1862 - Twin Light of Navesink - Highlands, NJ - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

As soon as you enter the parking lot, look dead center between the two towers and about 25-30 feet off the ground and you will see the huge dated stone marker. But there is more to see than the date! These once former lighthouses are now non-operational but 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. 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.

p align="justify">"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

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 which again is where the date is located.

Hours of Operation
Memorial day through Labor day, Open daily 10 AM - 4:30 PM September through May: Open Wed-Sun 10 AM - 4:30 PM

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