Anglesea Day Focuses on Hereford Light

NORTH WILDWOOD ─ Spring light bathed Hereford Inlet as city officials and friends gathered to celebrate Anglesea Day, June 1. 
City Clerk and Historian Scott Jett unveiled a new historical marker commemorating the original location of the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse; built in 1874. The lighthouse beam shone for the first time in May of that year, guiding mariners.
A second marker was unveiled later at 17th Avenue, commemorating the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad.
Anglesea Day is not merely a day to brush off dusty artifacts or muse over days gone by; it is a vital link to the past, impacting those who call North Wildwood home.
After the unveiling, Jett hosted a presentation on the ever-changing Hereford Inlet. Erosion, beach growth, and fierce nor’easters have shaped the history of the inlet and lighthouse.
In the early 1900s, the encroaching sea forced the shift of Hereford Light to its present location.
According to Jett, the lighthouse is the oldest structure on Five Mile Island. “Inlets provide safety during storms,” Jett explained, “but are also dangerous because they (inlets) are always changing.”
Unpredictability instills either flexibility or fear, and the men of the Life Saving Station knew both as they rescued stranded sailors when vessels ran aground.
As Jett told of shipwrecks, the lighthouse parlor came alive with sounds of pouring rain, screaming winds, and cries for help. The most famous of North Wildwood’s rescues came Dec. 4, 1886, when a schooner hit the sandbar. All crew members were brought to safety that night. The courageous men involved subsequently received medals.
“If your community needed you, you did it,” Jett said. Life on Five Mile was difficult, and residents helped neighbors and strangers.
In more recent years, the natural basin changed, forcing city officials to build bulkheads to keep the water at bay.
In 1918, a bulkhead was built to Champagne Island (toward Stone Harbor) to protect the fishing industry. However, in 1953, the dredge gave way and the structure caved in completely.
Today, the light experienced a malfunction, and a light-emitting diode (LED) was installed.
According to Jett, Hereford Light is still an active guide to navigation, and the Coast Guard will consider installing another rotating beam.
City council has formally requested another rotating beam; ensuring guidance will still shine from old Hereford Light.
To contact Rachel Rogish, email rrogish@cmcherald.com.