Lighthouse History / Absecon Lighthouse Facts

Lighthouse History, also, Absecon Lighthouse Facts. Absecon Lighthouse. , The ocean waters off Absecon Inlet were considered some of the most deadly along the East Coast. Between 1847 and 1856, at least sixty-four ocean-going ships were lost off the coast of Absecon Beach. Dr. Jonathan Pitney, who promoted the development of Atlantic City, lobbied the federal government for a lighthouse as early as the 1830’s. In the first ten months after Absecon Lighthouse was lit in 1857, not a single ship was wrecked., When built, the Lighthouse stood about 1200 feet from the ocean. Sand, seagulls, the smell of salt water and the flow of tides marked the days. The relentless pounding of the waves quickly eroded the coastline surrounding the beacon, bringing water onto the corner of the Lighthouse property by 1876. The construction of jetties reversed this process, and subsequent homes and hotels separated the Lighthouse from the sea, resulting in the landscape you see today., The Lighthouse was also Atlantic City’s beacon for tourists. Visitors flocked to the Lighthouse, making keepers as much tour guides as light tenders. Images of the Lighthouse graced postcards, plates, glasses and other souvenirs made for the seashore tourist trade., Absecon Lighthouse Facts. , Constructed: 1855-1857 , First lit: January 15, 1857 , Decommissioned and light extinguished: July 11, 1933 , Re-Lit: October 3, 1999 , Tower height: 171 feet , Focal plane: 167 feet , Physical location: Latitude: 39° 21” 56” North; Longitude: 74° 24” 53” West , Type of construction: Double-walled conical brick and mortar tower with cast-iron spiral central staircase , Foundation materials: Stone foundation with a timber platform , Tower diameter: 27’ at the bottom – tapers to 14’9” at the watch level , Number of steps: 228 to the watch level (12 more to the lantern room – for a total of 240 steps) , Daymark: Yellow with a black band , Original lighting: First-order Fresnel lens with Funck’s mineral oil lamps , Present lighting: Original first-order Fresnel lens and electric lamp , Characteristic: Fixed beacon , Beacon range: 19.5 nautical miles , Original ancillary structures: Assistant Keepers’ Dwelling, oil storage house, and various outbuildings , Current ancillary structures: Oil storage house , Owned by: The State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry , Administered by: Inlet Public/Private Association (IPPA)