Lower Township near Cape May in Cape May County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Landscape

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2010

1. Landscape Marker

Inscription. The original landscape of this site was typical of the Cape May peninsula – hollies and red cedars interspersed with beach plums and native grasses. When the Army constructed these cylindrical towers, the original landscape was disturbed. The Army planned to plant “medium growth” trees to partially disguise the tower and make it a less prominent target. There is no evidence that the Army ever planted the oaks and holly trees that they proposed. Soon thereafter, the construction of the Northwest Magnesite plant started changing the local environment. The magnesite plant was located north and west of the tower, just across Sunset Boulevard and towards Sunset Beach. It extracted magnesium salts from seawater to create firebricks to line steel mill furnaces and ships’ boilers. The smoke from the magnesite plant spewed large quantities of very alkaline pollution, killing all of the acid-loving vegetation. Since the closing of the plant in 1983, red cedars, poison ivy, primroses, grasses, sedges and beach-plums have begun to re-colonize the site as the rain has washed away the alkaline surface.

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1983.

Location. 38° 56.61′ N, 74° 58.017′ W. Marker is near Cape May, New Jersey, in Cape May County. It is in Lower Township. It is on Sunset Blvd. (County Route 606), on the left when traveling west. Marker is located near the World War II Lookout Tower. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cape May NJ 08204, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on New Jersey’s Jersey Shore.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The abrupt end of Fort Miles (here, next to this marker); Construction of Fire Control Tower No. 23 (here, next to this marker); The Top of the Fire Tower (here, next to this

Markers in Cape May image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2010

2. Markers in Cape May

Several markers are found at this location. The Landscape marker is seen here on the left.

marker); History of Coastal Defenses (a few steps from this marker); Fire Control Tower No. 23 (a few steps from this marker); All Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); The Construction of Fort Miles (a few steps from this marker); Cape May during World War II (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cape May.

More about this marker. The background of the marker contains a silhouette of the area showing Fire Control Tower No. 23. Also on the markers are two photographs. One is of “Oenothera humifusa, or the Beach Evening Primrose, [which] is an endangered plant that thrives in the sandy soil of Cape May.” The other is of “The magnesite plant [that] once stood across Sunset Boulevard from Fire Control Tower No. 23.”

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2010

3. Landscape Marker

Fire Control Tower No. 23 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Coughlin, August 18, 2010

4. Fire Control Tower No. 23

The marker is located at the base of this World War II Lookout Tower.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 855 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 27, 2010, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.