Lower Township near Cape May in Cape May County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Welcome to the Cape May Lighthouse
Photographed by R. C., October 13, 2007
1. Cape May Lighthouse Marker
For some 180 years, a lighthouse beacon has stood here at the southern tip of New Jersey, guarding the entrance to Delaware Bay. The present tower was constructed in 1859. Standing 157½ feet tall, it is the third lighthouse on this site, replacing earlier structures built in 1823 and 1847. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the present lighthouse is owned by the State of New Jersey, Division of Parks and Forestry, and is still operated by the U.S. Coast Guard as an active Aid to Navigation. Since December 1986, the Cape May Lighthouse has been leased to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC), a non-profit organization located nearby in Cape May. MAC has assumed the responsibility of restoring the lighthouse, interpreting it as a historic site and opening it to the general public.
You may begin your Lighthouse visit at the Oil House, which contains an Orientation Exhibit and the Lighthouse Museum Shop.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 55.986′ N, 74° 57.613′ W. Marker was near Cape May, New Jersey, in Cape May County. It was in Lower Township. It was on Lincoln Avenue. Located next to the Cape May Lighthouse State Park. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 104 Lincoln Avenue, Cape May NJ 08204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was on New Jersey’s Jersey Shore. It was also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named Welcome to the Cape May Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); Maritime Sentinels (here, next to this marker); Lighthouse Keepers' Homes & Gardens (here, next to this marker); Monomoy Lifesaving Boat (here, next to this marker); A Beacon to Freedom (a few steps from this marker); Oil House (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Oil House (a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Cape May Lighthouse (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cape May.
Another marker is no longer nearby. All Shapes, Sizes and Materials (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker.
Also see . . . Cape May Lighthouse.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2010
2. Cape May Lighthouse Marker
Additional commentary.
1. Cape May World War II Defenses
The battery pictured was part of an chain of installations that protected the Delaware River approaches during World War II. The battery contained two six-inch guns and two 90mm anti-aircraft guns. These weapons linked with those of Fort Miles across the estuary in Delaware, armed with two massive sixteen-inch guns and two twelve-inch guns.
— Submitted April 7, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 27, 2009
3. Marker at the Cape May Lighthouse
The marker can be seen to the left of the opening in the fence.
Photographed by R. C., October 13, 2007
4. Cape May Lighthouse
Photographed by Larry Gertner, 2002
5. Cape May Lighthouse - the spiral staircase
199 steps to the top.
Photographed by Larry Gertner, 2000
6. Cape May Lighthouse - the beacon
Photographed by R. C., October 13, 2007
7. View of World War II gun emplacement from the top of the lighthouse.
Photographed by R. C., October 13, 2007
8. Cape May as seen from the top of the lighthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,813 times since then and 11 times this year. Last updated on March 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1. submitted on April 6, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 2. submitted on August 27, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 3. submitted on August 28, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 4. submitted on April 6, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 5, 6. submitted on April 26, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 7, 8. submitted on April 6, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
