Miah Maull Shoal Light

The Miah Maull Shoal Light is a lighthouse on the north side of the ship channel in Delaware Bay, off of Cumberland County, New Jersey on the East Coast of the United States, southwest of the mouth of the Maurice River.

Miah Maull Shoal Light
LocationLower Delaware Bay 5 mi. SW of Egg Island Point, Delaware Bay
Coordinates39°7′36″N 75°12′35″W
Year first constructed1913
Automated1974
Foundationcast iron caisson
Constructioncast iron
Tower shapeconical with lantern on top
Tower height14 metre 
Focal height59 feet (18 m)
Original lensfourth order Fresnel lens
Current lens500 millimetres (20 in)
Range12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi)
CharacteristicOcculting 4s
RaconM 
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Miah Maull Shoal Lighthouse
Area0.7 acres (0.28 ha)
ArchitectLynchburg Foundry Co.; Tatnall-Brown Co.
Architectural styleConical tower lighthouse
NRHP reference No.90002188[1]
NJRHP No.[2]
Added to NRHPFebruary 4, 1991

History

This light, the last offshore lighthouse to be erected in Delaware Bay, marks one of a series of shoals along the eastern side of the shipping channel, between the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light and the Brandywine Shoal Light. The name of the shoal commemorates Nehemiah Maull, a river pilot who was drowned in 1780 when the ship in which he intended to sail to England in order to make a claim on an inheritance was wrecked on the then-unnamed shoal.

This light and the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light were intended to replace the Cross Ledge Light, and appropriations for both were first requested in 1904. In the case of this light construction was delayed by the inability of the first contractor to set the caisson before exhausting the budget, so that the caisson was not set in place until 1909. A wooden shed was mounted and a light first exhibited that September, but the superstructure was not completed until 1913, again due to financial requirements.

Originally the light was painted brown, and a fourth-order Fresnel lens imported from France was used. This lens was later replaced by an American-made model which served until the early 2000s. Around 1940 the superstructure was painted red, a color it has retained ever since. The keepers of this light controlled that of the Elbow of Cross Ledge Light when the latter was automated in 1951. In 1973 the light was automated.

The Fresnel lens has recently been replaced with a conventional modern 500 mm beacon, with the old lens to be displayed at the East Point Light.

In June 2011, the General Services Administration made the Miah Maull Shoal Light (along with 11 others) available at no cost to public organizations willing to preserve them.[3][4]

The grandson of Nehemiah Maull's great-great-granddaughter (Ethel Maxwell), Bryan Helm, served for many years as Port Captain of the Cape May, New Jersey and Delaware Bay Authority, not far from where his direct ancestor, Nehemiah Maull, worked as Delaware River pilot. He is a graduate of the Merchant Marine Academy and is a Navy reservist.

As of 7/7/15, it was for sale by the General Services Administration with a minimum bid of $10,000.00.[5]

See also

Notes
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Cumberland County" (PDF). NJ DEP - Historic Preservation Office. April 1, 2010. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 9, 2003. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  3. "For sale: Waterfront property; cozy, great views, plenty of light, needs TLC". CNN. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  4. Beatty, MaryAnne. "GSA Making 12 Historic Lighthouses Available at No Cost to Public Organizations Willing to Preserve Them". GSA Website. General Services Administration. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  5. "GSA Auctions, General Services Administration, Government Site for Auctions". gsaauctions.gov. Retrieved 19 July 2018.

References
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