| Cape May Lighthouse |
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
 The
Cape May Lighthouse has guided ships safely through the Atlantic
waters off the coast of the southern tip of New Jersey since 1859.
The first documented lighthouse at Cape May point was built in 1823,
but was destroyed by erosion. The second lighthouse was built in
1847, but was poorly constructed and the Army Corps of Engineers
began work on the current structure in 1857.The lighthouse height totals 157 feet 6 inches and houses 217 steps from ground level to the top, including the 199 steps in the tower’s cast iron spiral staircase. The structure was built with a conical shaped outer wall and a cylindrical shaped inner wall and was designed to withstand wind several times above hurricane force. The beacon flashes every 15 seconds and is visible 24 miles out to sea. In 1986, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) leased the Cape May Lighthouse from the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, who, in turn, leased the lighthouse from the US Coast Guard. MAC undertook a series of public safety improvements in 1988 to make it possible for visitors to climb to the top of the lighthouse. In 1989, a grant from the Bicentennial Lighthouse Fund underwrote the restoration of the lighthouse’s windows and doors. In 1992, to make the structure eligible for state historic preservation funding, the US Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the State of New Jersey. Today, the state still leases the lighthouse to MAC, monitoring the historical authenticity of the restoration and making available the resources of the adjacent state park to visitors to the Cape May Lighthouse. In 1994, grants from the New Jersey Historic Trust and the federal ISTEA program administered by the State Department of Transportation funded the painting of the tower and restoration of the lantern and roof, and, in 1998, further grants from these agencies funded all remaining restoration work on the lighthouse structure. In 2000 and 2001, a grant from the New Jersey Historic underwrote the restoration of the lighthouse grounds. The Cape May Lighthouse is still a functional navigational tool for mariners. The United States Lighthouse Service operated the lighthouse until 1939 when it was discontinued and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the US Coast Guard, which continues to operate the beacon. From the First Order Fresnel lens to the automation of the light apparatus in 1938 and the present rotating optical lens, the lighthouse has undergone many technological improvements in its century and a half life span, marking the structure as both functional and historic. The Cape May Lighthouse is operated by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC). MAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the interpretation and preservation of Cape May’s Victorian heritage. MAC also fosters the performing arts. MAC membership is open to all. Facilities and Activities
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
