Sandy Hook Lighthouse Nj
by Skip Willits
Title
Sandy Hook Lighthouse Nj
Artist
Skip Willits
Medium
Photograph - Epson Lustre Paper
Description
The oldest operating light tower in the United States, Sandy Hook Lighthouse has been in operation since 1764. The tower is 103 feet high with a diameter at the base of 29 feet and 15 feet at the top respectively. A third order Fresnel lens was installed in 1856 and is still in use today, flinging a white non-blinking light up to 19 miles at sea on a clear night.
British loyalists used this light as a base for raids on the countryside during the Revolutionary war. And in WW II, the light was turned off to protect New York Harbor. Located on National Park Service property it is within the confines of Fort Hancock at the north end of Sandy Hook.
An admission to the park is charged but if you prepare to spend a day at the beach combined with lighthouse touring, the fee is worth it. Take NJ Route 36 from the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic Highlands and turn left over the bridge to the park.
Uploaded
April 6th, 2011
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