List of lighthouses in Delaware

Summary

This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Delaware as identified by the United States Coast Guard. The first lighthouse in the state was erected in 1769[1] and the last in 1925 (ignoring automated towers erected later); the oldest active light is the Fenwick Island Light.[2]

If not otherwise noted, focal height and coordinates are taken from the United States Coast Guard Light List,[3] while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard Historical information site for lighthouses.[2]

Name Image Location Coordinates Year first lit Automated Year deactivated Current Lens Focal Height
Baker Shoal Range Front Light Port Penn 39°32′27″N 75°34′00″W / 39.5409°N 75.5666°W / 39.5409; -75.5666 (Baker Shoal Range Front Light) 1902 (First)
2002 (Current)
1924[4] Active
(Original demolished)
LED 035 35 ft (11 m)
Baker Shoal Range Rear Light Port Penn 39°30′43″N 75°34′12″W / 39.5120°N 75.5699°W / 39.5120; -75.5699 (Baker Shoal Range Rear Light) 1904 1924[4] Active Un­known 110 110 ft (34 m)
Bellevue Range Rear Light Wilmington 39°43′13″N 75°31′04″W / 39.7203°N 75.5179°W / 39.7203; -75.5179 (Bellevue Range Rear Light)[5] 1909 (First)
2001 (Current)
1934[5] Active
(skeleton tower)
Un­known 100 100 ft (30 m)[6]
Cape Henlopen Beacon Lewes
(Cape Henlopen)
38°47′25″N 75°04′50″W / 38.7903°N 75.0806°W / 38.7903; -75.0806 (Cape Henlopen Beacon)[7] 1825[8] (First)
1864[8] (Last)
Never 1884[8]
(Demolished)
None 045 45 ft (14 m)[7]
Cape Henlopen Light Lewes
(Cape Henlopen)
38°46′41″N 75°05′02″W / 38.778°N 75.084°W / 38.778; -75.084 (Cape Henlopen Light)[9] 1769 Never 1924
(Destroyed in 1926)
None 126 126 ft (38 m)[9]
Cherry Island Range Rear Light Bellefonte 39°45′43″N 75°29′24″W / 39.762°N 75.490°W / 39.762; -75.490 (Cherry Island Range Rear Light)[10] 1880 (First)
1970s (Current)
1933 Active
(Original demolished)
Un­known 120 120 ft (37 m)[10]
Christiana Light None known Christina River
(Entrance)
39°43′19″N 75°31′12″W / 39.722°N 75.520°W / 39.722; -75.520 (Christiana Light)[11] 1835[12] Never 1909[12]
(Demolished in 1939[12])
None 044 44 ft (13 m)[11]
Christiana North Jetty Light Christina River
(Entrance)
39°43′05″N 75°30′58″W / 39.718°N 75.516°W / 39.718; -75.516 (Christiana North Jetty Light)[11] 1884[5] Never Unknown
(Destroyed[13])
None 037 37 ft (11 m)[11]
Delaware Breakwater East End Light Lewes 38°47′50″N 75°06′01″W / 38.7972°N 75.1003°W / 38.7972; -75.1003 (Delaware Breakwater East End Light) 1885 1950 1996 Un­known 060 60 ft (18 m)
Delaware Breakwater Range Front Light
(Delaware Breakwater West End Light)
Lewes 38°47′57″N 75°06′29″W / 38.7992°N 75.1081°W / 38.7992; -75.1081 (Delaware Breakwater Range Front Light)[14] 1838 Never 1903
(Demolished in 1950)
None 045 45 ft (14 m)[14]
Delaware Breakwater Range Rear Light Lewes 38°47′23″N 75°10′10″W / 38.7897°N 75.1694°W / 38.7897; -75.1694 (Delaware Breakwater Range Rear Light)[11] 1881[15] Never 1918[15]
(Re-erected in Florida[15])
None 103 103 ft (31 m)[11]
Fenwick Island Light Fenwick Island 38°27′05″N 75°03′18″W / 38.4514°N 75.0550°W / 38.4514; -75.0550 (Fenwick Island Light)[16] 1859 1978 Active
(Inactive: 1978-1982)
Third-order Fresnel 083 83 ft (25 m)
Fourteen Foot Bank Light Delaware Bay 39°02′54″N 75°10′56″W / 39.0482°N 75.1822°W / 39.0482; -75.1822 (Fourteen Foot Bank Light) 1887 1973 Active Un­known 059 59 ft (18 m)
Harbor of Refuge Light Lewes 38°48′52″N 75°05′33″W / 38.8145°N 75.0924°W / 38.8145; -75.0924 (Harbor of Refuge Light) 1908 (First)
1926 (Current)
1973 Active VRB-25 072 72 ft (22 m)
Liston Range Front Light Port Penn 39°28′57″N 75°35′30″W / 39.4825°N 75.5917°W / 39.4825; -75.5917 (Liston Range Front Light) 1906 1948? 1954
(Now a private house)
None 045 45 ft (14 m)
Liston Range Rear Light Biddles Corner 39°31′26″N 75°38′23″W / 39.5238°N 75.6397°W / 39.5238; -75.6397 (Liston Range Rear Light) 1906 1930s[17] Active Un­known 176 176 ft (54 m)
Mahon River Light Port Mahon 39°11′06″N 75°24′03″W / 39.1850°N 75.4008°W / 39.1850; -75.4008 (Mahon River Light) 1831 (First)
1903 (Last)
Never 1955
(Destroyed in 1984)
None 037 37 ft (11 m)
Marcus Hook Range Front Light Bellefonte 39°46′34″N 75°28′31″W / 39.7760°N 75.4754°W / 39.7760; -75.4754 (Marcus Hook Range Front Light) 1915[18] (First)
1918[18] (Current)
Always Active Un­known 081 81 ft (25 m)
Marcus Hook Range Rear Light Bellefonte 39°45′44″N 75°30′12″W / 39.7622°N 75.5032°W / 39.7622; -75.5032 (Marcus Hook Range Rear Light) 1919[18] 1950s Active DCB-24[18] 278 278 ft (85 m)
Mispillion Light Lewes 38°56′51″N 75°18′56″W / 38.9475°N 75.3156°W / 38.9475; -75.3156 (Mispillion Light) 1831 (First)
1873 (Last)
1911 1929
(Burned in 2002,
rebuilt as a replica)
Decorative 046 46 ft (14 m)[11]
New Castle Range Front Light New Castle 39°38′33″N 75°35′43″W / 39.6424°N 75.5954°W / 39.6424; -75.5954 (New Castle Range Front Light) 1876 (First)
1964 (Current)
1930s Active
(skeleton tower)
Un­known 056 56 ft (17 m)
New Castle Range Rear Light New Castle 39°38′54″N 75°35′56″W / 39.6482°N 75.5990°W / 39.6482; -75.5990 (New Castle Range Rear Light) 1876 (First)
1953 (Current)
1953 Active
(skeleton tower)
Un­known 100 100 ft (30 m)
Reedy Island Range Rear Light Taylors Bridge 39°24′23″N 75°35′25″W / 39.4065°N 75.5902°W / 39.4065; -75.5902 (Reedy Island Range Rear Light) 1910[19] Un­known Active DCB-224 134 134 ft (41 m)


