Tinicum Rear Range
Tinicum Light is a black iron skeletal structure, built in 1880 during the Presidency of James Garfield, Civil War hero from Ohio. It is a rear beacon, of three towers, in a triangulated range and it is the northern most light on the Delaware River. The lighthouse was lit on December 31, 1880. Benjamin Hannold was the first lighthouse keeper and Captain John Birch was the last keeper to reside at Tinicum Light. A working farm and two-story house made of field stones on wood accompanied the lighthouse originally. There are 112 steps leading to the lantern room. The light stands 85 feet tall with a focal plane 112 feet above the river level. The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation. Mariners use its powerful DCB-24, fixed red beacon to navigate past Little Tinicum Island in the Delaware River. The tower has only one window in the lens house as the beam is intended to shine in only one direction, completing the triangle range. The devoted and enthusiastic volunteers of the Tinicum Lighthouse Society work hard to research & interpret the history of the lighthouse and are dedicated to the restoration of the light and the maintenance of a consistent tour schedule to facilitate year round public access, promote tourism and preserve our heritage. The lighthouse is part of the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail and is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard but leased to the town of Paulsboro.
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