Brigantine Island facts for kids
Brigantine Island, also called Brigantine Beach Island, is a cool island off the coast of New Jersey. It's right next to the big Atlantic Ocean. You can find it northeast of Atlantic City. The island is about 6 miles (10 km) long. A fun resort town called Brigantine is located right on this island.
You can get to Brigantine Island by driving on Route 87. This road takes you right to the Brigantine Bridge. After you cross the bridge over the Absecon Inlet, the road changes its name. It becomes County Route 638, also known as Brigantine Boulevard.
The Brigantine Lighthouse is a special building on Brigantine Island. It was built in 1926. The people who built it wanted to attract visitors to the island. It was not built to guide ships like a real lighthouse. It's more like a landmark, similar to Lucy the Elephant further south.
What is Brigantine Island?
Brigantine Island is a type of landform called a barrier island. Barrier islands are long, narrow islands that run parallel to the coastline. They help protect the mainland from ocean storms and waves. Brigantine Island sits between the Atlantic Ocean and two water passages. These passages are called the Brigantine Inlet to the northeast and the Absecon Inlet to the southwest.
How the Island Changed Over Time
Long ago, another water passage called Quarters Inlet separated Brigantine Island from a place called Peters Beach. But over many years, sand built up in the area. This sand connected Brigantine Island and Peters Beach. Now, Quarters Inlet is closed, and the island is much longer.
In 1834, people described Brigantine Beach as being about 6 miles long. It was about half a mile wide. Some places for making salt were located there.
By 1878, Brigantine Beach was described as being about eight miles long. It was a low, sandy island. There were two hotels for summer visitors. Many private homes had also been built on the southern part of the island. This happened because Atlantic City was becoming very popular.
By 1904, the Quarters Inlet had changed shape. It curved in front of Peters Beach. It was then known as Quarter Channel. This channel no longer connected directly to the ocean. Instead, it connected to Absecon Inlet. By 1940, the Quarter Channel had completely closed. This finished connecting Peters Beach to Brigantine Island.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Brigantine para niños
