Gateway National Recreation Area
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse: Guiding Ships Since 1764
Listen at the stop, then read the transcript and follow the sources behind the story.
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Transcript
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse has a remarkable distinction: it is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.
Completed in 1764, before American independence, it guided ships through the dangerous approach to New York Harbor.
The lighthouse survived because its purpose never disappeared. Nations changed, technology changed, but ships still needed safe passage.
It is not only a historic building. It is a piece of infrastructure that has served generations.