A nonprofit used bake sales and other fund-raisers to restore the 19th century lighthouse after a fire. Now it's fighting the tide and terms of a new lease.
commands a dazzling view of the confluence of the Delaware Bay and Maurice River — the same forces that could soon swallow it.
“I never know which fire to put out first,” Patterson said while walking up the beach one day last week. “Oh, my gosh, I lost so much sleep over the lease application that it’s crazy. I’m still losing sleep because after 50 years, I do not want to be the one that loses this lighthouse.”The historic brick lighthouse, second oldest in New Jersey after the, was built in 1849 and has survived decades of storms, vandalism and a disastrous 1971 fire.
About 6,000 people annually tour the two-story, Cape Cod-style lighthouse with its white walls and red roof, museum and gift shop. They file through rooms filled with antiques and photos placed to re-create the feel of when lighthouse keepers and their families lived there. Tourists climb the equivalent of four stories to the tower room for an unbroken view of the bay, river and surrounding wetlands. They can even turn on the beacon.
“I’m concerned that the DEP hasn’t shown much urgency in developing a long-term plan to protect the historic East Point Lighthouse from future beach erosion,” Testa said in the statement, adding, “With the current protective Geotube nearing its end of life, there isn’t much time to waste.”The nonprofit Maurice River Historical Society initially raised money over decades for the restoration through bake sales, yard sales, and other fund-raisers. Grants came later.
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