Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 28 HISTORIC SITES & MUSEUMS continued from page 27 4:00 PM. Late June - Labor Day, seven days a week 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Sept. 10 - early October, Sat. and Sun. 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM. LONGSTREET FARM AND HOLMDEL PARK 44 Longstreet Road, Holmdel Park Holmdel, (732) 946-3758 or (732) 842-4000 www.monmouthcountyparks.com A living history farm located in Holmdel Park that maintains life as it was during the 1890s. Costumed interpreters work the farm as it was over a hundred years ago. Come see the 14-room farmhouse, live animals, agricultural fields, and barnyard! Activities, guided tours, and children's programs are available. Open everyday except Christmas. The farmhouse is open only on weekends. Holmdel Park's 572 acres features hiking and fitness trails, fishing and skating ponds, tennis courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, a sledding hill, and more. MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD AND MONMOUTH BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK 16 Business Route 33, Manalapan \(732) 462-9616 www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ parks/monbat.html This is where Molly Pitcher became famous during a Revolutionary battle. It was on the Monmouth Battlefield that General Washington and General Sir Henry Clinton faced each other. This victory convinced the British that the revolutionaries were a force to contend with and not just a ragtag rabble. This is also the setting for the historic Craig House. Learn more about the rich history of Monmouth Battlefield through wayside exhibits located on Perrine Hill, Combs Hill, and the Hedgerow. Visitors center, birding, picnic areas, trails, and playgrounds. Sledding and cross-country skiing in winter. MONMOUTH COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION 70 Court Street, Freehold, (732) 462-1466 www.monmouthhistory.org Five 18th century historic houses have been pre- served by the association. Its headquarters in Freehold offer a fine library and museum featuring changing and permanent exhibitions. Museum hours: Tues. - Sat. 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Library hours: Wed. - Sat. 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. The historical houses are located in various towns throughout the county and are open seasonally May - September. Please call or visit their website for locations and times. MONMOUTH MUSEUM Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft (732) 747-2266 www.monmouthmuseum.org The Monmouth Museum, founded in 1963 as a Museum of Ideas, presents changing exhibits in the fields of art, history, and science to educate and entertain while providing a destination for creative expression and life-long learning to the diverse community it serves. Changing exhibitions fea- tured in the Museum's Main Gallery and the Nilson Gallery present a wide variety of art in all media. Children will have exciting learning experiences in our popular Dorothy V. Morehouse WonderWing and Becker Children's Wing. Located on the cam- pus of Brookdale College. Admission: $8./person; children under two: free. Main Gallery and Nilson Gallery hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs., and Sat. 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Fri. 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Sun. noon - 5:00 PM. Dorothy V. Morehouse WonderWing and Becker Children's Wing hours: call or check website. AREA LIGHTHOUSES BARNEGAT LIGHTHOUSE Broadway and the Bay, Barnegat Light (609) 494-2016 www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/ parks/barnlig.html More commonly known as "Old Barney," the lighthouse is the New Jersey Shore's most famil- iar landmark. The 172-foot tower, marking the entrance to Barnegat Inlet, was built in 1858. Climb the 217 steps to the top for amazing, breathtaking views from every angle. The park offers facilities for picnicking and fishing. Open: Memorial Day - Labor Day, daily 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Admission: ages 12 and older: $3.; 6 to 11: $1.; 5 and under: free. Labor Day - Memorial Day, Wed. - Sun. 