Finns Point Lighthouse

The Finns Point Range Rear Light is a lighthouse in Pennsville Township, Salem County, New Jersey. It is located just east of the Delaware River, and was part of Range light pair that guided ships into the Delaware River. It is deactivated, and its lamp and lens have been removed, but the lighthouse is open to the public as part of a National Wildlife Refuge. It was designed and built in 1877 and is a classic example of a skeletal cast iron prefabricated lighthouse. Its companion Front range light was demolished and replaced with an offshore automated light in 1938. Both the Rear and replacement Front light were deactivated in 1950.

Today, there are informational signs displayed at the site. The tower was opened to tours one day a month, but this ended in 2006 due to budget cutbacks. The only other surviving structure from Finns Point Range is a brick oil house with a terra cotta shingle roof at the front light. The site of the front light is only accessible by boat, but one can drive down the road from the rear tower to Fort Mott State Park to view the area of Delaware River formerly served by Finns Point Range Lights. In 2004, a recreation of the keeper’s dwelling was completed near the lighthouse to serve as an office for Supawna Meadows Wildlife Refuge.

After the lighthouse had been closed to the public for several years, the Fish and Wildlife service had the tower refurbished and painted, allowing open houses to resume in 2013.