The Twin Lights of Navesink Museum - Highlands, NJ
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Math Teacher
N 40° 23.792 W 073° 59.149
18T E 586068 N 4472263
These once former lighthouses are now non-operational. The north tower is used for observation and boasts a spectacular view of the coastline and surrounding area including N.Y. The Twin Lights is situated 200 ft. above sea level.
Waymark Code: WMHW43
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 08/18/2013
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member MikeGolfJ3
Views: 3

The Twin Lights Historical Society has acquired a collection of artifacts from the Aurora wreck and has set up a small exhibit. The story of how the ship's cargo was preserved will leave you in slack-jawed awe!

The view is amazing. I was able to see the The Highlands Bridge where it crosses the Shrewsbury River below where the Shrewsbury River enters the Raritan Bay. At the base of the bridge you can see the doughboy World War memorial. The homes which make up the highlands can be seen as well as Sandy Hook and the other lighthouse if you have really good binoculars.

The Twin Lights Lighthouse is a non-operational lighthouse and museum located in Highlands, New Jersey overlooking Sandy Hook Bay, the entrance to the New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. The Twin Lights, as the name implies, are a pair of beacons located approximately 200 feet (60 m) above sea level on the Navesink Highlands. The south tower is closed to the general public.

"Left on this road (walk) to Beacon Hill where are the twin towers of Navesink Lighthouse, 0.2 m. (open 9-5). The original structure built here in 1828 was replaced in 1861 by the present brownstone, fortress-like building. In 1841 a Fresnel long-range lens, the first in this country, was brought from France for use in one of the towers. It is now on exhibition. Oil lamps in the south tower were replaced in 1898 by the first electric lighting unit installed in an American lighthouse. Today the tower has an incandescent light of 9,000,000 candlepower visible for 22 miles, one of the most powerful on American shores. At the insistence of local residents, a blind was put on the tower to keep the revolving light from flashing into house windows. In front of the twin lights of a century ago, before the days of telegraph, were two windmill-like towers with large signal arms that reported the arrival of vessels. These signals were read on Staten Island by telescope and there relayed by another semaphore to a watcher on the roof of the Merchants' Exchange Building in New York." --- New Jersey, a Guide to Its Present and Past, 1939; page 678

This is such a wonderful place to visit. The view from atop Beacon Hill is amazing and spectacular all at once. There are hiking trails to the rear of the twins and lots and lots of interpretive displays to read and learn about the area and its historical significance. I climbed the southern tower and it was thrilling to be at the top and have a complete survey of New York and the HIghlands


From my previous NRHP waymark:

A lighthouse existed on the site since 1828, when it became an important guide and landmark for ships navigating the treacherous entrances to New York Harbor. The current lighthouse was constructed in 1862. The non-identical towers by day and the two beacons by night — one flashing and one fixed — allowed ready identification by mariners of the identity of the facility, thus allowing a rough determination of their location approaching the harbor.

The Twin Lights were decommissioned in 1949, the victim of improved technologies that allowed ships to navigate without the aid of lighthouses that were perceived to be antiquated and expensive to operate.

The State of New Jersey acquired Twin Lights from the Borough of Highlands in 1962, and opened it as a museum. Today, visitors can tour the lighthouse, climb the North Tower for a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean, visit the exhibit gallery, and see the 9 foot bivalve lens on display in the generator building. Twin Lights no longer guides ships into New York Harbor, but it stands as a formidable reminder of the important role lighthouses played in the maritime history of this country. Twin Lights is listed on the State and of course the National Registers of Historic Places.

I took the coordinates directly in the center of the twins.

Theme:
American History


Street Address:
Twin Lights Historic Site Lighthouse Road Highlands, NJ 07732


Food Court: no

Gift Shop: yes

Hours of Operation:
Grounds & Building Hours: The Park and Building hours change seasonally. The Gate to the Park Opens at 8:30 AM and Closes at 5:00 PM. Winter Hours: Labor Day through Memorial Day, Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Summer Hours: 7 days per week, 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Closed: New Years Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas


Cost: 0.00 (listed in local currency)

Museum Size: Medium

Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
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