In Highlands, NJ, 62-year-old lighthouse Keeper and father of 9, Joseph Lopez, walked the construction site of the new double lighthouse that would replace the current dilapidated wooden structures.  The new lighthouse would, as the other versions, be called Twin Lights and sit atop Lighthouse Road, towering 260 feet above the town and the Navesink River. It would be an imposing structure made of brownstone and reminiscent of a medieval castle.  Its lights would be seen 22 miles out to sea as an aid to navigation. But this day, Joseph would set in motion a mystery that still endures. 

As he toured the construction site, his eyes drifted toward a metallic object protruding from the excavation.  Brushing aside the dirt, Joseph Lopez soon realized he had discovered a cannon. Workers excavated the cannon and hoisted it out of the trench.  Proud of his discovery, Joseph etched his name in large cartoon-like letters on the barrel. Next to his name was another etching, “1756” with two x’s next to it.

Joseph Lopez would never see the completion of the new Twin Lights; he left the Lighthouse Service later that year after the death of his wife Charlotte, moving to Philadelphia to become a storekeeper.  He died in 1864, but his legacy lives on in the “Mystery Cannon” that he found that day in 1861, now on display in front of lighthouse keepers’ quarters at Twin Lights.  

No one really knows the true purpose or origin of the cannon.  Thomas Leonard, in his book, “From Indian Trails to Electric Rails (1923)”, speculated that it was cast in Spain, no doubt influenced by Joseph Lopez etching his name on the barrel.  Others suggested that the cannon came from a pirate ship.

Still others took the “1756” scratched into the barrel as evidence that it was an old Revolutionary War cannon used to defend the town, then called Portland Poynt.  It was also postulated that the cannon was a “Fog Cannon” used to alert ships at sea that there was fog closer to shore.

After 158 years, it is known that the “Mystery Cannon” is a 12-pounder of Dutch or Danish manufacture and probably dates to the mid to late 1600s.  A similar piece is on display in a museum in Denmark. Further, it is a typical ship’s cannon of the period. These weapons had a flat trajectory with accuracy to about a half-mile.  In most cases, the maker’s marks on such artillery are near the fuse hole on top of the cannon. In the case of the “Mystery Cannon”, this area is smooth, leading to conjecture that it may exist on the underside of the cannon and be inaccessible.

The most compelling legend of the purpose of the cannon does involve pirates.  The story tells of pirates entering the Shrewsbury River through the now-filled Shrewsbury Cut and making their way down river under cover of darkness to raid the port of what is now Highlands, NJ.  This, it is said, happened so often that the townspeople acquired an old cannon and dragged it up the nearly vertical Lighthouse Road, and stationed it on the site that would become Twin Lights. A guard would fire the weapon to alert the townspeople of an impending pirate raid, as a call to arms.   If this legend is true, it must have been a successful campaign as the cannon was eventually abandoned at its post.

Regardless of the true origins and use of the Mystery Cannon, it is an incredible representative of a bygone era, ornate in design, yet deadly, all the same.  

Twin Lights is in Highlands, NJ, and is steeped in this country’s history.  For example, on April 23, 1893, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the very first time at Twin Lights. In 1899 Marconi performed the first demonstration of his wireless telegraph in the United States. 

For more information on Twin Lights, or to plan your visit, go to: 

https://www.twinlightslighthouse.com/

It all started in 1764 when the 103-foot-high white lighthouse was built on Sandy Hook, now part of Gateway National Recreation Area in Highlands. It was one of only 11 lighthouses in the original 13 colonies and today remains the oldest still operating lighthouse in the country. Although the building is maintained by the National Park Service, the light itself is under the direction of the Coast Guard and the light remains a beacon for ships entering and leaving New York Harbor. The lighthouse closed for visitors in September for intense repairs, rehabilitation and renovations, all of which is expected to be completed by April of 2018. During renovation, the adjacent Visitor Center and gift shop remain open.

