Report for Maurice River Light Station (Name changed later to East Point) (New Jersey) - 1908
| General |
| District: | 4th |
| Inspector: | Thos. J. Rout, Jr. Draftsman |
| Location: | On East Point, NJ E'ly side of Maurice River cove off mouth of Maurice River & on N'ly shore of E'ly part of Delaware Bay. |
| Date of Report: | 02/26/1908 |
| Latitude: | 39° 11' 45" |
| Longitude: | 75° 01' 40" |
| Premises |
| Site: | Purchase |
| Date of Reservation: | |
| Date of Deed: | 04/13/1849 |
| Date of Permission: | |
| Date of Lease: | |
| Area of the Entire Site: | Present area about 5 9/10 acres |
| Area Inclosed: | None |
| Character of Soil: | Marsh mud |
| Distance of tower from Nearest High-Water Mark: | About 460' to high water in Maurice River Cove & about 119' to high water in ditch |
| Inclosures to Premises / Type of Fence: | None |
| Wharf or Landing on Premises: | No Gevernment wharf or landing, but there is a private boathouse on reservation. |
| Road to Land or Wharf Chararacter of and Distance: | Private boathouse about 110' NW of lighthouse & connected thereto by brick & wooden walks. |
| Means to Reach Light Station: | By RR to Bivalve, Maurice River or Heislerville, NJ. By private boat from Bivalve or Maurice River, or by private conveyance from Heislerville to station. |
| Distance to Nearest Road: | About 1/8 mile to public road. About 3 3/4 miles to RR station at Heislerville, by road. |
| Distance to Post Office: | About 3 miles to Heislerville |
| Distance to Village: | About 3 miles to Heislerville |
| Facilities for Public Conveyance: | None |
| Facilities for Private Conveyance: | Teams can be hired in Heislerville. Boats can usually be hired at Bivalve or Maurice River, distance about 3 miles |
| Means Used for Support of Lantern: | Lantern tower on brick dwelling, forming a lighthouse |
| Number of Separate Lights: | One |
| First Built or Established: | 1850 |
| Last Rebuilt, Repaired, or Renovated: | |
| Condition at This Date: | Fair |
| Shape of Tower in Plan: | Octagonal |
| Form of Tower: | Prismatic |
| Height from Base to Ventilator Ball: | No detached tower. This distance on lighthouse is 42' 9" |
| Height of Focal Plane Above Mean High Water: | 43' |
| Background of Lighthouse as Seen from Sea: | Trees & sky |
| Color of Tower: | White, with lead colored trimmings, green shutters & black lantern |
| Color of Tower/ How Produced: | Woodwork is painted, brickwork is whitewashed |
| Tower Connection: | Lantern tower is on dwelling |
| Object of Navigation: | Bay & harbor, for local navigating purposes |
| Building Materials: | Main building of lighthouse is brick. Kitchen addition & lantern tower, frame |
| General Description: | |
| Wall Thickness at Base: | 13" |
| Wall Thickness at Parapet: | 13" |
| Diameter at Base: | About 7' 1.5" |
| Diameter at Parapet: | About 7' 1.5" |
| Kind of Stairway and Steps: | Wood |
| Number of Landings: | None but 2nd floor |
| Size of Glass: | 6 5/8" x 10.5" (9 panes) |
| Number of Windows and Size of Sash: | 1; 25" x 36.5" (Window in watchroom) |
| Number of Doors: | 16 |
| Kind of Foundation and Depth Below Surface: | Stone, depth not known |
| Character of Soil Surrounding the Lighthouse: | Loam inside of bank; marsh mud outside. |
| Soil Susceptibility: | Not susceptible |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Inside of tower is well painted. In a beating storm, lantern leaks & should be repaired. If site was filled in, it would be a great improvement. |
| Lantern and Fixtures |
| Order of Lantern: | 4th order |
| Shape of Lantern: | From floor to glass, cylindrical; above this polygonal 10 sides |
| Diameter to Glass: | About 7' 5/8" (red glass 6' 7 5/8") |
| Diameter in the Clear: | |
| Number of Sides: | Circular |
| Type of Bars: | Vertical |
| Thickness of Bars: | |
| Height Glazed: | 3' |
| Number of Plates in Height: | One |
| Number of Plates Each Side: | One |
| Thickness of Plates: | 1/4" |
| Size of Plates: | 8; 27.5" x 36.5"; Ruby glass - 24.5" x 32", 22 7/8" x 32" & 15" x 32" |
| Number of Storm Panes: | None (3 panes of ruby glass, 1 each size, on hand |
| Unglazed Side of Lantern: | 2 sides 72 degrees |
| What Bearings: | SW3/8 W & NW by W 3/16 W. Dark red sector covers shore |
| Construction Material Lantern: | Below glass sills, lantern is wood, above this cast iron. |
| Construction Material Roof / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Ventilator / Cowl: | Cast iron |
| Lightning Spindle: | Cast iron, round |
| Description of Lightning Rod: | Platinum point is slipped on spindle of lantern. Solid copper rod, 5/8" dia., runs from iron sill of lantern down N side of lighthouse to std. ground connection. |
| Balustrade: | Deck of wood, covered with tin, no grillage. Balustrade of wood. |
| Lantern Doors: | Wooden door 20" x 26.5" hung on hinges & provided with ring & hook & eye is placed on lower wall of lantern. |
| Floor of Lantern: | Wood |
| Watchroom Doors: | Wooden trap door in lantern floor, hung on T hinges & provided with lifting ring |
| Parapet Diameter: | 6' 8.5" |
| Ventilators |
| Location / Number: | 4 ventilators in lower wall of lantern, each having brass disc covers |
