Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May, New Jersey

“Lighthouses are not just stone brick, metal, and glass. There’s a human story at every lighthouse; that’s the story I want to tell.”

Elinor DeWire

After our eighty minute sea adventure/ferry ride from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey, we readily headed off to see the Cape May Lighthouse before it got dark. Fortunately, it was not far from the ferry terminal so we managed to get there with some light to spare. As we pulled into Cape May Point State Park, we saw the tall lighthouse, towering over the trees. We got out of the car and just stood there looking up at all its majesty. What a beautiful site to see with the setting sun glowing on the light.

This historic lighthouse was built in 1859 under the supervision of US Army engineer, William F. Raynolds, after the first two lighthouses failed. The history of the Cape May light starts back in 1823 when the first lighthouse was built 1750 feet west of the present lighthouse. This lighthouse failed since over the years erosion took place and the lighthouse endued up being surrounded by water during high tides. It was discontinued on May 1, 1847.

The second lighthouse was built by Samuel and Nathan Middleton with a tower that stood 78 feet tall. That lighthouse was located 600 feet south of the present lighthouse and 400 yards northeast of the original lighthouse. It failed due to poor construction and when inspected in 1851, was shown to be in bad shape. Both of the previous lighthouse locations are now underwater.

The current brick lighthouse stands at an impressive 157 feet tall and is beige colored with a red cupola which was the original color of this lighthouse. For many years starting around 1940, the lighthouse was painted white and was not repainted with the historic beige color until 1994. This lighthouse was designed to with stand the highest winds and the worst hurricanes by building the base of the lighthouse 3 feet 10 inches thick at the bottom and 1 foot 6 inches at that top.

The conical shaped lighthouse’s original light was a First-order Henry-Lepaute Fresnel lens that flashed a white light every 30 seconds. It was first lit on Halloween night in 1859. During WWII, the lighthouse went dark to protect the coast. Cape May Light currently uses a VRB-25 which is a white light that flashes every 15 seconds and can be seen for 24 nautical miles. It has been fully automated since 1946 and is is still in operation.

There were two identical keeper cottages that were both one and a half stories high and were completed about two years after the lighthouse was built. Since then, one of the keeper cottages has burnt down in 1968 due to arson, but the other still stands. This lighthouse had one head lighthouse keeper and two assistants when it was first built. Their job originally was to carry the oil to the tower top to power the light and to keep it clean and working. They got paid around $600 a month near the turn of the century. The keepers cottage is now used by the Cape May Point State Park superintendent.

The Coast Guard transferred ownership of the station in 1992. The state of New Jersey now owns the lighthouse but has leased the structure to Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities(MAC). They were successful in raising enough money to restore the lighthouse and open it to the public in 1988. Since that time, they have raised over $2 million dollars to help preserve and maintain the light.

We arrived too late to the lighthouse and it was unfortunately closed so we couldn’t climb the 199 steps to the top to enjoy the views of Cape May and Wildwood, New Jersey as well as the Delaware Bay. On a super clear day, I hear you can see Atlantic City and even Henlopen, Delaware. You can easily spot Battery 223, a WWII bunker on the beach, which I will get more into on my next blog.

The Cape May Lighthouse is located in Cape May Point State Park which is a beautifully maintained park that sits up against the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. There is plenty more to do here than just check out the lighthouse even though that is the main attraction. The Shallow Pond West is a great area for viewing migrating birds. There are also trails to walk where you can see coastal dunes, marsh, and forest. Beach access is easy from here as well. After viewing the lighthouse, we walked up the steps to the boardwalk overlook and got a spectacular view of the ocean and lighthouse. Looking to the right, the sunset was spectacular with amazing colors displayed in the evening sky. Turning to the left is where the stark looking Battery 223 is located sitting right on the beach near the waves.

The lighthouse is open daily but you will have to check for the hours for wintertime. In the summertime it is open from 9-8 and cost $10 for adults and $5 for children 3-12 and Veterans. Active military can climb for free. They do have a souvenir shop, orientation center, and a museum which were all closed since we got here so late.

More than 2.5 million visitors have climbed this lighthouse which has served as an aid to navigation for the mariners. They do offer many tours up the lighthouse including a full moon tour. They say to watch for the ghost of a lady in a white flowing gown holding a lantern in one hand and a child in the other as you walk up the lighthouse at night. She seems to be fond of the first landing in the lighthouse. I do not know her story but maybe someone else does who will read this piece.

This is a must see if you are in Cape May. This lighthouse in Cape May, sits at the most southern tip of the state. Spend some time in Cape May and see what it has to offer. I’m glad we finally got to see this lighthouse. We have gone to Cape May, year after year, but never stopped here mainly because of time. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have had time here and will hold my memories dear of this visit. Check them out at: capemaymac.org.  Bye for now.