Brandywine Shoal Light, Lighthouse in Delaware Bay, Cape May County, US.
Brandywine Shoal Light is a conical structure standing 14 meters tall, built on a reinforced concrete foundation in Delaware Bay. It marks a critical navigation point where vessels pass through the southernmost shipping channel of the bay.
The original structure was built in 1850 and represented a major technological step forward as the first screwpile lighthouse in the United States. This design proved to be a reliable solution for marking navigation channels in shallow waters.
The lighthouse stands as a marker of maritime heritage along this busy waterway, representing how coastal communities organized navigation and shipping safety. Its original Fresnel lens, now on display at Tuckerton Seaport museum, shows the technological solutions sailors once relied on.
The lighthouse sits northwest of Cape May Point and is visible from the water but is not open for regular visitor access. The best views are from shore locations or a boat tour in the Delaware Bay.
This lighthouse remained the last staffed navigation station in Delaware Bay until it was automated in 1974. That relatively late shift to automation makes it an interesting example of how longer some remote stations continued regular operations.
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