| Ladders / Cleaning Arrangement: | None |
| Curtain Hooks / Hanger: | 10 metal hooks are tapped into lantern posts |
| Watchroom |
| How is Watchroom Fitted: | No closets, but wooden shelf on 1 side, a wooden stairway leading up to lantern, 1 window, 1 door leading down stairs & 2 doors leading up to attic |
| How is Relief Called: | |
| Where is Call System Led: |
| Illuminating Apparatus |
| Kind of Apparatus: | |
| Intensity in Candles: | |
| Name of Maker: | Henry LePaute, Paris |
| Year Made: | Not known |
| Marks and Number: | None, except name of maker |
| Order of Apparatus: | 6th |
| Inside Diameter: | 11 3/4" |
| Light Characteristic: | Fixed red with a fixed white sector between NE 7/8 W & NE 3/4 E |
| Time of Revolution: | Not moveable |
| Flash Interval: | |
| Duration of Flash: | |
| Arc of Each Fixed Part: | 270 degrees |
| Number of Panels: | 3 |
| Number of Flash Panels: | |
| Arc of Each: | |
| Number of Elements in Central Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Above Center Drum: | 5 |
| Number of Prisms Below Center Drum: | 3 |
| Does Apparatus Revolve?: | False |
| Is There a Revolving Belt?: | False |
| Revolving Panels: | |
| How Flash is Produced: | No flashes |
| Number of Vertical Elements Panel: | |
| Fixed Lens Covered: | |
| Pedestal: | Cast iron, 46" high |
| Service Table: | Cast iron, fan shaped, 39.5" above floor, attached to pedestal. |
| Draft Tube Description: | No tube. Directly over lens is a 3" iron pipe which leads to ventilator ball. |
| Revolving Machinery: | Not revolving |
| Standby and Description: | |
| Chariot Float or Balls: | |
| Chariot Description: | |
| Length of Drop Tube: | |
| Clock Weight: | |
| Length of Winding Time: | |
| Drive During Rewind: | |
| Machinery Protection: | |
| Regulated: | |
| Lens Protection: | |
| How Color is Produced: | Ruby glass placed against inside of lantern posts & held in place by means of wooden frames |
| Red Sectors Description: | Light shows fixed red with a fixed white sector between NE 7/8 W & NE 3/4 E |
| Where Color Attached: | To lantern |
| Form of Colored Glass: | |
| Lamp Description: | 5th order Funk tubular, 1 wick |
| Type of Illuminant: | |
| Number of Spare Lamps: | 1 (3 in all) |
| Number of Spare Burners: | None, except 1 on spare lamp. |
| Candle Power: |
| Closets and Store Rooms |
| Tower Closet Use: | None, but 2 small doors open into attic, which can be used for storage purposes |
| Oil House Description: | Brick oil house 8' x 12' in plan, is located about 17' NE of lighthouse. It has a concrete floor, hinged door & set of paint shelves on left side. |
| Oil House Inside Dimension: | |
| Oil House Construction Material: | |
| Oil House Capacity: | |
| Other (Describe): | Storehouse on 1st floor has 1 shelf, 1 window & is used for storage of food. 6 closets on 1st floor, are fitted with shelves & used for storage of books, preserves, etc. 3 closets on 2nd floor fitted with shelves & used for clothes. |
| Suitability: | All closets are damp & unsuitable due to fact that plaster is put directly on brick walls with no furring. |
| Dwelling |
| Location: | Lantern upon dwelling, forming a lighthouse |
| Coloring: | White, with black lantern, green blinds & lead colored trimmings |
| Construction Materials: | Main building is brick, addition is wood |
| Number of Rooms: | 7 |
| Number of Dwellings: | |
| Heating Plant: | |
| Number of Keepers: | 1 |
| Furnished Quarters: | |
| NOT Furnished Quarters: | |
| Outhouses: | Frame barn, frame storehouse, brick oil house |
| Outhouse Coloring: | Oil house is unpainted, other outbuildings are white with lead colored trimmings |
| Paths and Walks: | Brick & wooden walks |
| Area Inclosed: | None |
| Area of Garden: | None |
| Area Timber or Shrubbery: | None |
| Cultivation Area Available: | None |
| Area Cultivated: | None |
| Character of Surroundings: | Salt marsh |
| Stove, Maker: | |
| Stove, Size: | |
| Sink, Maker: | |
| Sink, Size: | |
| Pump, Maker: | |
| Pump, Size: | |
| Lamps: |
| Water |
| How Procured: | From roof of lighthouse & barn by downspouts to tanks |
| Quality: | Not very good |
| Quantity: | Not ample in a dry season |
| Injury Possible: | No |
| Purity Precaution: | Downspouts are provided with cutoffs |
| Tank Capacity: | 1 tank in cellar, cap about 1000 gal; 1 tank in tank house near barn, cap about 1200 gal |
| Tank Material: | Wood |
| Distilling Apparatus: | False |
| Distilling Manufacturer: | |
| Well Description: | |
| Well Diameter: | |
| Well Lining: | |
| Pump or Bucket: | |
| What Power Used: | |
| Distance from Dwelling: |
| Healthfulness |
| General Opinion: | Healthful |
| Diseases: | None |
| Prevalency: | |
| Local Causes: | |
| Recommended Improvements: | No |
| Miscellaneous |
| Access to Lighthouse: | Private boathouse about 8' x 20.5' in plan. It has 2 windows, a tin roof & an incline leading down to water. Keeper has his gasoline launches in it. |
| Distance and Direction: | About 110' NW of lighthouse |
| Miscellaneous Remarks: | Illuminating apparatus is in excellent condition. Buildings & grounds are in good condition generally. Some minor repairs are required. |