A few miles away, across the Shrewsbury River and situated on one of the highest points along the East Coast waterways, is the Twin Lights, once the brightest beacon on the East Coast with its Fresnel lens, and itself a historic landmark for a variety of reasons. It is the site where the Pledge of Allegiance was officially first said publicly; it is also the site where Guglielmo Marconi sent his first wireless message, and eventually became the first lighthouse electrically powered. In the 1930s, the Army’s Mystery Ray, what we now know as radar, was tested at the site. Officially known as the Navesink Light Station, the two lights separated by keeper’s quarters were designed to avoid confusion for seamen with the Sandy Hook Light and are not identical twins because of the differences in their shape and operation. Maintained by the State of New Jersey, and home to both the Friends of the Twin Lights and the Highlands Historical Society, the Twin Lights are open for visiting and climbing several days a week, and house a magnificent maritime collection in the Museum located between the towers.

Barnegat Lighthouse, Old Barney to friends, at 171 feet in height, joins the Absecon Lighthouse as being the two tallest lighthouses in the state. Located on the north end of Long Beach Island, Old Barney’s striking red and white exterior is a familiar sight for summer visitors. The lighthouse was built in 1859 on what has been identified as one of the most crucial change of course points for ships, with swift currents, shifting sandbars and shoals extending from the shore offering unique and dangerous challenges for sea vessels along the New Jersey coastline. The Lighthouse is on the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail.

In addition to Sandy Hook the Twin Lights, and Barnegat lighthouses, visitors seeking to discover the uniqueness of the structures can visit the Absecon Lighthouse, the 157-foot-high Cape May lighthouse, as well as Hereford in Wildwood, Sea Girt, decommissioned since 1945 but a charming Victorian building constructed in 1896 and boasting a square red brick tower;

Tucker’s Island, a reconstructed lighthouse built about six miles from the original building, East Point in Heislerville on Delaware Bay, a two story white building with a bright red roof, Finns Point Rear Range, an 1876 wrought iron structure in Pennsville, built in Buffalo and moved to its site by rail and wagon, and Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse in Paulsboro, built in connection with Tinicum Front Range Light to guide ships along the Delaware River to ports in Philadelphia and Camden.

https://www.visitnj.org/nj-attractions/sandy-hook-lighthouse

It all started in 1764 when the 103-foot-high white lighthouse was built on Sandy Hook, now part of Gateway National Recreation Area in Highlands. It was one of only 11 lighthouses in the original 13 colonies and today remains the oldest still operating lighthouse in the country. Although the building is maintained by the National Park Service, the light itself is under the direction of the Coast Guard and the light remains a beacon for ships entering and leaving New York Harbor. The lighthouse closed for visitors in September for intense repairs, rehabilitation and renovations, all of which is expected to be completed by April of 2018. During renovation, the adjacent Visitor Center and gift shop remain open.

A few miles away, across the Shrewsbury River and situated on one of the highest points along the East Coast waterways, is the Twin Lights, once the brightest beacon on the East Coast with its Fresnel lens, and itself a historic landmark for a variety of reasons. It is the site where the Pledge of Allegiance was officially first said publicly; it is also the site where Guglielmo Marconi sent his first wireless message, and eventually became the first lighthouse electrically powered. In the 1930s, the Army’s Mystery Ray, what we now know as radar, was tested at the site. Officially known as the Navesink Light Station, the two lights separated by keeper’s quarters, were designed to avoid confusion for seamen with the Sandy Hook Light and are not identical twins because of the differences in their shape and operation. Maintained by the State of New Jersey, and home to both the Friends of the Twin Lights and the Highlands Historical Society, the Twin Lights are open for visiting and climbing several days a week, and house a magnificent maritime collection in the Museum located between the towers.

Barnegat Lighthouse, Old Barney to friends, at 171 feet in height, joins the Absecon lighthouse as being the two tallest lighthouses in the state. Located on the north end of Long Beach Island, Old Barney’s striking red and white exterior is a familiar sight for summer visitors. The lighthouse was built in 1859 on what has been identified as one of the most crucial change of course points for ships, with swift currents, shifting sandbars and shoals extending from the shore offering unique and dangerous challenges for sea vessels along the New Jersey coastline. The Lighthouse is on the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail.

In addition to Sandy Hook the Twin Lights, and Barnegat lighthouses, visitors seeking to discover the uniqueness of the structures can visit the Absecon Lighthouse, the 157 foot high Cape May lighthouse, as well as Hereford in Wildwood, Sea Girt, decommissioned since 1945 but a charming Victorian building constructed in 1896 and boasting a square red brick tower.

