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The Grand Old Man of the Atlantic: Climbing “Ol’ Barney”

From postcards to travel guides, the red-and-white silhouette of Barnegat Lighthouse is the undisputed icon of the Jersey Shore. Affectionately known as “Ol’ Barney,” this tower on the northern tip of Long Beach Island has survived storms, erosion, and even decommissioning to become one of the most beloved landmarks in the state.

But the lighthouse you see today wasn’t the first attempt to light this treacherous inlet, and for a long time, it looked like the sea was going to win.

The First Attempt (1835)

The story begins with a failure. In 1835, the first lighthouse was built on land owned by Bornt and Ruth Slight. It was a short, 40-foot tower intended only to guide ships into the inlet, not to serve as a beacon for the open ocean.

It was doomed from the start.

• The Location: Built 900 feet from the water, shifting sands brought the ocean to within 450 feet in just ten years.
• The Light: It was too dim. Ships constantly mistook it for another vessel rather than a lighthouse.
• The Verdict: In 1855, Lt. George G. Meade (who would later gain fame as the Union victor at the Battle of Gettysburg) inspected the site. He found it poorly constructed and in imminent danger of falling into the sea.

Building the Masterpiece (1857–1859)

Meade recommended a massive upgrade. Congress authorized $60,000 for a new “First Class” seacoast light.

Construction on the current tower began in 1857 under Meade’s supervision (based on plans by Lt. William F. Raynolds).

• The Design: Like its sisters at Cape May and Absecon, Barnegat is a double-walled structure. It consists of two heavily reinforced brick cylinders—one inside the other—designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
• The Height: Rising 165 feet (some sources say 163), it is the second-tallest lighthouse in New Jersey.
• The Daymark: To make it distinct from other lighthouses during the day, the bottom half was painted white and the top half red.

On January 1, 1859, the new light was lit. It utilized a massive First Order Fresnel Lens—a $15,000 crown jewel made of glass prisms that could throw a beam of light more than 20 miles out to sea.

The Battle Against Erosion

While the new tower was sturdy, the ground beneath it was not. Erosion plagued the site for decades.

• The Lost House: In 1920, the triplex dwelling that housed the keepers and their families finally succumbed to the sea and collapsed into the inlet.
• The Car Jetty: In the 1930s, the lighthouse itself was on the brink of falling. In a desperate act of preservation, locals built a makeshift jetty out of junk cars, scrap metal, and even baby carriages to hold back the tide!
• The Fix: The federal government eventually stepped in, surrounding the foundation with steel rings and concrete to permanently stabilize the island.

The Dark Years and The Lightship

In 1927, the lighthouse was decommissioned. The magnificent First Order Lens was removed, and the job of lighting the coast was transferred to a floating vessel: the Lightship Barnegat (LV 79).

Anchored eight miles offshore, the Lightship served as the beacon until 1967. (Today, the rusting hulk of the Barnegat lightship is docked at Pyne Poynt Marina in Camden, awaiting a restoration that may never come).

During WWII, “Ol’ Barney” was briefly pressed back into service, not as a light, but as a lookout tower to spot enemy submarines off the coast.

Restoration and Relighting

In 1954, the original First Order Lens was returned to the borough. After spending time in a Staten Island warehouse and a Chicago museum, it is now the centerpiece of the Barnegat Light Museum.

The tower itself became a State Park in 1957. Since then, it has been lovingly maintained by the state and the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse.

• 2009: On the lighthouse’s 150th birthday, a new VRB-25 light system was installed, and the beacon was officially relit.
• 2019: The lighthouse underwent a massive $1.3 million restoration. The exterior was stripped and repainted, the masonry repaired, and the windows replaced, ensuring the tower remains safe for climbers.

The “Leaning” Tower: If you think the tower looks a little crooked, you aren’t imagining things. A study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers confirmed the lighthouse has a pre-existing tilt of about 1 degree (roughly 21 inches out-of-plumb at the top). Don’t worry—it is structurally sound!

If You Visit

Admission: There is a small fee to climb the tower (usually $3 for adults); the surrounding park and jetty are free.

The Climb: It is 217 steps to the top. The climb is steep, but the panoramic views of LBI, the Atlantic, and the Pinelands are worth the effort.

Location: 208 Broadway, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006.