Mispillion Light

Mispillion Light

Mispillion Light
Location Mispillion River, Delaware
Coordinates 38°56′51″N 75°18′54″W / 38.9474°N 75.3151°WCoordinates: 38°56′51″N 75°18′54″W / 38.9474°N 75.3151°W
Year first constructed 1831
Year first lit 1873
Automated 1926
Deactivated 1929
Foundation Natural
Construction Wood Frame
Tower shape Square
Height 65 feet (20 m)
Original lens Sixth order Fresnel lens
Current lens Removed
Characteristic

Flashing white every 3 seconds, flash duration 0.3 seconds, with a red sector from 301° to 308°

Mispillion Lighthouse and Beacon Tower
Nearest city Milford, Delaware
Area 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built 1873
Architectural style Gothic Revival, Carpenter Gothic
Governing body Federal
NRHP Reference # 86002919[1]
Added to NRHP February 18, 1987

Mispillion Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Delaware, United States, on the Mispillion River near Delaware Bay.

History

The original Mispillion Lighthouse was built in 1831. The second Mispillion Lighthouse was a 65 feet (20 m) square cylindrical wood tower rising from one corner of a 2-story Gothic style wood keeper's house and was built in 1873. It served until 1929, when it was deactivated and replaced by a steel skeleton tower that had originally served at Cape Henlopen. Over many year's of private ownership and neglect, the lighthouse had fallen into an extreme state of disrepair, and was considered by Lighthouse Digest magazine to be America's Most Endangered Lighthouse. After a fire started by lightning destroyed most of the tower portion of the lighthouse, the remains of the lighthouse were sold in 2002. A replica of the lighthouse was rebuilt at Shipcarpenter Square in Lewes, Delaware, in 2004 using what was left of the structure of the old lighthouse, and based on the original plans. The new owners also added a substantial addition during reconstruction, used as their living quarters. The steel skeletal tower remains at the original location but is not active or open to the public.[2][3]

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
  2. Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. DE-23, "Mispillion Lighthouse"
  3. Richard B. Carter (January 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Mispillion Lighthouse and Beacon Tower". and Accompanying two photos

External links