Endangered Historic Sites in New Jersey: East Point Lighthouse

Besides the species that are threatened and endangered in New Jersey, there are also places that are threatened and endangered.

Founded in 1978, Preservation New Jersey is a statewide member-supported non-profit historic preservation organization. They publish the annual 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in order to draw attention to remarkable sites and to their many challenges.

The point of the list is to bring attention and therefore be a catalyst for positive solutions. Their program spotlights irreplaceable historic, architectural, cultural, and archaeological resources in New Jersey that are in imminent danger of being lost.

The list is generated from nominations by the public. Half of the sites on this year’s list are owned by the government and suffer from prolonged deferred maintenance, damage by forces of nature, and from a general lack of awareness or respect for the resource. Not surprisingly, insufficient financial resources are a major problem in saving these places.

One example from the 2019 list is the East Point Lighthouse in Maurice River Township (Cumberland County). This lighthouse sits on an outcropping of land where the Nationally-designated Wild and Scenic River system of the Maurice River enters the Delaware Bay in Cumberland County.

It was built in 1849 making it the second oldest existing lighthouse in New Jersey.

Despite a full restoration done in 2017 through the assistance of New Jersey Historic Trust and Federal Department of Transportation grant funds, this picturesque brick Cape Cod style lighthouse is considered far from safe and secure. The mouth of the Maurice River and the adjacent bayshore is rapidly eroding, and tidal waters erosion has already washed out the protective dunes. Stewards of the lighthouse are left with sandbag brigades in a futile attempt to hold back tidal waters and storm surge. Even with this effort, bay waters regularly lap at the front of the lighthouse and the basement fills with water.

Certainly, some of the erosion is the same as other water-adjacent historic resources around the world caused by climate change. 

The East Point Lighthouse is still being used as an active navigational aid and so should get a more immediate response than what has been proposed to date. The site is owned by the State of New Jersey who will hopefully act expediently in 2020 to protect this National and State Register listed site before the structure is gone forever.

Winter at Sandy Hook

Some things to do at Sandy Hook in this colder season.

Lighthouse Tours   Daily, 1 PM to 3:30 PM   November 1 - April 30

Tours are first-come, first-served. Visitors must be 48 inches tall to climb the tower. Sign up in the 1883 Keeper's Quarters for free lighthouse tours, and see exhibits on New Jersey lighthouses, a rotating art exhibit, and visit the gift shop. Grounds and video in the adjacent barn are always open. Groups must make advance reservations. Call 732-872-5970 for more information.

History House   Fort Hancock's Officers Row Building 1   Weekends, 1 PM - 5 PM

An 1898 lieutenant's quarters on "Officers Row" overlooking Sandy Hook Bay is furnished to resemble the WWII era, the busiest time in the fort's history.

View of Fort Hancock at sunset from the lighthouse

The Gateway Program Guide for Winter is at nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit

National Lighthouse Day and more at Sandy Hook

Today is National Lighthouse Day and at the Sandy Hook Lighthouse from 12 PM - 5 PM they will be joining in honoring the beacons of light that for hundreds of years symbolized safety and security for ships and boats at sea. Visit the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and learn about the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation with the long-serving Lighthouse Keeper Samuel P. Jewell (1869-1909). Learn what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper during the 18th Century. Must be 48" or taller to climb the lighthouse. Wear appropriate footwear.

OTHER UPCOMING PROGRAMS - also check the SANDY HOOK PROGRAM GUIDE

Stars of Sandy Hook
Beach Plaza @ Lot E
Thursday, August 8, 8:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Join STAR and a park ranger to view the night skies. It is the best time of month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is little light in the sky. Bring binoculars and/or telescopes. Free.

Annual Fluke Tagging Trip
American Littoral Society
MIJo II Charters, Atlantic Highlands Municipal Marina, NJ
Saturday, August 10, 7 AM
Join Jeff Dement, the Society's fish tagging director, for a day of fishing and tagging in New Jersey waters. If you've never tagged fish before, this is a great opportunity to learn from experienced taggers. Cost: $75 for Members/$100 for Non-Members. Cost includes boat ticket, all tackle, bait, and tags. If you have your own tackle, feel free to use it. Space is limited. Contact or call 732-291-0055 X106 for info. Places on the boat are secured when payment is received.

Going Bunkers: Nine Gun Battery
Lot M
Sunday, August 11, 6 PM - 7:30 PM
Explore and tour the north end of Fort Hancock's Nine Gun Battery, the longest gun battery the U.S. Army ever built for harbor defense. When construction began in 1897, the battery was originally intended to mount three 10-inch caliber disappearing guns, but when construction was completed in 1904 an additional six 12-inch caliber disappearing guns were emplaced, creating a nine gun battery that operated until 1944. Free. Call 732-872-5970 to make a reservation.

Ocean Beach Walk
Beach Plaza @ Lot D
June 17 through August 26, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM, Monday, Tuesday.
Come and take a guided walk with a park ranger along the beach, collecting and identifying some of the ocean's natural treasures. Wear comfortable shoes & sunscreen, and bring binoculars and water.