Tucker’s Island, a reconstructed lighthouse built about six miles from the original building, East Point in Heislerville on Delaware Bay, a two story white building with a bright red roof, Finns Point Rear Range, an 1876 wrought iron structure in Pennsville, built in Buffalo and moved to its site by rail and wagon, and Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse in Paulsboro, built in connection with Tinicum Front Range Light to guide ships along the Delaware River to ports in Philadelphia and Camden.

https://www.visitnj.org/nj-attractions/sandy-hook-lighthouse

It all started in 1764 when the 103-foot-high white lighthouse was built on Sandy Hook, now part of Gateway National Recreation Area in Highlands. It was one of only 11 lighthouses in the original 13 colonies and today remains the oldest still operating lighthouse in the country. Although the building is maintained by the National Park Service, the light itself is under the direction of the Coast Guard and the light remains a beacon for ships entering and leaving New York Harbor. The lighthouse closed for visitors in September for intense repairs, rehabilitation and renovations, all of which is expected to be completed by April of 2018. During renovation, the adjacent Visitor Center and gift shop remain open.

A few miles away, across the Shrewsbury River and situated on one of the highest points along the East Coast waterways, is the Twin Lights, once the brightest beacon on the East Coast with its Fresnel lens, and itself a historic landmark for a variety of reasons. It is the site where the Pledge of Allegiance was officially first said publicly; it is also the site where Guglielmo Marconi sent his first wireless message, and eventually became the first lighthouse electrically powered. In the 1930s, the Army’s Mystery Ray, what we now know as radar, was tested at the site. Officially known as the Navesink Light Station, the two lights separated by keeper’s quarters, were designed to avoid confusion for seamen with the Sandy Hook Light and are not identical twins because of the differences in their shape and operation. Maintained by the State of New Jersey, and home to both the Friends of the Twin Lights and the Highlands Historical Society, the Twin Lights are open for visiting and climbing several days a week, and house a magnificent maritime collection in the Museum located between the towers.

Barnegat Lighthouse, Old Barney to friends, at 171 feet in height, joins the Absecon lighthouse as being the two tallest lighthouses in the state. Located on the north end of Long Beach Island, Old Barney’s striking red and white exterior is a familiar sight for summer visitors. The lighthouse was built in 1859 on what has been identified as one of the most crucial change of course points for ships, with swift currents, shifting sandbars and shoals extending from the shore offering unique and dangerous challenges for sea vessels along the New Jersey coastline. The Lighthouse is on the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail.

In addition to Sandy Hook the Twin Lights, and Barnegat lighthouses, visitors seeking to discover the uniqueness of the structures can visit the Absecon Lighthouse, the 157 foot high Cape May lighthouse, as well as Hereford in Wildwood, Sea Girt, decommissioned since 1945 but a charming Victorian building constructed in 1896 and boasting a square red brick tower.

Tucker’s Island, a reconstructed lighthouse built about six miles from the original building, East Point in Heislerville on Delaware Bay, a two story white building with a bright red roof, Finns Point Rear Range, an 1876 wrought iron structure in Pennsville, built in Buffalo and moved to its site by rail and wagon, and Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse in Paulsboro, built in connection with Tinicum Front Range Light to guide ships along the Delaware River to ports in Philadelphia and Camden.

https://www.visitnj.org/nj-attractions/sandy-hook-lighthouse

In Highlands, NJ, 62-year-old lighthouse Keeper and father of 9, Joseph Lopez walked the construction site of the new double lighthouse that would replace the current dilapidated wooden structures.  The new lighthouse would, as the other versions, be called Twin Lights and sit atop Lighthouse Road, towering 260 feet above the town and the Navesink River. It would be an imposing structure made of brownstone and reminiscent of a medieval castle.  Its lights would be seen 22 miles out to sea as an aid to navigation. But this day, Joseph would set in motion a mystery that still endures. 

