Historical   Documents

Updated March 28,2006

Most of these documents are transcribed from photocopies of the original handwritten letters.
 Sometimes the words were unintelligible. These sections are indicated by underscores (_____).
 Where more than one word in sequence is unintelligible the underscores are separated by spaces (______, ______). Spelling and capitalization have been left just as they were written in the original document. Sometimes the spelling is unclear and where questionable is indicated by a (?) after the word.

  • An Act for the establishment and support of Lighthouses, Beacons, Buoys, and Public Piers. Passed August 7, 1789. This is origin of Federal involvement with   Aids to Navigation.
  • Letter from Alexander Hamilton to George Washington regarding the construction of a beacon at Sandy Hook and Washington's response, June 21, 1790.
  • Letter from Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott to George Washington regarding the purchase of oil for the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, April 14, 1796
  • Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to John F. Langton, appointing him Acting Assistant Keeper of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, August 11, 1876
  • Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury to John F. Langton, appointing him Keeper of New Dorp Lighthouse, Staten Island, N.Y. March 22, 1877
  • Letter from William Steele, Comptroller to Thomas Randall, Esquire, Superintendent of the lighthouse at Sandy Hook, January 17th, 1797
  • East Point Lighthouse - Description of Premises 1908
  • Extract of the Report of the Fifth Auditor, in relation to the execution of the act of 7th July, 1838, for Building Light-houses and Light-boats.
  • Report from Major H. Bache on the Brandywine Shoal Light-house, November 1, 1839.
  • Excerpts from Stephen Pleasonton's letter, regarding the installation of the First Fresnel lens in the United States in the Navesink Twin Lights.
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for 1881
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for 1883
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for 1893
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board for the Fiscal Year Ended June 20, 1900.
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Light-House Board for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1902
  • Excerpts from the Annual Report of the Light-House Board for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1903
  • John Hamilton's letter regarding the accidental lighting of the beacon at the Highlands of Navesink during the War of Austrian Succession, 1746.
  • Drawing of the Proposed Bordentown Rear Light, December, 1934, from Office of Sup't of Lighthouses, Fourth district, Philadelphia, Pa.
  • Letter from Oliver Wolcott, Secretary of the Treasury to President George Washington, regarding a provisional contract for the placing and maintenance of the floating beacon and buoy in the Delaware Bay, July 6, 1796. Also George Washington's response July 13, 1796.
  • An act concerning the specifications of the Superintendents and other persons employed in the Lighthouse Service, March 10, 1796, listing the salaries appropriated to the keepers of the various lights, including Sandy Hook.
  • Excerpts from Abstracts of Miscellaneous Contracts of the Light-House Board - Contract No. 631 for construction of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse, New Jersey.
  • "Decoy Lights" - From The Colored American, New York, May 13, 1837. Article about decoy lights at Highlands and Sandy Hook.
  • Robert Richardson, lighthouse keeper. A document recommending him for the post as keeper at Cohansey
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