Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse

Year Built

1908

Cost

$2.2 million

Type

Conical

Height

76 feet

Location

Lewes

Automated Year

1973

First Lit

1926

Lens Type

Fourth Order Fresnel Lens (original), VRB-25 (current)

Fog Signal

NOne

Year Deactivated

Active

Color

White tower/brown cylinder/black lantern

Last Keeper - Date

William L. Harris (1972 – 1973)

Description

Tours of the lighthouse are offered on select days during the summer and early fall by the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation.

Brief History

•  Work on the Harbor of Refuge Breakwater began on May 4, 1897, and quite amazingly, was completed on December 11, 1901.
•  January 1, 1902. In May 1903, a 700-pound fog bell, sounded by a striking machine, was added to the southern end of the breakwater along with a temporary dwelling.
•  In 1999 the Coast Guard performed restoration to the exterior of the light. The Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation began preservation efforts at the light.
•  On April 1, 2002, the non-profit Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation (DRBLHF) signed a twenty-year lease on Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse with the Coast Guard.
•  Winter storms in 2010 damaged the station's docks, which made it impossible to offer tours of the lighthouse.