History
From 1823-1875, a lightship was placed to mark the
submerged ridge known as Cross Ledge. Also known as the Upper
Middle Ground Lightship or the Cross Ledge Lightship,
in its early years it was referred to simply as "Light boat #2." Two
lightships have been in service at the station which was located at
39°
08.8' north latitude by 75° 14.2 west longitude. The first
lightship,
known as Light Vessel X was at the station from 1823-1845.
The
vessel was built by Henry Eckford in New York. It was a wooden hulled
vessel 72' long with a beam of 20' and of 120 tons. Its hull was
painted straw color. LV 19 served on the station from
1845-1875. She was also built by Henry Eckford. Some historians believe
LV 19 was the same vessel as Lightship X and that
after some rebuilding work in 1845 Lightship X was redesignated
LV 19. LV 19
was described in 1845 as 85' long with a beam of 25' and a draft of 9'.
The completion of the Cross Ledge Lighthouse ended the
need for the
lightship there and the lightship was transferred to Fourteen Foot Bank
where she served from 1876-1886. She was later transferred to Ram
Island Reef (Conn.). She ended her career as a relief light vessel and
served until she was disposed of around 1904.
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