Twin Lights - Highlands, NJ
N 40° 23.777 W 073° 59.143
18T E 586077 N 4472236
Twin Lights is situated 200 ft. above sea level in Highlands, NJ. It overlooks the Shrewsbury River, Sandy Hook, Raritan Bay, NY skyline & the Atlantic Ocean. Twin Lights has been used as an aid to navigation over the coastal waters of NJ since 1828.
Waymark Code: WM2N30
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 11/23/2007
Views: 75
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.
Street address:
South of NJ 36
(promontory between the Navesink River and Sandy Hook Bay)
Highlands, NJ USA
07732
County / Borough / Parish: Monmouth County
Year listed: 1970
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1825-1849, 1850-1874, 1875-1899
Historic function: Transportation
Current function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 12:00 AM To: 4:00 AM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.