SW DH-270 Barnegat Lighthouse “Old Barney”

Barnegat Lighthouse or Barnegat Light, colloquially known as "Old Barney", is a historic lighthouse located in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park on the northern tip of Long Beach Island,  New Jersey on the south side of Barnegat Inlet.

 Barnegat Light was commissioned on January 1, 1859. The tower light was 172 feet (52 m) above sea level and the lighthouse itself was 163 feet (50 m) tall. The light was a first-order flashing Fresnel lens, which stood about 12 feet (3.7 m) tall. The current lighthouse is really two towers in one: the exterior conical tower covers a cylindrical tower on the inside.

The light was deactivated as a Coast Guard lookout tower in January 1944. In 2008 a local non profit organization raised funds to reactivate the lighthouse. In October 2008, the VRB-25 system was installed. While physically smaller than the original light, the system has become a standard for US Lighthouses, with more than 100 installed. On January 1, 2009, at 5:00 pm, the 150th anniversary of its opening, Barnegat Lighthouse activated its beacon for the first time since before World War II. The light now operates daily from dusk until dawn.

The top of the lighthouse is accessible via its 217 steps and continues to attract in excess of half a million visitors year round.

This postcard came from ScrapHappyGabi (26 August 2014) Swap-bot.