Ludlam's Beach Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
Ludlam's Beach Light was a lighthouse
formerly located in Sea Isle City
, New Jersey
. It was decommissioned in 1924 and converted to a private residence which was demolished in September 2010.
was constructed in 1885 in Sea Isle City
, New Jersey
, on Ludlam Island
, close to the site of Life Saving Station Number 33. It was activated on November 3 of that year, with Joshua H. Reeves as its first keeper. It was built after Charles K. Landis
, the founder of Sea Isle City, requested a light because of several shipwreck
s off the island. The lighthouse was an "L-shaped", two-story, structure with a square light tower on top, located at 31st Street and the Boardwalk
until 1924. The light, which flashed white every fifteen seconds, was at an elevation of 36 ft., and could be seen approximately 11.5 miles (18.5 km) in clear weather. A glass panel was later installed on a segment of the lantern making it appear to flash red to ships that had strayed too close to the Townsend's Inlet sandbar.
The lighthouse's foundations and the seawall in front of it was damaged by a severe storm in September 1889. The storm threatened the light enough that the illumination apparatus was removed, and the lighthouse was temporary abandoned. In 1899, a kitchen addition was added to the structure, and the next year, a concrete seawall was constructed. The last major improvement was the replacement of the oil wick lamp in the illuminating apparatus by an incandescent oil vapor lamp. On 21 November 1923, a fire was started when the keeper's dog knocked over a kerosene
lantern
, destroying part of the roof and the kitchen. A temporary roof patch was torn of in a storm in March 1924, and the structure was decommissioned. The structure was moved to 31st Street and Landis Avenue later that year, refurbished, and sold as a private residence. It was later moved to 3414 Landis. The original lighthouse was replaced by a 45 ft (13.7 m). steel
skeleton tower on the beach, which flashed red every six seconds, and was visible approximately 12 miles (19.3 km). The automated tower was damaged in the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
, and later dismantled. The original site of the light station is on the present 31st Street beach. Though usually buried under sand, parts of the lighthouse's foundations are occasionally uncovered after a large storm.
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....
formerly located in Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. It was decommissioned in 1924 and converted to a private residence which was demolished in September 2010.
History
Ludlam's Beach LightLight
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
was constructed in 1885 in Sea Isle City
Sea Isle City, New Jersey
Sea Isle City is a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 2,114. Visitors raise the population to as much as 40,000 during the peak summer season from Memorial Day...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on Ludlam Island
Ludlam Island
Ludlam Island is a barrier island in southern New Jersey, on which Sea Isle City, and Strathmere, a part of Upper Township are located.Joseph Ludlam purchased the island in the late 17th century, and grazed cows and sheep on it. In the 1880s, developer Charles K. Landis founded the City of Sea...
, close to the site of Life Saving Station Number 33. It was activated on November 3 of that year, with Joshua H. Reeves as its first keeper. It was built after Charles K. Landis
Charles K. Landis
Charles Kline Landis was a property developer in South Jersey, who was the founder and developer of Vineland and Sea Isle City....
, the founder of Sea Isle City, requested a light because of several shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s off the island. The lighthouse was an "L-shaped", two-story, structure with a square light tower on top, located at 31st Street and the Boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
until 1924. The light, which flashed white every fifteen seconds, was at an elevation of 36 ft., and could be seen approximately 11.5 miles (18.5 km) in clear weather. A glass panel was later installed on a segment of the lantern making it appear to flash red to ships that had strayed too close to the Townsend's Inlet sandbar.
The lighthouse's foundations and the seawall in front of it was damaged by a severe storm in September 1889. The storm threatened the light enough that the illumination apparatus was removed, and the lighthouse was temporary abandoned. In 1899, a kitchen addition was added to the structure, and the next year, a concrete seawall was constructed. The last major improvement was the replacement of the oil wick lamp in the illuminating apparatus by an incandescent oil vapor lamp. On 21 November 1923, a fire was started when the keeper's dog knocked over a kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
, destroying part of the roof and the kitchen. A temporary roof patch was torn of in a storm in March 1924, and the structure was decommissioned. The structure was moved to 31st Street and Landis Avenue later that year, refurbished, and sold as a private residence. It was later moved to 3414 Landis. The original lighthouse was replaced by a 45 ft (13.7 m). steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
skeleton tower on the beach, which flashed red every six seconds, and was visible approximately 12 miles (19.3 km). The automated tower was damaged in the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 occurred on March 6–8, 1962 along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. It was considered by the U.S. Geological Survey to be one of the most destructive storms ever to affect the mid-Atlantic states...
, and later dismantled. The original site of the light station is on the present 31st Street beach. Though usually buried under sand, parts of the lighthouse's foundations are occasionally uncovered after a large storm.