As he toured the construction site, his eyes drifted toward a metallic object protruding from the excavation.  Brushing dirt aside, Joseph Lopez soon realized that he had discovered a cannon. Workers excavated the cannon and hoisted it out of the trench.  Proud of his discovery, Joseph etched his name, in large cartoon-like letters, on the barrel. Next to his name was another etching “1756” with two x’s next to it.

Joseph Lopez would never see the completion of the new Twin Lights, he left the Lighthouse service later that year after the death of his wife Charlotte, moving to Philadelphia to become a storekeeper.  He died in 1864, but his legacy lives on in the “Mystery Cannon” that he found that day in 1861, now on display in front of lighthouse keepers’ quarters at Twin Lights.  

No one really knows the true purpose or origin of the cannon.  Thomas Leonard, in his book, “From Indian Trails to Electric Rails (1923)”, speculated that it was cast in Spain, no doubt influenced by Joseph Lopez etching his name on the barrel.  Others suggested that the cannon came from a pirate ship.

Still others took the “1756” scratched into the barrel as evidence that it was an old Revolutionary War cannon used to defend the town, then called Portland Poynt.  It was also postulated that the cannon was a “Fog Cannon” used to alert ships at sea that there was fog closer to shore.

After 158 years, it is known that the “Mystery Cannon” is a 12-pounder of Dutch or Danish manufacture and probably dates to the mid to late 1600’s.  A similar piece is on display in a museum in Denmark. Further, it is a typical ship’s cannon of the period. These weapons had a flat trajectory with accuracy of about a half-mile.  In most cases, the makers marks on such artillery is near the fuse hole on top of the cannon. In the case of the “Mystery Cannon”, this area is smooth leading to conjecture that it may exist on the underside of the cannon and is inaccessible.

The most compelling legend of the purpose of the cannon involves pirates.  The story tells of pirates entering the Shrewsbury River through the, now filled, Shrewsbury Cut and making their way down river under cover of darkness to raid the port of what is now Highlands, NJ.  This, it is said, happened so often that the townspeople acquired an old cannon and dragged it up the nearly vertical Light House Road, and stationed it on the site that would become Twin Lights. A guard would fire the weapon to alert the townspeople of an impending pirate raid, as a call to arms.   If this legend is true, it must have been a successful campaign as the cannon was eventually abandoned at its post.

Regardless of the true origins and use of the Mystery Cannon, it is an incredible representative of a bygone era, ornate in design, yet deadly, all the same.  

Twinlights is in Highlands, NJ, and is steeped in this country’s history.  For example, on April 23, 1893, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the very first time at Twin Lights. In 1899 Marconi performed the first demonstration of his wireless telegraph in the United States. 

For more information on Twin Lights, or to plan your visit, go to: 

https://www.twinlightslighthouse.com/

In Highlands, NJ, 62-year-old lighthouse Keeper and father of 9, Joseph Lopez walked the construction site of the new double lighthouse that would replace the current dilapidated wooden structures.  The new lighthouse would, as the other versions, be called Twin Lights and sit atop Lighthouse Road, towering 260 feet above the town and the Navesink River. It would be an imposing structure made of brownstone and reminiscent of a medieval castle.  Its lights would be seen 22 miles out to sea as an aid to navigation. But this day, Joseph would set in motion a mystery that still endures. 

As he toured the construction site, his eyes drifted toward a metallic object protruding from the excavation.  Brushing dirt aside, Joseph Lopez soon realized that he had discovered a cannon. Workers excavated the cannon and hoisted it out of the trench.  Proud of his discovery, Joseph etched his name, in large cartoon-like letters, on the barrel. Next to his name was another etching “1756” with two x’s next to it.

Joseph Lopez would never see the completion of the new Twin Lights, he left the Lighthouse service later that year after the death of his wife Charlotte, moving to Philadelphia to become a storekeeper.  He died in 1864, but his legacy lives on in the “Mystery Cannon” that he found that day in 1861, now on display in front of lighthouse keepers’ quarters at Twin Lights.  

No one really knows the true purpose or origin of the cannon.  Thomas Leonard, in his book, “From Indian Trails to Electric Rails (1923)”, speculated that it was cast in Spain, no doubt influenced by Joseph Lopez etching his name on the barrel.  Others suggested that the cannon came from a pirate ship.

