Why Two Lights? Two Lighthouses Separated by 320 feet At the
time the first Twin Lights came to be, the U.S. Lighthouse Board
believed that lighthouses should have a fixed (non-rotating)
light or beacon. There was a concern, however, that vessels
might confuse a single light on the Highlands of Navesink with
the Sandy Hook Lighthouse (five miles to the north). The
decision was made that the new Navesink Light Station would
comprise two lighthouses separated by 320 feet. One tower would
have a fixed light and the other would have a rotating light, so
that mariners could easily differentiate between the single
Sandy Hook Light and the dual lights of the Navesink Light
Station. As the years passed, the Lighthouse Board constructed
seven dual or twin lights, and one triple light, following the
same philosophy. The high operating expense of these multiple
units eventually convinced the board to consider other
alternatives. So many lighthouses were being constructed in the
1800s that this fixed-light policy would f