History of the Barnegat Lighthouse:
This is a watercolor 9"x20". tried to capture the reflective haze off the backside of the cylinder,which is present so many times as you go through the inlet.
Construction of Barnegat Lighthouse at the north end of Long Beach Island,NJ., began in late 1856. The new tower would be four times as tall as the previous and cost about $40,000. It was built about 100 feet south of the original because erosion in the inlet remained a problem. The current lighthouse is really two towers in one. The exterior conical tower covers a cylindrical tower on the inside.
Barnegat Light, the second tallest lighthouse in the United States, was commissioned January 1, 1859. The tower light was 165 feet above sea level. It remained a first-class navigational light until August 1927, when the "Barnegat Lightship" was anchored 8 miles off the coast. The lightship was removed in 1965, made obsolete by electronic navigation.
The tower's light was reduced over 80 per cent, but it was not extinguished until January 1944.
In 1988, the lighthouse was closed for repair; re-opening for visitors in 1991, Although its light no longer functions, the tower is flood-lit at night and continues to attract thousands of visitors every summer.
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