Name and Location

The Cape May Lighthouse, also known as the "Sentinel of the Delaware Bay," is located at 215 Lighthouse Avenue (also referred to as Lighthouse Road), Cape May Point, Lower Township, Cape May County, New Jersey 08212, United States. The coordinates are 38.9329906 N, ‑74.9603691 W.

2. Construction and History

The Cape May Lighthouse was built in 1859 to replace an earlier tower threatened by shoreline erosion. It stands at the southern tip of New Jersey, guiding vessels through the entrance to Delaware Bay. The mid-19th-century brick tower remains an active aid to navigation while serving as a public museum and observation point.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse features Mid-Victorian functional maritime architecture, with a red brick tower on a granite foundation, cast-iron staircase, and originally equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens. The height is 157 feet (47.85 m) from base to lantern, with a focal plane of 199 feet (60.65 m) above mean high water.

4. Light and Navigation

The light pattern is four white flashes every 15 seconds (Fl (4) W 15s), with a nominal range of 24 nautical miles. The original first-order Fresnel lens is on display in the tower's museum, while the current optic is a modern rotating beacon.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is open to the public seasonally (generally mid-April through late October), weather permitting. Hours are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily; closed major holidays. Admission fees apply: Adults $10, Seniors (62+) $8, Children (ages 6–12) $5, Under 6 free.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

Perched on a low sandy bluff within Cape May Point State Park, the lighthouse offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Delaware Bay shipping lanes to the west, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge wetlands and dunes to the north, and sunrise and sunset vistas over water.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Visitors occasionally report hearing phantom footsteps on the stairs when the tower is closed (an unverified but persistent local tale). Local legend recalls the 1878 grounding of the brig Celia just off Poverty Beach. Keepers' logs record ice-bound winters when relief supplies arrived by sleigh.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The station does not host a dedicated radar installation; nearby U.S. Coast Guard and commercial vessels report position via AIS in Delaware Bay. The light is fully automated since 1946, still maintained as U.S. Coast Guard Aid to Navigation (Light List No. 2-13635).

9. Further Information

For more information, please visit the Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_May_Lighthouse or the National Register Nomination Form at https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/73001090_text._