Tinicum Rear Range Light
Paulsboro, NJ
Built in 1880, and first lighted on the night of December 31, 1880. The lighthouse is still an active lighthouse. It is equipped with a fixed red light with 1,000 watt lamps exhibiting 500,000 candle-power. The light is 112 feet above sea level and sits in the middle of the playing fields in Billingsport. A group called the Tinicum Rear Range Light Society was formed to maintain and open the lighthouse to the public. Future plans call for the lighthouse to be open the third weekend of the month from April through October. See other historial Photos and Postcards.
Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse Society
Objectives:
Researching and interpreting the history of the lighthouse.
Dedication to the restoration and preservation of the structure.
Raising public awareness and education about lighthouses everywhere.
Creation of a consistent tour schedule, using volunteers, to allow year
round public access to the lighthouse
Future Plans:
The Society publishs a newsletter, the purpose of which is to keep all
members informed of any upcoming events. It would also allow the Society
to report the progress of any lighthouse projects to its members.
To fund Society activities through membership dues and campaigns. Dues will be collected annually and used to help cover operating expenses.
To establish a collection of artifacts as well as information pretaining to the lighthouse in order to create a historical archive.
The establishment of the Tinicum Rear Range Lightouse as a historical attraction, as well as making the structre a stop along the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail.
Paulsboro Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse, Open the third full weekend of each month from April-October, through the efforts of the Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse Society of Paulsboro, a non-profit organization. The lighthouse is maintained by the Coast Guard and the Mayor of Paulsboro has offered to marry any interested couples at the site. Additional information is available from Myles and Alice Hillary (609) 448-2457.
Classes of Lights- there are 7 basic kinds of lights:
Fixed - Showing a steady light.
Flashing - two sub-types - single flash at regular intervals where
the duration of light is less than the duration of darkness, and a steady
light, which is totally eclipsed at regular intervals and the duration
of light is less than the duration of darkness.
Group Flashing - Two or more flashes at regular intervals.
Group occulting - showing a steady light, with, at regular intervals,a
group of 2 or more sudden eclipses.
Occulting - showing a steady light at regular intervals followed
by a sudden and total elcipse.
Fixed and Flashing - a fixed light varied at regular intervals
by a single flash of greater brilliancy. Flash may or may nor be preceeded
and/or followed by an eclipse.
Fixed, group flashing - showing a fixed light varied at regular intervals
by a group of two or more flashes of greater brilliancy, which may or
may not be preceeded or followed by an eclipse.
The following lighthouses in New Jersey are still active and their light characteristics are taken from the Light List (GPO, 2000).
For the following inactive or discontinued lighthouses light characteristics are taken from historical sources. Characteristics of many lights changed throughout their years of service. The characteristic given is the one the lighthouse is most noted for.
Absecon Lighthouse - First Order Frensel lens showing a fixed
white light.
Barnegat Lighthouse - First Order Frensel lens with a white light
flashing once 10 seconds.
Sea Girt Lighthouse - 4th order flashing red every 6 seconds.
Little Egg Harbor Lighthouse (Tucker Island Lighthouse) - 4th order
fixed white light varied by six consecutive red flashes (Group Flashing
red) at intervals of 10 seconds.
and maintained by Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2001 NJLHS
