Miah Maull Shoal Light
Encyclopedia
The Miah Maull Shoal Light is a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay
on the east coast of the United States
, southwest of the mouth of the Maurice River.
and the Brandywine Shoal Light
. The name of the shoal commemorates Nehemiah Maull, a river pilot who was drowned in 1780 when the ship in which he intended to sail to England was wrecked on the then-unnamed shoal.
This light and the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light were intended to replace the Cross Ledge Light
, and appropriations for both were first requested in 1904. In the case of this light construction was delayed by the inability of the first contractor to set the caisson before exhausting the budget, so that the caisson was not set in place until 1909. A wooden shed was mounted and a light first exhibited that September, but the superstructure was not completed until 1913, again due to financial requirements.
Originally the light was painted brown, and a fourth-order Fresnel lens
imported from France was used. This lens was later replaced by an American-made model which served until the early 2000s. Around 1940 the superstructure was painted red, a color it has retained ever since. The keepers of this light controlled that of the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light when the latter was automated in 1951. In 1973 the light was automated.
The Fresnel lens has recently been replaced with a conventional modern 500 mm beacon, with the old lens to be displayed at the East Point Light
.
In June 2011, the General Services Administration
made the Miah Maull Shoal Light (along with 11 others) available at no cost to public organizations willing to preserve them.
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...
on the east coast of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, southwest of the mouth of the Maurice River.
History
This light, the last offshore lighthouse to be erected in Delaware Bay, marks one of a series of shoals along the eastern side of the shipping channel, between the Elbow of Cross Ledge LightElbow of Cross Ledge Light
The Elbow of Cross Ledge Light was a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay on the east coast of the United States, west of Egg Island Point. It was destroyed by a ship collision in 1953 and replaced by a skeleton tower on the same foundation.- History :This light was...
and the Brandywine Shoal Light
Brandywine Shoal Light
The Brandywine Shoal Light is a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay on the east coast of the United States, west of Cape May, New Jersey...
. The name of the shoal commemorates Nehemiah Maull, a river pilot who was drowned in 1780 when the ship in which he intended to sail to England was wrecked on the then-unnamed shoal.
This light and the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light were intended to replace the Cross Ledge Light
Cross Ledge Light
The Cross Ledge Light was a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay on the east coast of the United States, southwest of Egg Island Point...
, and appropriations for both were first requested in 1904. In the case of this light construction was delayed by the inability of the first contractor to set the caisson before exhausting the budget, so that the caisson was not set in place until 1909. A wooden shed was mounted and a light first exhibited that September, but the superstructure was not completed until 1913, again due to financial requirements.
Originally the light was painted brown, and a fourth-order Fresnel lens
Fresnel 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...
imported from France was used. This lens was later replaced by an American-made model which served until the early 2000s. Around 1940 the superstructure was painted red, a color it has retained ever since. The keepers of this light controlled that of the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light when the latter was automated in 1951. In 1973 the light was automated.
The Fresnel lens has recently been replaced with a conventional modern 500 mm beacon, with the old lens to be displayed at the East Point Light
East Point Light
The East Point Light, formerly named Maurice River Light, is a lighthouse located in Heislerville, New Jersey on Delaware Bay at the mouth of the Maurice River. Initially known as the Maurice River Light, the name was changed to East Point Light in 1913. The light was inactive from 1941 and was...
.
In June 2011, the General Services Administration
General Services Administration
The General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
made the Miah Maull Shoal Light (along with 11 others) available at no cost to public organizations willing to preserve them.