Still others took the “1756” scratched into the barrel as evidence that it was an old Revolutionary War cannon used to defend the town, then called Portland Poynt.  It was also postulated that the cannon was a “Fog Cannon” used to alert ships at sea that there was fog closer to shore.

After 158 years, it is known that the “Mystery Cannon” is a 12 pounder of Dutch or Danish manufacture and probably dates to the mid to late 1600’s.  A similar piece is on display in a museum in Denmark. Further, it is a typical ship’s cannon of the period. These weapons had a flat trajectory with accuracy to about a half-mile.  In most cases, the makers marks on such artillery is near the fuse hole on top of the cannon. In the case of the “Mystery Cannon”, this area is smooth leading to conjecture that it may exist on the underside of the cannon and inaccessible.

The most compelling legend of the purpose of the cannon does involve pirates.  The story tells of pirates entering the Shrewsbury River through the, now filled, Shrewsbury Cut and making their way down river under cover of darkness to raid the port of what is now Highlands, NJ.  This, it is said, happened so often that the townspeople acquired an old cannon and dragged it up the nearly vertical Light House Road, and stationed it on the site that would become Twin Lights. A guard would fire the weapon to alert the townspeople of an impending pirate raid, as a call to arms.  

If this legend is true, it must have been a successful campaign as the cannon was eventually abandoned at its post.

Regardless of the true origins and use of the Mystery Cannon, it is an incredible representative of a bygone era, ornate in design, yet deadly, all the same.  

Twinlights is in Highlands, NJ, and is steeped in this country’s history.  For example, On April 23, 1893, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the very first time at Twin Lights. In 1899 Marconi performed the first demonstration of his wireless telegraph in the United States. 

For more information on Twin Lights, or to plan your visit, go to: 

https://www.twinlightslighthouse.com/

Today we celebrate how these scenic, historic structures comforted travelers throughout the centuries, and at the Jersey Shore, we have many to keep our mariners safe!

Whether they be topped with bright red roofs, Victorian in style, at the edge of land and sea or high atop a nearby hill, New Jersey lighthouses have been a tourist attraction and draw for history buffs for as long as they have been the beacons that provide guidance and warnings to ocean-going vessels of all sizes. And well they should be, considering the diversity and number of lighthouses in the nation’s third smallest state.

It all started in 1764 when the 103-foot-high white lighthouse was built on Sandy Hook, now part of Gateway National Recreation Area in Highlands. It was one of only 11 lighthouses in the original 13 colonies and today remains the oldest still operating lighthouse in the country. Although the building is maintained by the National Park Service, the light itself is under the direction of the Coast Guard and the light remains a beacon for ships entering and leaving New York Harbor.

A few miles away, across the Shrewsbury River and situated on one of the highest points along the East Coast waterways, is the Twin Lights, once the brightest beacon on the East Coast with its Fresnel lens, and itself a historic landmark for a variety of reasons. It is the site where the Pledge of Allegiance was officially first said publicly; it is also the site where Guglielmo Marconi sent his first wireless message, and eventually became the first lighthouse electrically powered. In the 1930s, the Army’s Mystery Ray, what we now know as radar, was tested at the site.

Officially known as the Navesink Light Station, the two lights separated by keeper’s quarters were designed to avoid confusion for seamen with the Sandy Hook Light and are not identical twins because of the differences in their shape and operation. Maintained by the State of New Jersey, and home to both the Friends of the Twin Lights and the Highlands Historical Society, the Twin Lights are open for visiting and climbing several days a week, and house a magnificent maritime collection in the Museum located between the towers.

Barnegat Lighthouse, Old Barney to friends, at 171 feet in height, joins the Absecon lighthouse as being the two tallest lighthouses in the state. Located on the north end of Long Beach Island, Old Barney’s striking red and white exterior is a familiar sight for summer visitors. The lighthouse was built in 1859 on what has been identified as one of the most crucial change of course points for ships, with swift currents, shifting sandbars and shoals extending from the shore offering unique and dangerous challenges for sea vessels along the New Jersey coastline.

The Lighthouse is on the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail.