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM. Admission is free in the off-season. ROMER SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE Off Sandy Hook www.romershoal.org The shoal and lighthouse are named for the William J. Romer, a vessel which sank here in 1863. Both are located in the approach to the Verrazano Narrows of New York Harbor on the east side of what is known as Ambrose Channel. It is visible from Sandy Hook and the eastern Bayshore region. The maroon and white harbor beacon dates back to 1898. The light was significantly damaged by Hurricane Sandy and remediation, recovery, and renova- tion work is currently underway. Maintained by the Coast Guard. Closed to the public. SANDY HOOK LIGHTHOUSE Off Route 36, Sandy Hook, (732) 872-5970 www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/sandy- hook-hours.htm Located near the tip of this seven-mile bar- rier peninsula is the historic Sandy Hook Lighthouse. Lighted for the first time on June 11, 1764, the octagonal tower was the fifth lighthouse in the colonies and remains the oldest operating lighthouse in the U.S. today. The Lighthouse was occupied by British sol- diers during the American Revolution and was bombarded by cannons served by Patriot troops. It was also the sanctuary to local refu- gees who were sympathizers of the King. The grounds around the Lighthouse are open daily, and a video program can also be viewed. The Lighthouse itself is open daily for tours and climbs that are guided by National Park Service Rangers and Volunteers-in-the-Park from 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM. Lighthouse Keepers Quarters/ Visitor Center open daily 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Children must be at least 48 inches tall to climb the lighthouse. Seasonal park admission fees may apply; please check website for park fees and hours. SEA GIRT LIGHTHOUSE 9 Ocean Avenue, Sea Girt, (732) 974-0514 www.seagirtlighthouse.com In March 1889, Congress approved funds for the establishment of a lighthouse to bridge the forty-mile gap between the Twin Lights Of Navesink and Barnegat Light. In July 1895, a site was chosen: Sea Girt at Wreck Pond, overlooking the Atlantic. One year later, on December 10, 1896, its beacon was illuminated. It would become the last live-in lighthouse to be built on the Atlantic Coast. Five station keepers manned the light from 1896 to 1940. A protector of those at sea, its original Fresnel lens focused the light from a kerosene lamp that could be seen for fifteen miles. During World War II, the Coast Guard patrolled the beaches and used the lighthouse to monitor the U-boat menace off the coast. Today, orga- nizations use this preserved historic site as a meeting place, and schools visit for class trips. Inside are period furnishings, paintings, his- toric maps, local photographs, and lighthouse memorabilia. Open from the week after Easter through the week of Thanksgiving on Sundays, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM; closed on major holidays. Donations welcome. TUCKER'S ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE Tuckerton Seaport, 120 West Main Street (Route 9), Tuckerton, (609) 296-8868 www.TuckertonSeaport.org Tucker's Island Lighthouse is a reproduction of the light that was built in 1868 on Tucker's Island, a five-mile island off Long Beach Island that slowly disappeared into the sea between the mid-1920s and 1952. The island had resi- dents, a school, two hotels, and a Coast Guard station. When you enter the building, look for photos of the original lighthouse as it col- lapsed into the sea on October 12, 1927. The lighthouse contains exhibits on New Jersey maritime history and the people who lived it, including the stories of shipwrecks, lighthouse keepers, and the U.S. Lifesaving Service. From the second floor, you can climb the forty-two steps to the top of the tower for a beautiful view of Tuckerton Seaport and Lake Pohatcong. Open daily 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Closed major holidays. Admission: adults: $8.; seniors (62 and older): $6.; children 6 -12: $5.; children 5 and under are free. Please refer to the listing for "Tuckerton Seaport" under "Attractions & Activities." TWIN LIGHTS OF NAVESINK Lighthouse Road (off Route 36), Highlands (732) 872-1814 www.twinlightslighthouse.com Twin Lights Of Navesink is a brownstone dou- ble lighthouse. This two-beacon light marked the western entrance to New York Harbor. The south tower became the first electrically operated lighthouse in the United States. The present towers, rising 250 feet above the Sandy Hook Bay, were constructed in 1862. Though decommissioned in 1952, local organizations had a 500-watt blinker light installed in 1962 as a reminder of the Light's heritage. Marconi conducted the first ship-to-shore broadcast here. The museum's exhibit centers around the history of the Twin Lights, marine history, and the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Park and building hours change seasonally and are affected by inclement weather. Call for current hours of operation. u Twin Lights of Navesink Photo by Andy Kasie

• Cover