The fight for the lighthouse continues – The SandPaper

This is the first part of a series.

The story of how the Barnegat Lighthouse still stands on the north end of Long Beach Island is one full of ups and downs and a long list of heroes. No one deserves more credit for saving old Barney than 3rd District Congressman Frank Appleby.

During his first term, Appleby managed to persuade the House of Representatives to appropriate money to prevent the light from falling into the sea. Unfortunately he was replaced by someone who took a lukewarm attitude towards the lighthouse and supported the government's demand that the money be spent elsewhere.

Appleby wouldn't give up so easily. In the summer of 1924 he threw his hat into the ring. His campaign was outlined in a newspaper advertisement: “The improvements to the Barnegat Lighthouse were overseen both in and out of Congress by T. Frank Appleby. Wouldn't it be in your interest to return Mr. Appleby to Congress? His record as a member of the 67th Congress will bear scrutiny.”

On October 17th the Asbury Park Press reported a rally and said: “More than 1,000 people crowded into the Ferber Theater in Lakewood to take part in a mass meeting held under the auspices of that city's Coolidge Woman's Club. The club had held a day-long meeting of the Women of Ocean County, ending with a large mass meeting in the evening. … Ms. Eleanor Rustling of Asbury Park represented former Congressman T. Frank Appleby. Ms. Rustling noted former Congressman Appleby's work during his time in Congress to preserve the old Barnegat Light, his work to prevent oil pollution on our beaches, and his attempts to raise funds to combat beach erosion.”

The issue was important to voters in the 3rd District. The Central Jersey Home News of November 5 announced: “The Third Congressional District fell back into Republican columnism in the landslide victory in Coolidge yesterday, when T. Frank Appleby of Asbury Park, former Congressman, was elected overwhelmingly over Congressman Elmer H. Geran, who represented him replaced.” two years ago. Appleby won all three districts by large majorities.”

The paper said: “Appleby has not been in the best of health for several months, which affected his campaign in Middlesex (County) but did not affect his vote winnings as he received an overwhelming majority in that county” as well as in his home county and in Ocean.

“When it became clear that Coolidge had conquered the East and the flood had begun in New Jersey, there was no doubt about the outcome of the night in the Third District. Democratic districts became Republican, as in the case of New Brunswick, which normally has 1,500 Democrats, resulting in a majority of 500 for Appleby.”

The euphoria of Applebee's victory and the hope of saving the lighthouse were short-lived. On December 6, before Appleby could take his seat in the House of Representatives, the Asbury Park Press reported: “The U.S. Department of Commerce's Lighthouse Bureau has virtually abandoned any idea of ​​restoring the historic Barnegat Lighthouse on the Jersey Shore, one of the oldest lighthouses in America, and now plans to replace it with a steel tower used for navigation .

“It appears that efforts by the people living in the Barnegat area and New Jersey state officials to have the federal government restore this historic old landmark have failed, and if the state legislature does not allocate funds for its preservation, it will only become one “It will only be a few years before it falls into the sea.”

The government said: “Deputy Secretary of Commerce Drake explained the department’s position to this correspondent today as follows:

“A very comprehensive study and study of this proposal for the Department of Army Engineers found that work that would permanently restore the Barnegat light would cost $417,000 and that experimental work on it could be done for $230,000 could.

“We could not hope for the budget director or Congress to authorize an appropriation of $230,000 for Barnegat Light restoration, let alone $417,000, nor would we ask for such a sum.”

“The engineers report that for $6,000 we can erect a steel tower near the present lighthouse, serving all navigational purposes, with little maintenance, and we can remove it at any time for little cost and erect it elsewhere.”

A second blow struck the lighthouse's supporters on December 19th Keyport Weekly announced: “Congressman-elect T. Frank Appleby of New Jersey's Third District died early Monday morning at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. It was announced in hospital late on Saturday evening that Mr Appleby was recovering from an operation for intestinal problems which he had undergone on December 6th.

“Mr. Appleby had to give up the campaign in August in the middle of the primary and go to the hospital. Doctors decided against surgery at that time. Mr. Appleby won the Republican nomination and later the election. His health did not improve and the surgery was carried out by Doctor James F. Ackerman of Asbury Park decided Mr. Appleby thereafter rallied and was expected home within a month.”

The year ended on December 27th Trenton Times One article said there was little hope for the lighthouse.

“Barnegat Light to go? U.S. Army engineers told the Commerce Department that the effort to save the Barnegat Lighthouse from destruction by the sea will cost between $230,000 and $417,000 and that any plan will only be temporary, emergency and experimental in nature. Accordingly, the department is not prepared to attempt to save the historic lighthouse because it can install a steel tower some distance from the shore for $6,000 that will provide every aid to navigation.”

The newspaper downplayed the last shred of hope, saying: “The department has expressed its willingness to place the lighthouse under the control of the state of New Jersey or a citizens' group that might seek to protect it for sentimental reasons.” It is “It is unlikely that the state will be willing to assume such a burden that the United States government can no longer afford, and it is extremely doubtful that a civil society can be formed to raise the money.”

The people had made it clear that they wanted to save the famous landmark. The government's response was simple: say goodbye to the LBI's most famous structure.

Next week: Want to buy a lighthouse?

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