Canoe Cruise
U.S. Life-Saving Station Parking Lot (between Lot D and Lot E)
June 27 through August 29, 9:15 AM - 12 PM, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
Take a two-mile morning paddle to explore Sandy Hook bay from an ideal vantage point-the water itself. Rangers guide you on a two and a half hour tour of the bayside waters and Skeleton Hill Island. Go to www.recreation.govor call 877-444-6777 to make your reservation. Fee-based program. Days vary; check listings in Sandy Hook Program Guide.

Junior Ranger
June 27 through August 29, Children ages 7 to 12 years old. Tuesday, Thursday.
See Junior Ranger section located after the calendar listings, for rotating schedule of programs and each location. . Offerings vary; check listings in Sandy Hook Program Guide.

Junior Jr. Ranger
June 19 through August 28, 10 AM - 11 AM, Wednesday.
Children ages 3 to 6 years old
See Junior Jr. Ranger section below located after the calendar entries, for rotating schedule of programs and each location. Offerings vary; check listings in Sandy Hook Program Guide.

National Lighthouse Day August 7

National Lighthouse Day honors the beacon of light that for hundreds of years symbolized safety and security for ships and boats at sea.

The list of lighthouses in New Jersey is probably longer than you would guess, and many of them are lighthouses that you canvisit.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

Visit the Sandy Hook Lighthouse and learn about the oldest operating lighthouse in the nation with the long-serving Lighthouse Keeper Samuel P. Jewell (1869-1907). Learn what it was like to be a lighthouse keeper during the 18th Century.  (You must be 48" or taller to climb the lighthouse. Wear appropriate footwear.) Tuesday, August 7, 12 PM - 5 PM.

Another possible stop is the Barnegat Lighthouse on the northern tip of Long Beach Island in Ocean County. This lighthouse was considered to be one of the most crucial "change of course" points for coastal vessels. Vessels bound to and from New York along the New Jersey coastline depended on Barnegat Lighthouse to avoid the shoals extending from the shoreline. The swift currents, shifting sandbars, and the offshore shoals challenged the skills of even the most experienced sailor.

New Jersey's State-Owned Historic Sites

The NJDEP New Jersey State-Owned Historic Sites offer a variety of historical opportunities. They range from Revolutionary War battlefields, lighthouses, villages, and homes from the past of a president, poet, or industrial pioneer.

Here are just a few possibilities.

Trenton Battle Monument  Administered by Washington Crossing State Park
348 North Warren Street, Trenton, NJ 08638
The monument marks the site of the American artillery emplacement that commanded the streets of Trenton during the battle that led to the defeat of the three Hessian Regiments by the American Army at the Battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776. The monument was designed by John H. Duncan, architect of Grant's tomb.

Clarke House, Princeton Battlefield State Park
500 Mercer Road, Princeton NJ 08540
Built by Thomas Clarke in 1772, the house is located on Princeton Battlefield and was the scene of heavy fighting during the Battle of Princeton. General Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded nearby and was carried to the Clarke House, where he died nine days after the battle.

Twin Lights
Lighthouse Road, Highlands, NJ 07732
The current brownstone structure was built in 1862 and served as the primary seacoast light marking the entrance to New York Harbor. The towers are not identical twins; the south tower is square and the north is octagonal. This 1862 structure replaced an earlier twin tower lighthouse.
 Visit the Twin Lights virtual tour.

Wallace House
71 Somerset Street, Somerville, NJ 08876
The Wallace House was completed in 1776 as Hope Farm for John Wallace, a successful Philadelphia merchant. General Washington leased the house for use as his headquarters during the Middlebrook Winter Encampment, December 11, 1778, to June 3, 1779. The house is one of the best and most original examples of Georgian architecture in New Jersey.

NJN invites visitors to experience New Jersey's colonial history first-hand. View their short film about the Wallace House. 

Walt Whitman House
330 Mickle Boulevard, Camden, NJ 08103
The renowned poet lived in this house from 1884 until he died in 1892, and received many visitors during that time, including the painter Thomas Eakins, naturalist John Burroughs, and writers Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker. The house is furnished with several pieces owned and used by Whitman.

Get the Official Guide for New Jersey State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites as a mobile app on your phone or tablet. It includes Enhanced GPS Features and is free. 
Go to www.pocketranger.com/apps/new-jersey on your mobile device.

The Twin Lights

The Navesink Twin Lights is a non-operational lighthouse and museum located in Highlands, New Jersey. It overlooks Sandy Hook Bay, the entrance to the New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The Twin Lights, as the name implies, are a pair of beacons located 246 feet (75 m) above sea level on the headlands of the Navesink Highlands.

In 1962, the State of New Jersey acquired Twin Lights. At the current museum facility, tours of the lighthouse, a climb of the North Tower and its expansive ocean view, and a view of the lighthouse equipment, await visitors. Twin Lights is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places.

The Twin Lights State Historic Site is part of the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route.

The original Twin Lights were built in 1828 and were replaced in 1862 with a new structure made from brown stone that has the appearance of a fortress.

During the rehabilitation in 1841 a cannon was found buried on the lighthouse grounds. Today it is in front of the Keeper’s quarters and is now known as the "Mystery Cannon" of Twin Lights.

In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi placed an antenna and receiving station at the lighthouse to demonstrate his Wireless Telegraph.


Twin Lights holds a prominent place in American maritime history it is an excellent tour and a great learning experience and admission is free.

Lighthouse lens

http://www.twinlightslighthouse.com

Twin Light Historical Society

254 State Route 36

Highlands, NJ 07732