Absecon Lighthouse, found in
Atlantic City and part of
Atlantic County, was originally built in 1857, under the supervision of Lt. George G. Meade. The brick lighthouse reaching 169 feet tall, was a primary seacoast light and guided ships past
Absecon and Brigantine Shoals. It is the only New Jersey lighthouse to keep its first order Fresnel lens making it visible from 19 miles out to sea.
Once the lighthouse was constructed not a single ship wreck was reported in the first ten months, after a a history of frequent and disastrous wrecks occurred on that section of the coast. To increase visibility, the tower was painted with a wide red stripe around its middle.
The lighthouse was to be renovated in 1997, but a suspicious fire to the nearly completed keepers cottage delayed the project, and now holds a museum and orientation center. The lighthouse renovation was finished and is now open to the public.