Sandy Hook Light facts for kids
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| Sandy Hook Lighthouse in 2020 | |
 Sandy Hook Light
Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey
Sandy Hook Light
Location in New Jersey
Sandy Hook Light
Location in the United States
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| Location | Sandy Hook, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 40°27′42″N 74°00′07″W / 40.46167°N 74.00194°W |
| Year first constructed | June 11, 1764 |
| Automated | 1965 |
| Foundation | Stone |
| Construction | Rubble |
| Tower shape | Octagonal |
| Height | 103 feet (31 m) |
| Original lens | 3rd order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fixed white lighted throughout 24 hours |
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse is a very old lighthouse in New Jersey. It stands on a place called Sandy Hook. This lighthouse is special because it's the oldest one still working in the whole United States!
It was built on June 11, 1764, by a person named Isaac Conro. When it was first built, it was only about 500 feet (150 metres) from the very tip of Sandy Hook. But over many years, the land around it has grown because of something called littoral drift. This means sand and dirt have slowly built up. Now, the lighthouse is almost one and a half miles (2.4 km) away from the tip of Sandy Hook.
History of Sandy Hook Lighthouse
This lighthouse was built to help sailors find their way into the southern part of the New York Harbor. It was first called the New York Lighthouse. This is because the money to build it came from a special lottery and a tax on ships entering the Port of New York.
During the American Revolutionary War, the lighthouse faced some challenges. There was an attempt to destroy it by a person named Benjamin Tupper. He wanted to stop the British from using it to guide their ships. Later, British soldiers actually stayed at the lighthouse during the war.
About two years after New York State agreed to the U.S. Constitution, the lighthouse became part of the federal government. This means it was now controlled by the United States government, not just New York State. George Washington, who was the president, wrote about this in 1790. The lighthouse is located on the land of Fort Hancock.
In 1990, the U.S. Postal Service honored the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. They put its picture on a 25-cent stamp!
Visiting Sandy Hook Lighthouse Today
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse was fixed up in the spring of 2000. Today, it is part of the Sandy Hook Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area. This area is managed by the National Park Service.
You can visit the lighthouse! Park Rangers from the National Park Service offer free tours every day of the week. The tours happen every half hour from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. If you go to the top, you can see amazing views. You can look out at the Atlantic Ocean, Sandy Hook Bay, and even the tall buildings of the New York City skyline.
Images for kids
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Sandy Hook Lighthouse in 2021
