Ludlam's Beach Light

Infobox Lighthouse


caption = The former lighthouse as a private residence in 2005.
location = Sea Isle City, New Jersey
coordinates =
yearbuilt = 1885
yearlit = 1885
automated = 1924 (skeleton tower)
yeardeactivated = 1924 (original structure)
1962 (skeleton tower)
foundation =
construction =
shape = Square
elevation =
height = 36 ft
currentlens =
lens = Fourth order Fresnel lens
intensity =
range = 11.5 miles
characteristic = Flashed white every fifteen seconds

Ludlam's Beach Light was constructed in 1885 in Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on Ludlam Island, and activated on November 3rd of that year. It was built after Charles K. Landis, the founder of Sea Isle City, requested a light because of several shipwrecks off the island. The lighthouse was an "L-shaped", two-story, structure with a square light tower on top, located at 31st Street and the Boardwalk until 1924. The light, which flashed white every fifteen seconds, was at an elevation of 36ft., and could be seen approximately 11.5 miles in clear weather.

The lighthouse and the seawall in front of it were damaged by storms in 1889 and 1914. Then, on 21 November 1923, a fire was started when the keeper's dog knocked over a kerosene lantern, destroying part of the roof and the kitchen. A temporary roof patch was torn of in a storm in 1924, and the structure was decommissioned. The structure was moved to 31st Street and Landis Avenue later that year, refurbished, and sold as a private residence. It was later moved to 3414 Landis. The original lighthouse was replaced by a steel skeleton tower on the beach, which was destroyed in the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962. The original site is on the present 31st Street beach. Though usually buried under sand, parts of the lighthouse's foundations are occasionally uncovered after a large storm.

Moving and Restoration

The Friends of Ludlam Beach Lighthouse organization is presently working with the City of Sea Isle to find a location to move the original structure to. If the original structure is moved, there are plans to restore it to its condition in 1900, and open it as a museum.

Sources

*Sea Isle City Historical Museum
*Sea Isle Times, Year 4, Volume 1

External links

* [http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=878| Ludlam's Beach Light at lighthousefriends.com]
* [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay/story/6438662p-6292404c.html Sea Isle City lighthouse might be on the move]