• Library joins NJCH Community History Program

    NJCH CommunityHistoryThe Atlantic City Free Public Library is one of nine organizations — each from a different New Jersey county — to have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Community History Program. In the program, the organizations will receive free, expert training on public history practices and develop projects in collaboration with their local communities to learn about and share their untold stories. In addition to the training, each organization will receive $5,000 in funding from NJCH to develop and launch projects that showcase their work. Click here to read more.
  • Work on new Main Library
    HVAC system begins March 11

    taken 11.29.23Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, March 11, to replace the HVAC system at the Main Library – located at 1 North Tennessee Ave. The project is expected to take approximately two months to complete. The library asks for the public’s patience. It is anticipated there will be increased noise inside the Main Library at times due to the ongoing work, and certain phases of the construction might require closing the Main Library temporarily. Click here to read more.
  • BEST schedule for March/April:
    free job, computer and ESL classes

    TIPSThe Atlantic City Free Public Library’s BEST Program — Building Employment Skills Training – provides individuals with opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications in the food and beverage industries. The program also includes assistance for those looking to gain basic computer skills or improve their English (ESL). Click here to read more.
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Lighthouse History

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Marker is located off of Pacific Avenue near the reconstructed Keeper's Dwelling at Absecon Lighthouse

Marker text:
The ocean waters off Absecon Inlet were considered some of the most deadly along the East Coast. Between 1847 and 1856, at least sixty-four ocean-going ships were lost off the coast of Absecon Beach. Dr. Jonathan Pitney, who promoted the development of Atlantic City, lobbied the federal government for a lighthouse as early as the 1830's. In the first ten months after Absecon Lighthouse was lit in 1857, not a single ship was wrecked. When built, the Lighthouse stood about 1200 feet from the ocean. Sand, seagulls, the smell of salt water and the flow of tides marked the days. The relentless pounding of the waves quickly eroded the coastline surrounding the beacon, bringing water onto the corner of the Lighthouse property by 1876. The construction of jetties reversed this process, and subsequent homes and hotels separated the Lighthouse from the sea, resulting in the landscape you see today.

The Lighthouse was also Atlantic City's beacon for tourists. Visitors flocked to the Lighthouse, making keepers as much tour guides as light tenders. Images of the Lighthouse graced postcards, plates, glasses and other souvenirs made for the seashore tourist trade.

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Absecon Lighthouse Facts

Constructed: 1855-1857
First lit: January 15, 1857
Decommissioned and light extinguished: July 11, 1933
Re-Lit: October 3, 1999
Tower height: 171 feet
Focal plane: 167 feet
Physical location: Latitude: 39° 21" 56" North
Longitude: 74° 24" 53" West
Type of construction: Double-walled conical brick and mortar tower with cast-iron spiral central staircase
Foundation materials: Stone foundation with a timber platform
Tower diameter: 27' at the bottom – tapers to 14'9" at the watch level
Number of steps: 228 to the watch level (12 more to the lantern room – for a total of 240 steps)
Daymark: Yellow with a black band
Original lighting: First-order Fresnel lens with Funck's mineral oil lamps
Present lighting: Original first-order Fresnel lens and electric lamp
Characteristic: Fixed beacon
Beacon range: 19.5 nautical miles
Original ancillary structures: Assistant Keepers' Dwelling, oil storage house, and various outbuildings
Current ancillary structures: Oil storage house
Owned by: The State of New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry
Administered by: Inlet Public/Private Association (IPPA)

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experience logo no background Click above to visit the Atlantic City Experience site. Visit the Atlantic City Historical Museum and see the best historical and cultural resources of Atlantic City.

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