch lighthouse used a first-order Fresnel lens, using just about a third of the construction funds.
After its 68 years of service, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1927. Turned over to the state of New Jersey, Old Barney became the centerpiece of the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The park also features one of the few remaining maritime forests, where coastal trees include black cherry, sassafras, eastern red cedar and American holly. Here, visitors may enjoy picnicking and fishing, while lighthouse fans and sightseers may enjoy the climb and panoramic views from the top of the lighthouse. The interpretive center offers an in-depth look at lighthouse history, and the nearby Barnegat Light Museum is also a great place to learn of lighthouse-technology and see the original first-order lens from Old Barney.
Uploaded
November 12th, 2020
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