If looking for a few of the most popular lighthouse locations to be found on the Delaware coast, look no further than the popular Fenwick Island Lighthouse as well as the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse. Of the two mentioned prior, only the Fenwick Lighthouse is still standing.
The Fenwick Island Lighthouse was constructed in the year 1858, and has since served to warn vessels to stay clear of the shore for over one hundred and forty years. It stands tall, at eighty nine feet. The cost of the building of the lighthouse was around twenty four thousand dollars back in 1858. In its earlier years, keepers of the lighthouse would use whale oil to light it up, but this method was switched to kerosene and eventually electricity for its operation. One can still visit this statue of history, and admission is free. Check the lighthouse website for the schedule of openings.
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The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was much older, built in 1767 through funds raised from different lotteries performed in Philadelphia. The lighthouse was primarily built with stone. The Henlopen was thick, twenty six feet in diameter and over six feet thick at the base; however, its downfall was not its durability but the dunes it was built on. It eventually collapsed. It is still considered to be an important piece of history.
All in all, there are a variety of lighthouses that are still standing in the Delaware area, also including the Mispillion Lighthouse which is very unique looking. Check out all of the lighthouses in Delaware and see how each is unique in its own special way.
