East Point Light

The East Point Light, known as the Maurice River Light before 1913, is a lighthouse located in Heislerville, New Jersey on the Delaware Bay at the mouth of the Maurice River in Maurice River Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. The lighthouse was built in 1849 and is the second oldest in New Jersey, with only the Sandy Hook Light, which was built in 1764, being older.[4] The light was inactive from 1941 and was nearly destroyed by fire in 1971. The light was reinstated by the United States Coast Guard in 1980. Exterior restoration was completed in 1999.

East Point Light
East Point Light, 2014
LocationLighthouse Road, near the junction of East Point Road
Maurice River Township, New Jersey
Coordinates39°11′45″N 75°1′38″W
Tower
Constructed1849
FoundationStone
ConstructionBrick
Automated1911
Height40 feet (12.2 m)
ShapeOctagonal on roof of rectangular building
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1849
Deactivated1941–1980
Focal height13 m (43 ft) Edit this on Wikidata
LensSixth order Fresnel lens
Range9 nmi (17 km; 10 mi) (white), 7 nmi (13 km; 8.1 mi) (red) Edit this on Wikidata
CharacteristicIso W 6s
Maurice River Lighthouse
Area3.6 acres (1.5 ha)
ArchitectN. & S. Middleton
NRHP reference No.95001047[1] (original)
15000763[2] (increase)
NJRHP No.2801[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 25, 1995
Boundary increaseOctober 30, 2015
Designated NJRHPJuly 17, 1995

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1995 for its significance in engineering, maritime history, and transportation.[4] It became part of the Maurice River Lighthouse and East Point Archeological District on October 30, 2015.[2] The lighthouse was just recently fully restored, both the exterior and interior work was completed in 2017. The lighthouse is now both an active navigational aid and a year-round museum open to the public for tours and special events throughout the year.

Status

The light is said to be critically endangered due to erosion. Although local governments routinely shore up the property's perimeter, using 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) sand bags and bulldozers, the lighthouse is a mere 40 yards (37 m) from the shore. There was four times the beach as revealed by 1940 aerial photos. During storms the surf is 10 yards (9.1 m) from its front steps. A rally to save the lighthouse was held in the fall of 2018. Since then more sandbags have been added, paid for by the State of New Jersey and using the sandbags available the sandbag seawall was rebuilt by coordinated efforts of both the Maurice River Township and Cumberland County Road Departments. A geotube system is planned to be installed the summer of 2019 by the State of New Jersey to help hold the point and protect the lighthouse until more lasting measures can be taken.[upper-alpha 2]

See also

References

Notes
  1. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, sea levels have risen markedly over the past century. In New Jersey seas rose 1.3 feet, and the pace has quickened in recent decades. According to Rutgers University professor Benjamin Horton, an expert on climate change, that is a quicker pace than the past 2,000 years combined.[5]
  2. Even a temporary solution is estimated to cost $ 3 million.[upper-alpha 1] The nearby beach berm was swept away by Hurricane Sandy and the foundation was under 21 inches (530 mm) of water. The lighthouse is said to be in dire peril, with solutions being explored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.[6]

Citations
  1. "National Register Information System – (#95001047)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "Maurice River Lighthouse and East Point Archeological District (Boundary Increase)". National Park Service.
  3. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Cumberland County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. February 12, 2018. p. 3.
  4. Gowdy, James T. (August 25, 1995). "NRHP Nomination: East Point Lighthouse". National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) "Accompanying 34 photos". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. Perry, Wayne (November 22, 2018). "Rising sea levels threatening historic lighthouses". Detroit Free Press. Associated Press. p. 2A.
  6. "East Point Light – an Endangered Lighthouse" (PDF). The Bay Run. Vol. 21, no. 11. The Delaware Bay Lighthouse Keepers and Friends Association, Inc. December 2014. p. 1. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
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