Cape Henlopen Lighthouse Collapsed April 13, 1926

The Cape Henlopen Lighthouse collapsed on April 13, 1926.  It sat atop the great dune. Due to the fact the dune moved three to five feet a year the collapse was inevitable.  It was built in 1767 and first lit in 1769.  
Bill Hicks … “In 1926 the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was claimed by the sea. It was no surprise since the Lighthouse Service had decommissioned it two years prior. Built in 1765 on a site chosen by Captain Henry Fisher, the lighthouse protected the mouth of the Delaware Bay for 161 years. Prior to the American Revolution, the keepers were John Hedgecock and his wife Elinor. The lighthouse burned in 1777 and was dark until 1784 when Abraham Hargis became the next Keeper of Cape Henlopen. “

The tower was 26 feet in diameter, 6 feet thick at the base, 69 feet, 3 inches tall, and 17 feet, 6 inches in diameter and 3 feet thick at the top.  It was built 46 feet above sea level on the north side of the great dune.  

In 1924 the lens was removed to have it refurbished.  The light was disabled due to the fact the Brandywine shoal light had been built and the Cape Henlopen light house was no longer needed.  The lighthouse was in service for 150 years guiding ships up the Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean.