Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May Point, NJ (Mk. 2)

Last crawled date: 1 year, 6 months ago

This structure is the third known lighthouse to have been built at Cape May Point. Completed in 1859 at a cost of $40,000, it was isolated in the pine woodlands of Cape May Point until the town was laid out in 1875. The twin keepers' houses, which held a total of two families, changed in 1903 when the easternmost was renovated into a duplex. The oil house northeast of the tower was built in 1893 due to the risk of explosion presented by storing kerosene in the base of the lighthouse (in the vestibule). The lighthouse was automated in 1945, and in 1962 the lifesaving station south-southeast of the light was destroyed in a storm. This forced the US military to give up its use of the World War 2 anti-submarine bunker nearby that was part of Fort Miles. This bunker sat in the water for nearly 20 years until the beach was replenished, concealing both the bunker and three foundation structures for an old radio antenna. In 1987 the lighthouse was deeded to the State of New Jersey, and thence the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, which restored it in 1994 and operates a museum in the tower. As yet, the keeper's house is not open to the public; however, plans are underway to build a replica of the duplex keepers' quarters as soon as that piece of land becomes available. #bay #beige #boat #buff #cab #cabin #cape #delaware #deleware #duplex #frame #fresnel #home #house #iron #jersey #lamp #lantern #large #lens #Light #lighthouse #new #new_jersey #occulus #oculus #peninsula #pennsylvania #philadelphia #porthole #quarters #red #residence #shoal #station #steel #stone #tan #window