In addition to Sandy Hook the Twin Lights and Barnegat lighthouses, visitors seeking to discover the uniqueness of the structures can visit the Absecon Lighthouse, the 157 foot high Cape May lighthouse, as well as Hereford in Wildwood, and Sea Girt, decommissioned since 1945 but a charming Victorian building constructed in 1896 and boasting a square red-brick tower.

Several others include:

Tucker’s Island, a reconstructed lighthouse built about six miles from the original building, East Point in Heislerville on Delaware Bay, a two-story white building with a bright red roof, Finns Point Rear Range, an 1876 wrought iron structure in Pennsville, built in Buffalo and moved to its site by rail and wagon, and Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse in Paulsboro, built in connection with Tinicum Front Range Light to guide ships along the Delaware River to ports in Philadelphia and Camden.

https://www.lighthousefoundation.org/

It was 1861.  On February 9th, the Confederate States of America was formed with Jefferson Davis as its president.  On April 12, Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumpter, South Carolina. It was the beginning of the American Civil War. 

In Highlands, NJ, 62-year-old lighthouse Keeper and father of 9, Joseph Lopez walked the construction site of the new double lighthouse that would replace the current dilapidated wooden structures.  The new lighthouse would, as the other versions, be called Twin Lights and sit atop Lighthouse Road, towering 260 feet above the town and the Navesink River. It would be an imposing structure made of brownstone and reminiscent of a medieval castle.  Its lights would be seen 22 miles out to sea as an aid to navigation. But this day, Joseph would set in motion a mystery that still endures. 

As he toured the construction site, his eyes drifted toward a metallic object protruding from the excavation.  Brushing dirt aside, Joseph Lopez soon realized that he had discovered a cannon. Workers excavated the cannon and hoisted it out of the trench.  Proud of his discovery, Joseph etched his name, in large cartoon-like letters, on the barrel. Next to his name was another etching “1756” with two x’s next to it.

Joseph Lopez would never see the completion of the new Twin Lights, he left the Lighthouse service later that year after the death of his wife Charlotte, moving to Philadelphia to become a storekeeper.  He died in 1864, but his legacy lives on in the “Mystery Cannon” that he found that day in 1861, now on display in front of lighthouse keepers’ quarters at Twin Lights.  

No one really knows the true purpose or origin of the cannon.  Thomas Leonard, in his book, “From Indian Trails to Electric Rails (1923)”, speculated that it was cast in Spain, no doubt influenced by Joseph Lopez etching his name on the barrel.  Others suggested that the cannon came from a pirate ship.

Still others took the “1756” scratched into the barrel as evidence that it was an old Revolutionary War cannon used to defend the town, then called Portland Poynt.  It was also postulated that the cannon was a “Fog Cannon” used to alert ships at sea that there was fog closer to shore.

After 158 years, it is known that the “Mystery Cannon” is a 12 pounder of Dutch or Danish manufacture and probably dates to the mid to late 1600’s.  A similar piece is on display in a museum in Denmark. Further, it is a typical ship’s cannon of the period. These weapons had a flat trajectory with accuracy to about a half-mile.  In most cases, the makers marks on such artillery is near the fuse hole on top of the cannon. In the case of the “Mystery Cannon”, this area is smooth leading to conjecture that it may exist on the underside of the cannon and inaccessible.

The most compelling legend of the purpose of the cannon does involve pirates.  The story tells of pirates entering the Shrewsbury River through the, now filled, Shrewsbury Cut and making their way down river under cover of darkness to raid the port of what is now Highlands, NJ.  This, it is said, happened so often that the townspeople acquired an old cannon and dragged it up the nearly vertical Light House Road, and stationed it on the site that would become Twin Lights. A guard would fire the weapon to alert the townspeople of an impending pirate raid, as a call to arms.   If this legend is true, it must have been a successful campaign as the cannon was eventually abandoned at its post.

Regardless of the true origins and use of the Mystery Cannon, it is an incredible representative of a bygone era, ornate in design, yet deadly, all the same.  

Twinlights is in Highlands, NJ, and is steeped in this country’s history.  For example, On April 23, 1893, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited for the very first time at Twin Lights. In 1899 Marconi performed the first demonstration of his wireless telegraph in the United States. 

For more information on Twin Lights, or to plan your visit, go to: 

https://www.twinlightslighthouse.com/