Tinicum Rear Range

Tinicum Rear Range At A Glance...

A spiral staircase of 112 steps climbs inside the tower to the lantern room, with a view of the Delaware River, the Philadelphia skyline and the airport.
The 85 foot tower rises out of a baseball complex, on a neoclassical iron pavilion.
Range lights work as a pair: sailors lined up this rear light with the front light to stay in the channel and avoid Little Tinicum Island.
It is one of only three Lighthouse Challenge sites with a night climb, on the Saturday evening of the Challenge.
Todays Sunrise: , Sunset:
New Jersey Delaware River Region Gloucester County

About Tinicum Rear Range

The Tinicum Island Rear Range Light is a lighthouse located in the Billingsport section of Paulsboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey, at Second Street and Mantua Avenue. It is the rear of a pair of range lights marking a section of the channel in the Delaware River south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ships lined up the rear light with the front light to stay in the channel and clear Little Tinicum Island.

The rear light is an 85 foot hexagonal skeletal tower on a stone masonry foundation, with a neoclassical iron pavilion at its base. A spiral staircase of 112 steps climbs to the lantern room, and the light is still a fixed red beacon. It stands in a sports complex with three baseball diamonds and a soccer field. The Tinicum Rear Range Lighthouse Society is dedicated to preserving the lighthouse, which has guided Delaware River commerce for over 125 years, and its tours include the climb to the top. The view takes in the Philadelphia skyline and the airport.

Activities:
- Walking
Amenities:
- Lighthouse
Attractions:
- Lighthouse
- Museum / Gallery
Rules/Regulations:
- Alcohol Not Permitted

Contact / Location

Primary Address:

Get Directions 70 Second Street,
Paulsboro, New Jersey 08066

Contact:

A Brief History

Tinicum Island was once the capital of New Sweden under Governor Johan Printz, who arrived in 1643, until the Dutch took control in 1655. The Lighthouse Board planned the range as part of a channel-marking project, and the lights were activated on New Year's Eve 1880, with Joseph H. Preston as front keeper and Benjamin D. Hannold as rear keeper. The rear tower sits about 5/8 of a mile from the front light. The lights went from oil to electric in 1917.

The rear light was automated in 1933, and its last keeper, John Birch, stayed on as custodian until 1945. The keeper's dwelling was torn down in the 1950s after falling into disrepair. The Coast Guard repainted the tower and repaired the handrails in 2000. Tours were suspended in 2017 over structural concerns and resumed in September 2018 after repairs and repainting. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 15, 2005.