Finns Point Lighthouse

Located at Fort Mott & Lighthouse Rds, Pennsville, NJ 08070. Finn’s Point Lighthouse is part of Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The tower is 115 feet tall, with 130 stairs and a lantern room, and a fourth order range lens to guide ships into the Delaware River. The lighthouse was built in 1876 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Originally known as the Liston Front Range Light, the light is now part of the National Wildlife Refuge.

The lighthouse was originally part of a pair of range lights that were built in 1877. These fortifications were a part of the federal government’s plan to defend the Delaware River during the Spanish-American War. Originally built as a part of the Harbor Defense System, the fortifications were modified over the years to keep up with technological advances. The front range light was painted with a wooden screen painted white with horizontal stripes. The lighthouse was lit on April 2, 1877.

The rear range light was also part of the Range light pair and was constructed to guide ships into the Delaware River. The first keeper of the lighthouse was Edward Dickinson. He was paid $500 per year during his thirty years of service. Dickinson’s home was located west of the lighthouse and included a privy, oil house, and a frame keeper’s dwelling. The keeper of the lighthouse was required to wind a weight every six and a half hours. The weight powered the eclipser shade that produced two seconds of light. The fourth-order range lens was manufactured by Barbier & Fenestre in Paris.

In 1950, the government widened the shipping channel to a depth of 40 feet. The government also dredged the river, which led to the razing of the keepers’ dwellings. The keeper’s dwelling was replaced with a recreation of the keeper’s dwelling near the lighthouse. The recreation serves as the office for Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

The lighthouse was refurbished by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. A gift shop was created by the NJLHS (New Jersey Lighthouse Society). The gift shop was open multiple weekends. Currently, the gift shop is in the process of helping to raise funds for another lighthouse in New Jersey. The lighthouse is also open for special events. Learn more.

Finn’s Point Lighthouse is located right down the road from Fort Mott State Park. The lighthouse is free to visit. The lighthouse is open on the third Sunday of each month from April through October. The lighthouse is open from 12 to 4 p.m. The lighthouse is also open for special tours. The lighthouse is open during the Lighthouse Challenge of New Jersey on October 15 and October 16, 2022, from 8:00 to 6:00 pm. The lighthouse will open to the public for free on these two dates.

The original lighthouse was built in 1876 by Kellogg Bridge Company. The lighthouse is 115 feet tall with a lantern room, a 119-step spiral staircase, and a fourth-order range lens. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1950 and replaced with an offshore automated light. The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1978. Next article.