NJ officially takes over East Point Lighthouse

⭕ An agreement to maintain the lighthouse with the Maurice River Historical Society

⭕ The society had two weeks to move out

⭕ The DEP said it will reopen the lighthouse to the public again

The state Department of Environmental Protection has officially taken over the care of New Jersey's second-oldest lighthouse.

The Maurice River Historical Society has maintained the East Point lighthouse at the mouth of the Maurice River on Delaware Bay for the past 50 years but could not reach an agreement with the DEP, forcing them to move out. The society established a small museum and kept up its overall care.

The society's lease ran out on Sept. 6, prompting the group to move everything into storage. The reasons for the stalemate depend on who is asked.

The DEP said the society declined to sign a renewal of their lease that included abatement of their 5% rental payment of its gross revenues in exchange for a list of improvements to the lighthouse. It would have meant an investment of $2,500 per year, or $208 per month.

"The DEP will not be offering another extension as East Point Light LLC has declined to sign the lease agreement," the agency said. "DEP will reestablish public access to the building by maintaining similar hours to those offered by the Historical Society. East Point Light LLC will have the opportunity to be recognized as a Friends Group and remain involved in celebrating the lighthouse as a cherished historic resource of New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore."

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What's next for the lighthouse?

The society lamented on its Facebook page that the DEP does not seem to have a plan for the lighthouse.

"Do they have a plan to maintain the lighthouse? They basically prevented the society from doing any projects for a year or better ... some projects many years. Now a lot of work needs to be done that we were trying to accomplished but were prevented from doing so by the DEP," the society wrote on its Facebook page. So, is the DEP going to do the needed work to maintain this important historic lighthouse? What is the DEP's plan? Are they going to leave the lighthouse fall into ruin again like they did in the past?

DEP spokesman Vincent Grassi in an email told New Jersey 101.5 that with the exit of the historical society the DEP will begin working immediately this week to assess the property and develop management plans.

"The DEP is committed to reopening the lighthouse as quickly as possible to ensure that the public continues to have access to this historic icon of the Delaware Bayshore," Grassi said.

State Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cumberland, wants the DEP to let the society continue as the lighthouse's caretaker.

"The Maurice River Historical Society has poured decades of blood, sweat, and tears into preserving and restoring the historical lighthouse. It's time for the DEP to recognize their efforts and establish a long-term deal with the Maurice River Historical Society to preserve the operation of this iconic landmark in Cumberland County," Testa said in a statement.

The DEP also maintains Barnegat Lighthouse. A $1.3 million renovation was completed in 2023 that includes a complete exterior restoration, masonry recoating and repairs to the brick facade, repairs to the interior lantern steel platform, roof repairs, interior painting and the installation of new windows and live video cameras.

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