Reedy Island Range Rear Light facts for kids
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| Reedy Island Range Rear Light | |
 Reedy Island Range Rear Light
Location in Delaware
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| Location | 1171 Taylors Bridge Road, Taylors Bridge, Delaware |
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| Coordinates | 39°24′24″N 75°35′25″W / 39.4066°N 75.5902°W |
| Year first lit | 1910 |
| Foundation | 9 concrete piers |
| Construction | Cast iron |
| Tower shape | Skeletal tower |
| Height | 110 feet (34 m) |
| Focal height | |
| Original lens | Fifth order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | DCB-224 |
| Characteristic | Flashing white with red sector |
| Admiralty number | J1299 |
| ARLHS number | USA-692 |
| USCG number | 2-2585 |
The Reedy Island Range Rear Lighthouse is a tall, open-frame lighthouse located near Taylor's Bridge, Delaware. This lighthouse helps ships navigate safely and is still actively used today.
Contents
What is a Range Light?
A range light system uses two lights, one in front of the other, to guide ships. When a ship lines up the two lights, it knows it is in the middle of a safe channel. The front light is usually shorter, and the rear light is taller.
History of the Reedy Island Lighthouse
Building New Channels for Ships
In the early 1900s, new shipping channels were dug in the Delaware River. These channels helped ships travel more easily, especially those heading north towards Philadelphia. The Reedy Island Range Rear Lighthouse was built as part of this big project.
Temporary Lights and Permanent Plans
Before the permanent lighthouse was built, temporary lights were used. For the Reedy Island Range, the first rear light in 1904 was just a powerful locomotive headlight placed on a tall pole!
Originally, there was a plan to move another lighthouse, the Finns Point Range Light, to this spot. However, sailors didn't like this idea. So, in 1906, the lighthouse board asked for money to build a brand new tower. The money was finally approved in 1908.
The Lighthouse is Built
The Reedy Island Range Rear Lighthouse was built with a common open-frame design. It first used a special Fresnel lens to make its light bright and focused. Later, this was replaced with a modern aerobeacon.
A house for the lighthouse keeper and other buildings were already on the site since 1906. These were built with money from the first plans for the range lights.
Modern Use and Recognition
The Reedy Island Range Rear Lighthouse was later automated, meaning it no longer needed a keeper to operate it. It continues to guide ships today.
In 1989, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. Sadly, the original keeper's house was destroyed in a fire in 2002.
Images for kids
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Reedy Island Range Rear Light
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. DE-11, "Reedy Island Range Rear Light, Route 9, Taylors Corner, New Castle County, DE"
