Inventory of Historic Light Stations--New Jersey--Navesink Twin Lights

Inventory of Historic Light Stations
New Jersey Lighthouses

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NAVESINK TWIN LIGHTS

State: NEW JERSEY
Location: LOWER NEW YORK BAY
Nearest City: HIGHLANDS
County: MONMOUTH
U.S.C.G. District: 1
Year Station Established: 1828

NPS photo by Ralph Eshelman, 1996

Existing Historic North Tower:

Year Light First Lit: 1862
Is the Light Operational? YES (PRIVATE AID TO NAVIGATION)
Date Deactivated: 1898-1962
Automated: 1962
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BROWNSTONE W/BRICK LINING
Markings/Patterns: TWO TOWERS ON FORTRESS STYLE STRUCTURE
Shape: OCTAGONAL (NORTH TOWER)
Relationship to Other Structures: ATTACHED
Tower Height: 73
Original Optic: SECOND ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Original Lens Installed: 1841 (FIRST ORDER FRESNEL INSTALLED IN 1862)
Present Optic: 1881 SIXTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Present Lens Installed: 1962
Height of Focal Plane: 246
Fresnel Lens Disposition:

Existing Historic SouthTower:

Year Light First Lit: 1862
Is the Light Operational? NO
Date Deactivated: 1952
Automated: 1949
Foundation Materials: STONE
Construction Materials: BROWNSTONE W/BRICK LINING
Markings/Patterns: TWO TOWERS ON FORTRESS STYLE STRUCTURE
Shape: SQUARE
Relationship to Other Structures: ATTACHED
Tower Height: 73
Original Optic: FIRST ORDER, FRESNEL
Year Original Lens Installed: 1841
Present Optic: NONE
Year Present Lens Installed:
Height of Focal Plane: 246
Fresnel Lens Disposition: 1898 FIRST ORDER BIVALVE LENS ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUM SINCE 1979

Previous Tower(s):

1. Construction Date: 1828
Description: BLUE SPLIT STONE/OCTAGONAL
Fate/Disposition: TORN DOWN 1862

Modern Tower? NO

Existing Sound Signal Building? NO

Existing Keepers Quarters? YES

Year Constructed: 1862
Number of Stories: 2
Architectural Style: FORTRESS
Construction Materials: BROWNSTONE

Other Structures: BRICK ELECTRIC GENERATOR BUILDING (1909)

Current Use: MUSEUM (PRIVATE AID TO NAVIGATION IN NORTH TOWER)

Owner/Manager: NEW JERSEY DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Open to the Public? YES (Go to Lighthouses to Visit for access information)

Web Site:

National Register Status: PART OF LISTING; Reference #70000389
Name of Listing: TWIN LIGHTS
On State List/Inventory? YES; Year Listed: 1962

Miscellaneous:
SITE OF FIRST FRESNEL LENS EXPERIMENTS (1841); FIRST SEACOAST TOWER TO USE MINERAL OIL IN LAMPS; STATION USED FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPH DURING 1899 AMERICAS CUP RACES; SITE OF 1ST ELECTRIC ARC LAMP (1898)

Last Modified: Mon, Mar 11 2002 11:12:02 am EDT
JMP

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