• 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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Keeper's Dwelling

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Marker is located on S Rhode Island Avenue in front of the reconstructed Keeper's Dwelling at Absecon Lighthouse

Marker text:
The light from Absecon Lighthouse first beamed out across the Atlantic Ocean in 1857. At that time, the Lighthouse consisted of the original keeper's dwelling, a thirty-foot connecting passageway and the tower. In 1903, adding a two-story addition to the front, removing the attic and changing the roofline expanded the keeper's dwelling. By 1933, the bright lights and rising skyline of Atlantic City had diminished the beam's effectiveness. The Light was decommissioned. The keeper's dwelling was demolished in the 1940's, leaving the tower and little else to occupy the site. The site has been owned by the State of New Jersey since 1966. The keeper's dwelling was reconstructed on its original foundations. Its exterior replicates the enlarged post-1903 keeper's dwelling, although the interior and certain exterior features were adapted to meet the needs current visitors and staff. It was re-opened to the public in October 2002.

[ Reverse Side : ]
Lightkeepers of Absecon Lighthouse

Principal Lighthouse Keepers:
Daniel Scull 1856
William Bartlett 1861
John S. Nixon 1865
Abraham G. Wolf 1873
Thomas Bills 1896
Knud Hansen 1914

The life of a keeper was exacting in its demand for strict adherence to routine and responsibility. In addition to the requirements for neatness and sobriety that are typical of any military posting, the keepers were directed to "remain in the watch room and give continuous attention to the light" while on duty, and never leave a lighthouse "wholly unattended." This must have been especially hard for keepers without assistants. They were required to "visit the light at least twice during the night between 8pm and sunrise" and provide constant attention on stormy nights. Should a lone keeper need to leave the lighthouse at any time, it was necessary to find "a competent member of his family, or other responsible person" to be at the station in his absence.

The keeper is responsible for the care and management of the light, and for the station in general. He must enforce a careful attention to duty on the part of his assistants, who are required to observe the orders of the keepers in all matters connected with the duties of the Light-House Establishment. Any disobedience of such orders will be held as a sufficient cause for recommending the discharge of an assistant.

Instructions for Light-Keepers and Masters of Light-House Vessels, By Authority of the Light-House Board, 1902

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