Hereford Inlet Light
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| Location | North Wildwood, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 39°0′24″N 74°47′32″W / 39.00667°N 74.79222°WCoordinates: 39°0′24″N 74°47′32″W / 39.00667°N 74.79222°W |
| Year first constructed | 1874 |
| Year first lit | 1874 |
| Automated | 1964 |
| Foundation | Wood pilings |
| Construction | Wood |
| Tower shape | Square |
| Height | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth-order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi) |
| Characteristic | White light flashing every 10 sec |
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Hereford Lighthouse
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Undated United States Coast Guard photograph
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| Location | First and Central Aves., North Wildwood, New Jersey |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Architect | Paul J. Pelz |
| Architectural style | Stick/Eastlake |
| NRHP Reference # | 77000859 |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 1977 |
The Hereford Inlet Light is a historic lighthouse located in North Wildwood in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, situated on the southwestern shore of Hereford Inlet at the north end of Five Mile Beach. Its construction was completed and it became operational in 1874.
The 50 feet (15 m) tower and its beacon are visible for up to 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi).
Hereford Inlet, in North Wildwood, New Jersey, United States (formerly Anglesea, NJ) was first used by whalers in the 17th century. Though the area was frequented, environmental conditions such as shifting sandbars and strong currents created reason for concern and in 1849, a life-saving station was built along the inlet. With shipwrecks on the rise throughout America, the United States Life Saving Service was founded 22 years later and a larger Life-Saving Station replaced the existing one. After being on Hereford Inlet for only one year, the United States Life Saving Service recognized the need for a lighthouse and included in its annual report that, "A small light, say a fourth order, is respectfully recommended for this place, as it would be of importance to the coal trade and to steamers navigating the Delaware Bay and River, and to mark the entrance to the inlet, where there is a good harbor of refuge for small coasting vessels." Finally, on June 10, 1872, Congress acted to fund the erection of a fourth-order light along the New Jersey shoreline. On July 7, 1873, Humphrey S. Cresse sold the 1.5-acre (0.61 ha) site to the U.S. government for $150. The lighthouse was designed by Paul J. Pelz, who also designed Hereford Inlet's sister stations, Point Fermin Light in San Pedro CA, East Brother Island Light in Richmond, California, Mare Island Light, in Carquinez Strait, California (demolished in the 1930s), Point Hueneme Light in California (replaced in 1940), and Point Adams Light in Washington State (burned down by the Lighthouse Service in 1912), all in essentially the same style. The United States Army Corps of Engineers undertook construction of the lighthouse on November 8, 1873 on a design by Pelz, and completed it on March 30, 1874. A "Notice to Mariners" issued May 11, 1874 announced the operation of the light on the north end of Five Mile Beach.
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