Conover Beacon Lighthouse

July 23, 2019
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Conover Beacon Lighthouse, Town of Leonardo, New Jersey

Original structure was a hexagonal tower flanked by black daymark screen was 1874 and replaced with a metal tower in 1941.

CONOVER BEACON LIGHT

Location: Bay side of Leonard Avenue in Leonardo, New Jersey
Year first beacon constructed: 1856
Tower height: 55 feet
Year second beacon constructed: 1941
Tower height: 45 feet
Operational? No
Deactivated: 1988
Foundation materials: concrete
Construction materials: steel
Tower shape: cylinder tower supported by external skeleton
Markings/Pattern: red and white bands
Lens: 375 MM 1939. Present optic removed.
Existing sound building?: No
Existing keeper’s quarters?: No
Other structures?: No
Open to the public?: No

Historical Information:

  • Chapel Hill Rear Range Light worked in concert with the Front Range light known as the Conover Beacon to mark the Chapel Hill Channel.
  • The Chapel Hill Channel provides a north-south connection between the Ambrose Channel and Sandy Hook Channel.

Chapel Hill Rear Range Light * Chapel Hill Rear Range Light is a lighthouse which functioned as the rear light of the discontinued Chapel Hill Range.

  • Rear Range: wooden tower constructed on a wooden keeper’s dwelling in 1856.
  • In 1874 daymarks were added to the structure.
  • In 1957 this light was discontinued and replaced by a steel tower much closer to the front light.
  • Rear Range Fourth Order lens is located at the Navesink Twin Lights Museum. Conover Beacon Front Range Light.
  •  Original light was a six sided wooden tower, which was replaced by the current steel tower in 1941.
  •  In 1941the steel Front Range tower from the Waackaack Range was moved to this location in 1941 and served until discontinuance in 1988.
  • Original beacon was fueled with oil and then electrified in 1924.

Keepers:

  • Mark L. Mount (1856-1861)
  • Tabor Chadwick (1861-1869)
  • S.V. Battleson (1869)
  • Carl Grossenger (1869-1872)
  • John B. Swan (1872-1889)

Samuel A Foster (1895-1920s)

  • Carl Anderson (?-1941)

Researched and written by Ed Shaw, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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