Sandy Hook Light House – Sandy Hook, New Jersey
The Sandy Hook Light House, at the entrance to New York Harbor, was put into operation in 1764 to guide ships coming to the new country a safe passage into the harbor. The light house is still standing and certainly something amazing to see when you are visiting New Jersey. The area known as Sandy Hook stretches over four miles into the Atlantic and poses a serious navigational hazard for vessels seeking safe harbor. The light house helps to reduce the risk of ending up shipwrecked.
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse was first known as the New York lighthouse. An article in the local paper stated the following: “On Monday Evening last the New York Lighthouse erected at Sandy Hook was lighted for the first time. The House is of an Octagonal Figure, having eight equal sides; the Diameter at the Base is 29 Feet and at the top of the Wall 15 Feet. The lanthorn is 7 Feet high; the circumference 33 Feet. The whole constructure of the Lanthorn is Iron; the top covered with copper. There are 48 Oil Blazes. The Building from the surface is Nine Stories; the whole from the Bottom to Top 103 Feet. “
Each ship that passed the lighthouse and entering the harbor was charged three pence a ton which was used to pay the keeper and purchase supplies such as oil, tallow, and coal required for use at the lighthouse.
A little history of the life of the Lighthouse tells the tale of the New York Congress ordering the lighthouse to be rendered useless to the British during the early part of the Revolutionary War. The glass was removed, the oil removed and all else that made the lighthouse operational but in less than 3 months the British had the lighthouse repaired and back in operation. The British held the lighthouse in their control for most of the war.
As time went on there were several minor beacon lights placed on the spit of land, some paired with the main lighthouse to form a range light. It was the responsibility of the Sandy Hook caretaker to also manage the smaller beacons. In 1917 one of these beacons was moved up the Hudson River and is known as the Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse.
The National Park Service now manages the lighthouse. The Sandy Hook Lighthouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark and after years of use it is still structurally sound, on firm footing as it is now over a mile and a half away from the shore which means that erosion is not a threat as it is to some of the other lighthouses in the United States.
Sandy Hook is happy to introduce a bicycle rental service to park visitors. The rental center is located at Building 60 adjacent to the Sandy Hook Light House. The center is open Wednesday through Friday 9:30 to 5:30 and Saturdays and Sundays 8:30 to 5:30 through Labor Day and weekends into the fall. Bike reservations are accepted.
The park boasts a beautiful 7-mile paved bike path along the beach and through the natural habitat. Now anyone can enjoy a long and leisurely ride with the convenience of a bike available right in the park. There is ample parking. There are bicycles in both adult and children’s sizes.
Whether you’re planning a full day bike outing or want to enjoy a quick ride before or after a day at the beach, They have bikes available for your convenience. The park has so much to offer and there’s no better way to see it all than on bicycle.
For additional information on Ray’s Bike Rentals in Sandy Hook, stop by or contact Ray at 732-754-5731.
The Sandy Hook Light House, at the entrance to New York Harbor, was put into operation in 1764 or in the era where Flights New York and other means of faster transportation were not yet a reality. The light house was beneficial to the welfare of those who traveled the sea during that time because it was primarily designed to guide ships coming to the new country a safe passage into the harbor. The light house is still standing and certainly something amazing to see when you are visiting New Jersey. The area known as Sandy Hook stretches over four miles into the Atlantic and poses a serious navigational hazard for vessels seeking safe harbor. The light house helps to reduce the risk of ending up shipwrecked.
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