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Barnegat Lighthouse Virtual Tour►

Every October the NJ Lighthouse Society runs the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey in order to raise funds for the state’s historic lighthouses and maritime sites. This year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was mostly virtual. Volunteers at the Barnegat Lighthouse put together this virtual climb of the light tower.

I visited the Barnegat Lighthouse on Long Beach Island during the 2018 challenge. This historic lighthouse is a sister to the Cape May and Absecon lights and is similar in design. In 1835 a 40-foot-tall lighthouse was erected in this spot, but its small stature and non-flashing light was inadequate. In 1859, ‘Old Barney’ replaced this older light, which had fallen into the sea.

Jetties have been built around the lighthouse to prevent the further erosion of the island. When completed, Barnegat Light stood 172 feet above sea level, four times taller than the original. The new light was a first-order flashing Fresnel lens.

A new, more modern light was installed and was lit on Barnegat Light’s 150th anniversary in 2009. It now shines daily from dusk until dawn. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the Barnegat Light museum around the corner.

Lighthouse Challenge posts►

• Sandy Hook Lighthouse
• Navesink Twin Lights
• Absecon Lighthouse
• Tuckerton Seaport 
• Barnegat Lighthouse 
• Tinicum Light
• Finn’s Point
• East Point Light
• Cape May Point
• Sea Girt Lighthouse

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Location: 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

Designation: State Site, NRHP

Date designated or established: 1957 (State Park), 1/25/1971 (NRHP)

Date of my visit: 10/20/2018