Middletown Township near Highlands in Monmouth County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Sandy Hook Light
Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, August 10, 2016
1. Sandy Hook Light Marker
Upper Marker:
This light was completed in 1764 and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States. New York merchants petitioned their assembly to raise money for the light by lotteries and tonnage taxes on ships entering New York. In 1739 the Federal Government formed the U.S. Lighthouse Service, later incorporated into the U.S. Coast Guard to operate this light and all other aids to navigation in U.S. Waters. Sandy Hook Light is 29 feet in diameter at the base and is 85 feet above the ground and can be seen for 19 miles. Sandy Hook Light is a reminder of our rich maritime history and is still and important aid to navigation at the entrance to New York Harbor.
Lower Marker:
has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
Under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
this site possesses exceptional value
in commemorating or illustrating
the history of the United States
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1964
Erected 1976 by U.S. Coast Guard.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Communications
this page online
Location. 40° 27.7′ N, 74° 0.125′ W. Marker is near Highlands, New Jersey, in Monmouth County. It is in Middletown Township. Marker is at the intersection of Hudson Drive and Mercer Road, on the left when traveling north on Hudson Drive. Marker is located on the side of the Sandy Hook Light (Lighthouse) on Fort Hancock State Park, NJ. Nearest city is Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Number 1 Lighthouse Road, Highlands NJ 07732, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Climate Crisis (here, next to this marker); Sarah Patterson Johnson (a few steps from this marker); Keeping the Light (a few steps from this marker); Sandy Hook (within shouting distance of this marker); Lighting the Way (within shouting distance of this marker); Lights Out! (within shouting
Photographed By Rc, circa 2007
2. Sandy Hook Light
Also see . . . Oldest lighthouse in America.
Boston Light Lighthouse in Boston, MA. claims to be the oldest lighthouse in America. However this is not accurate. Although the Boston Light Lighthouse was built in 1716, years before Sandy Hook Lighthouse, it was destroyed by American Patriots in 1776 as the last of the British were leaving Boston. It was not rebuilt until 1783. This makes Sandy Hook Lighthouse the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the United States.(Submitted on September 1, 2022, by HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino of Long Beach, New York.)
Additional commentary.
1. Oldest standing light tower in the U.S.
The tall, white lighthouse at Sandy Hook is the oldest standing light tower in the United States. Since 1764, the lighthouse's unfailing beam has befriended innumerable vessels as they have passed in or out of New York's great harbor. Because of the risks to shipping
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, September 20, 2009
3. National Historic Landmark (Lower Marker)
The original tower of the Sandy Hook Light still stands. It is octagonal, with massive masonry walls that are seven feet thick at the base. The tower rises eighty-five feet above the ground and eighty-eight feet above the water. It is interesting to note that, when built, the lighthouse stood about five hundred feet from the northern end of Sandy Hook, now, due to growth caused by littoral drift, it is almost one and half miles inland from the tip. Sandy Hook Lighthouse is part of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area, part of the National Parks of New York Harbor. And the light is listed as a National Landmark, National Maritime Landmark and on the National Registry of Historic Places. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, September 20, 2009
4. Markers at Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Two markers are found on the side of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse.
— Submitted February 2, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.
Additional keywords. Lighthouse
Photographed By Rc
5. Sandy Hook Light (Fort Hancock Recreational Area, NJ)
Marker is on the base of the lighthouse. Tours are usually given during the Summer on weekends.
Photographed By Rc, 2007
6. Brickwork in lighthouse portal
The thickness of the lighthouse decreases towards the top. It is said that the British were unable to destroy it with their artillery because, due to the thickness of the walls and the shape of the exterior, the cannon balls were deflected away when they struck the exterior.
Photographed By Rc, 2007
7. Rainspout on roof of structure that protects the light
Courtesy of Thomas P. Martin, August 10, 2016
8. Sandy Hook Light Marker
Photographed By Rc, 2007
9. Current lamp and movement inside the light
The Sandy Hook Light is a stationary light (i.e. the light doesn't rotate). The workings currently in use are of modern design and automated. If the primary lamp burns out, the motor at the base of the photo rotates the secondary bulb into place.
The lumens put out by the bulbs used today are far less than the bulbs used before radar, GPS, and other navigational aids came into play.
The third-order fresnel lens has been damaged (see chips in upper left of photo and lower right hand sides) simply by visitors touching it which leaves oil from the skin on the surface. Once the oil seeps into the crystal structure, temperature variations eventually cause the damage.
HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino, August 28, 2022
10. Sandy Hook Light Marker - Lighthouse Keeper's Residence 1883
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 2, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,347 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on February 2, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 3, 4. submitted on September 20, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. 5, 6. submitted on February 2, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 7. submitted on February 4, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 8. submitted on March 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 9. submitted on February 2, 2008, by Ronald Claiborne of College Station, Texas. 10. submitted on September 1, 2022, by HistoricTownsOfAmerica.com - Guy Saladino of Long Beach, New York. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
