Episode Details

In 1825, an act of Congress authorized the building of a breakwater off of Cape Henlopen in Delaware to create a protected harbor. The new harbor that was created was called the National Harbor of Refuge. In 1907 a lighthouse at the southern end of the outer breakwater went into service. The original structure was replaced by a 76-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse in 1926 and automated in 1973.

The Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation was founded in 1998 and became the steward for Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse when a lease was signed with the Coast Guard in 2002. The foundation began offering seasonal tours, and in September 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the organization.

About $3 million in repairs to the breakwater was carried out in 2011. In recent years the breakwater has continued to deteriorate, and major repairs are needed. Rick Ziegler is the president of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation. He’s had a long fascination with lighthouses, and he got his first tour of Harbor of Refuge Light in 2004.

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