| Location | North Wildwood, New Jersey |
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| Year first lit | 1874 |
| Automated | 1964 |
| Foundation | Wood pilings |
| Construction | Wood |
| Tower shape | Square |
| Height | 57 ft (17 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth-order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 13 nm (24 km) |
| Characteristic | White light flashing every 10 sec |
The Hereford Inlet Light is a historic lighthouse located in North Wildwood, New Jersey, situated on the southwestern shore of Hereford Inlet. Its construction was completed and it became operational in 1874.
The 50-foot (15 m) tower and its beacon are visible for up to 13 nautical miles (24 km).[1]
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Hereford Lighthouse
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Undated United States Coast Guard photograph
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| Location: | First and Central Aves., North Wildwood, New Jersey |
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| Area: | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built: | 1874 |
| Architect: | Paul J. Pelz |
| Architectural style: | Stick/Eastlake |
| Governing body: | State |
| NRHP Reference#: | 77000859[2] |
| Added to NRHP: | September 20, 1977 |
On 10 June 1872, Congress acted to fund the erection of a fourth-order light along the New Jersey shoreline. On 7 July 1873, Humphrey S. Cresse sold the 1.5-acre (6,100 m2) site to the U.S. government for $150. The lighthouse was designed by Paul J. Pelz, who also designed Point Fermin, East Brother, Mare Island, and Point Hueneme (since replaced) in California and Point Adams in Washington State in essentially the same style. The United States Army Corps of Engineers undertook construction of the lighthouse on 8 November 1873, completing it on 30 March 1874. A "Notice to Mariners" issued 11 May 1874 announced the operation of the light on the north end of Five Mile Beach.
John Marche served as the first lighthouse keeper for less than three months before drowning when his rowboat overturned on returning from the mainland. The next keeper, Freeling "Captain" Hewitt, an American Civil War veteran, served that position for the longest time, 45 years. In August 1913, a severe storm damaged the foundation and the lighthouse was closed. It was reopened in 1914, after it had been moved 150 feet (46 m) west, where it stands today. A May 1938 fire caused extensive damage. In 1963 the property was transferred to the New Jersey Marine Police. The light was decommissioned in 1964 after a more modern navigational aid, an automatic light tower, was installed nearby. In 1982, a 20-year no-cost lease to the City of North Wildwood from the Department of Environmental Protection was established. On 1 July 1983, a portion of the restored lighthouse was opened as a tourist information center. In April 1986, the US Coast Guard relit the lighthouse using the beacon from the automatic light tower.
After its restoration, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Now owned by the town of North Wildwood, it was reopened in 2002 to public tours of the light and its extensive gardens during the summer.
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