References edit

  1. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Delaware". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  2. ^ a b "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Delaware". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  3. ^ Light List, Volume II, Atlantic Coast, Shrewsbury River, New Jersey to Little River, South Carolina (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Baker Rear Range, DE". LighthouseFriends.
  5. ^ a b c "Bellevue Rear Range, DE". LighthouseFriends.
  6. ^ "Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Bellevue Range Rear Light". National Park Service.
  7. ^ a b List of Light-houses, Lighted Beacons, and Floating Lights of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific Coasts of the United States. Treasury Department. January 1, 1868. pp. 24–25. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  8. ^ a b c "Delaware Breakwater Light". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  9. ^ a b List of Lights and Fog Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. June 30, 1900. p. 106.
  10. ^ a b "Cherry Island Range, DE". LighthouseFriends.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g List of Lights and Fog Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Government Printing Office. March 1, 1907. p. 124. Retrieved 2014-01-15.
  12. ^ a b c Trapani, Bob (2007). "Christiana River Light Station". Delaware Lights: A History of Lighthouses in the First State. History Press. pp. 46–49. ISBN 9781596290211. Retrieved 2014-01-21.
  13. ^ "Historic Light Station Information Photography Delaware". United States Coast Guard. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  14. ^ a b List of Lights and Fog Signals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Government Printing Office. June 30, 1900. p. 94. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  15. ^ a b c "Delaware Breakwater Rear Range (Green Hill) Light". LighthouseFriends. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
  16. ^ "Fenwick Island, DE". LighthouseFriends.
  17. ^ "Liston rear Range, DE". Lighthouse Friends.
  18. ^ a b c d "Marcus Hook Rear Range Lighthouse". Lighthouse Friends. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  19. ^ "Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Delaware Lighthouses: Reedy Island Range Rear Light". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2013-12-20.