Sea Girt Light was built near Wreck Pond after efforts begun in 1888 to light a nearly 40-mile gap in the New Jersey coast between Barnegat and Navesink. First shown on December 10, 1896, it became the last shore lighthouse with an attached keeper’s residence built on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The site later gained national importance in 1921 as the first shore-based radio beacon of its kind in the country, helping ships fix their position in fog. After wartime deactivation and later decommissioning, the borough acquired the building, which was restored for community use, while its beacon returned to the lantern as a private aid to navigation.

Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey · USA