Located in Cape May Point State Park at the southern tip of the state, the 1859 lighthouse is the third structure in the area the first two were swallowed by the ever-encroaching ocean. Both the park and the lighthouse are open to the public.

The Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse purchased a new Coast Guard-approved lens and it began shining again nine years ago. Built in 1859, it was replaced by a lightship anchored off the coast in 1927. Many of New Jersey’s lighthouses have been preserved through partnerships between the state and nonprofits.Īffectionately known as Old Barney, the lighthouse sits very close to the water in a state park at the northern tip of Long Beach Island. Every lighthouse tells a storyĮach of New Jersey’s lighthouses has its own story, but most were preserved after the federal government leased or gave the structures to local officials or the state, while maintaining the right to operate some of the lights. Coast Guard was given responsibility for the lights and continues to operate several in New Jersey, although boats rely more on modern equipment for navigation. Automation made the keeper’s job unnecessary. Until the early 1900s, a keeper tended the lights and lived in the structure or in an adjacent home - sometimes with his family. Every lighthouse had a distinctive coloring and unique pattern of flashing lights, to enable vessels to know where they were. These structures, which were usually tall towers, date back to colonial days and served as navigational aids. The Lighthouse Friends website lists 20 lighthouses, although one is a replica, as well as two lightships in the state. While New Jersey is a relatively small state, it has a number of lighthouses - both along the Atlantic coast and in the Delaware Bay.

Lighthouse keeper jobs 2011