Sea Girt Lighthouse

A beacon was needed to bridge the forty-mile gap between Barnegat Light and the Navesink Highlands, and on March 2, 1889, the U.S. Congress authorized funding for the establishment of a lighthouse. After considerable delay, the Sea Girt beach site was finally selected, and construction was completed on December 10, 1896. Sea Girt Lighthouse was the last live-in lighthouse built in the United States, with its beacon typically visible up to 15 miles at sea. In 1915, electricity replaced the kerosene that had previously fueled the light. Its signals intersected with those from the Ambrose and Fire Island lightships, allowing ships to navigate more safely in foggy or foul weather. In 1936, the Coast Guard assumed control of the lighthouse and modified the interior to accommodate personnel stationed there. The keeper, Mr. Thomas, continued his duties until the light was "blacked out" during World War II. By the end of the war, the lighthouse had become obsolete for navigational use. In 1945, the Coast Guard decommissioned the light, and in August 1956, it was sold to the town. Though it was used by community groups for a time, the structure gradually deteriorated until it was deemed unsafe for any function. 

Beacon Blvd Sea Girt, NJ (732) 974-0514