Completed January 15, 1857
The first lighting occurred with a kerosene flame focusing
through a huge 36-plate, First-Order Fresnel lens,
made in Paris, especially for Absecon Lighthouse.
The white light shone 19.5 nautical miles out to sea.
The finished cost of construction; $52,436.62.
The Absecon Light is a coastal lighthouse located in the north end of Atlantic City, New Jersey overlooking Absecon Inlet. It is the tallest lighthouse in the state of New Jersey and is the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid. It was designed by George Meade and still retains its original first order fixed Fresnel lens.
The above text "borrowed" from Wikipedia
