Delaware Breakwater East End Light
Encyclopedia
The Delaware Breakwater East End Light is a lighthouse
located on the inner Delaware Breakwater
in the Delaware Bay
, just off the coast of Cape Henlopen
and the town of Lewes, Delaware
.
-- which is still in the lighthouse to this day—and also included one red sector in order to warn vessels approaching the nearby Hen and Chickens Shoal. A fog signal was installed about a month later. During the following year a wharf and oil house were built and completed at the site.
Shortly after its creation that tower was tested in the severe winds of the Great Blizzard of 1888
. In 1903, the light replaced the discontinued Delaware Breakwater West End Light as the front range for the Delaware Breakwater, though the original Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light continued to serve as the rear range until 1918, when it was also discontinued. The light was automated on July 11, 1950. Life at the lighthouse was also said to be quite difficult. The tower was small, with the exterior diameter measuring only 22 feet (6.7 m) at the base and 18 feet (5.5 m) at the watch level. In addition, the constant heavy fog at Cape Henlopen
meant that the fog signal was almost constantly blaring. From July 1, 1896 to June 30, 1897, the fog signal operated for 400 hours. The following year, the signal operated for 440 hours. Not long after, the lighthouse record was set in 1905 when the signal was used for an astounding 645 hours.
ing at Cape Henlopen gradually reduced the significance of the light and the Harbor of Refuge Light
began to serve mariners in a more practical way at its location on the outer breakwater, much closer to the mouth of the Delaware Bay
. As a result of its reduced importance, the light was officially discontinued in 1996. In 1999, the light's ownership was transferred to the State of Delaware. The lighthouse was eventually leased to the Delaware River & Bay Authority, the bi-state group that manages ferries and airports for Delaware and New Jersey. In 2004 the Authority and the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer organization, entered into a contract whereby the Foundation became advisors on the preservation to be undertaken by the Authority and were responsible for tours and educational activities. Since then tours have been regularly scheduled throughout each summer.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located on the inner Delaware Breakwater
Delaware Breakwater
The Delaware Breakwater is a set of breakwaters east of Lewes, Delaware on Cape Henlopen that form Lewes Harbor. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 12, 1976.The original and breakwaters were built in 1828...
in the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
, just off the coast of Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware...
and the town of Lewes, Delaware
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
.
Construction and Early Use
In 1884 a light was commissioned for the east end of the Delaware Breakwater. The light was built to replace the Cape Henlopen Beacon, which was rapidly deteriorating at the time and was taken out of service later that same year. Construction began in 1885 and a temporary light on a wooden frame was placed near the building site during the process. The foundation of the tower was embedded into the breakwater. The iron structure, which was listed at 56 feet (17.1 m) tall as of 1914, was completed on October 2, 1885. The tower was fitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lensFresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
-- which is still in the lighthouse to this day—and also included one red sector in order to warn vessels approaching the nearby Hen and Chickens Shoal. A fog signal was installed about a month later. During the following year a wharf and oil house were built and completed at the site.
Shortly after its creation that tower was tested in the severe winds of the Great Blizzard of 1888
Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1888 or Great Blizzard of '88 was one of the most severe blizzards in United States' recorded history. Snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and sustained winds of over produced snowdrifts in excess of...
. In 1903, the light replaced the discontinued Delaware Breakwater West End Light as the front range for the Delaware Breakwater, though the original Delaware Breakwater Rear Range Light continued to serve as the rear range until 1918, when it was also discontinued. The light was automated on July 11, 1950. Life at the lighthouse was also said to be quite difficult. The tower was small, with the exterior diameter measuring only 22 feet (6.7 m) at the base and 18 feet (5.5 m) at the watch level. In addition, the constant heavy fog at Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen is the southern cape of the Delaware Bay along the Atlantic coast of the United States. It lies in the state of Delaware, near the town of Lewes, Delaware...
meant that the fog signal was almost constantly blaring. From July 1, 1896 to June 30, 1897, the fog signal operated for 400 hours. The following year, the signal operated for 440 hours. Not long after, the lighthouse record was set in 1905 when the signal was used for an astounding 645 hours.
Recent History
ShoalShoal
Shoal, shoals or shoaling may mean:* Shoal, a sandbank or reef creating shallow water, especially where it forms a hazard to shipping* Shoal draught , of a boat with shallow draught which can pass over some shoals: see Draft...
ing at Cape Henlopen gradually reduced the significance of the light and the Harbor of Refuge Light
Harbor of Refuge Light
The Harbor of Refuge Light is a lighthouse built on the ocean end of the outer Delaware Breakwater at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, just off Cape Henlopen...
began to serve mariners in a more practical way at its location on the outer breakwater, much closer to the mouth of the Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
. As a result of its reduced importance, the light was officially discontinued in 1996. In 1999, the light's ownership was transferred to the State of Delaware. The lighthouse was eventually leased to the Delaware River & Bay Authority, the bi-state group that manages ferries and airports for Delaware and New Jersey. In 2004 the Authority and the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer organization, entered into a contract whereby the Foundation became advisors on the preservation to be undertaken by the Authority and were responsible for tours and educational activities. Since then tours have been regularly scheduled throughout each summer.