Things You Didn't Know About the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse

Wildwood NJ vacations aren’t only about the beaches, boardwalk and fun in the sun. When you’re looking for things to do in Wildwood NJ, you must check out the robust history that the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse has to offer.

One of the most charming and historic spots to see is the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse located at 1st and Central avenues in North Wildwood. Since its debut in 1874, the lighthouse has kept a number of mariners safe while navigating the Atlantic coastline. While history buffs will be intrigued by this restored Victorian lighthouse, now a museum, families and children will also love the surrounding seaside gardens.

Fast Facts About One of the Most Beautiful Lighthouses in NJ

• This 1874 Victorian Carpenter Gothic Stick-style structure designed by the Lighthouse Boards Chief Draftsman, Paul J. Pelz is one of the working lighthouses in NJ. The light was hand-cranked by a resident keeper until automation closed it down in 1964.

• The first lighthouse keeper was John Marche who was in the post less than three months before drowning after his boat capsized upon return from the mainland. He was replaced by Freeling Hysen Hewitt, who remained at post for the following 45 years.

• Hereford Inlet Lighthouse stood strong in the face of wind, rain and tides for 40 years at its original location before a severe storm in 1913 damaged the foundation, causing it to be moved westward 150 feet, where it stands today.

• In 1963, Hereford Inlet Lighthouse once run by the Coast Guard, was turned over to the State Marine Police, boarded up, decommissioned in 1964 and replaced with an automated beacon on an iron tower.

• Hereford is the only lighthouse like it on the East Coast (so it’s definitely something worth checking out on one of your Wildwood NJ vacations) although it had five sister lights on the West Coast. Pelz designed Point Fermin, East Brother, Mare Island and Point Hueneme in California and Point Adams in Washington. Only East Brother and Point Fermin still exist.

• One of the best free things to do in Wildwood NJ is browsing the English cottage gardens that surround the lighthouse, which include 200 varieties of flowers that attract hundreds of butterflies annually.

• For a small fee, you can tour the nautical museum, the lightkeeper’s house with its five oak mantelpieces and the lighthouse that houses the light’s original whale-oil lamp.

• Guided tours are of the former living quarters, and you can stroll through the award-winning gardens on your own.

• Some 40,000 people, including everyone from those on Wildwood NJ vacations to lighthouse “hunters” from around the world, visit every year.

Today, the Hereford Lighthouse is listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places, and part of the NJ Coastal Heritage Trail. It’s operated and maintained by The Friends of Hereford Inlet Lighthouse Inc. So, if you’re looking for things to do in Wildwood NJ, whether or not you’ve even given a second thought to lighthouses in NJ, the Hereford and its beautiful gardens are sure to please.