Absecon Lighthouse

Absecon Light

Location	Vermont and Pacific Avenues, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates	39°21′58″N 74°24′51″W / 39.36611°N 74.41417°W / 39.36611; -74.41417
Tower
Constructed	1856
Foundation	Granite blocks
Construction	Brick and iron
Height	171 feet (52 m)[1]
Shape	Frustum of a cone attached to keeper's house
Markings	yellow/black/yellow[1]
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
First lit	1857
Deactivated	1933
Focal height	51 m (167 ft)
Lens	First-order Fresnel lens
Range	19.5 nmi (36.1 km; 22.4 mi)
Characteristic	fixed white light
Absecon Lighthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
NRHP reference No.	71000492[2]
NJRHP No.	389[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 25, 1971
Designated NJRHP	September 11, 1970

The Absecon Lighthouse is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey, overlooking Absecon Inlet. At 171 feet (52 m) it is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States.

Construction on Absecon Lighthouse began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and, although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid. The lighthouse is open to public visitation and, for a small donation, one may climb to the watch room and external gallery. A re-creation of the keepers' quarters was opened in 2002 and serves as a museum and gift shop. The original oil house now contains a Fresnel lens exhibit. Along with school and group tours, the Absecon Lighthouse offers an overnight program for Scouts, a winter arts program for children, and a wide variety of special events throughout the year.

The Absecon Lighthouse was designed by George Meade and still retains its original first-order fixed Fresnel lens. The lens is made of lead glass and weighs 12,800 pounds (5,800 kg)^[4] As the light was fixed (non-flashing), it does not have a landward segment allowing visitors to look up in the lens where the keepers entered it for maintenance.

Jack E. Boucher conceived and oversaw the preservation of the lighthouse in 1964.

The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.^[5]

Museum[edit]

Absecon Lighthouse has a history museum located in the replicated 1925 Keeper's House. Exhibits include ocean life, shipwrecks, keepers and lighthouse history, local memorabilia, and restoration photos. The Oil House has a Fresnel Lens exhibit. Visitors can climb the 228 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Educational programs are offered for groups and children.^{[citation needed]}

See also[edit]

• List of museums in New Jersey
• List of tallest buildings in Atlantic City
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Atlantic County, New Jersey

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Absecon Light.

• Historic Absecon Lighthouse - official site, visitor information
• Absecon Light at American Byways
• NPS - Absecon Light at Historic light stations Archived 2006-01-27 at the Wayback Machine
• HABS/HAER record of the Absecon lighthouse
• Absecon Lighthouse - from Lighthousefriends.com
• New Jersey State Historic Sites NJ Division of Parks and Forestry