WayfarrowHarbor of Refuge Light
Lighthouse · Sussex County, Delaware
Harbor of Refuge Light is a lighthouse in Sussex County, Delaware. Delaware has 29 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 9 of them in Sussex County.
It was built in 1926, in the interwar years, making it the 11th oldest of the 12 in Delaware with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 76 feet tall (6th tallest of 9 measured in Delaware); its light sits 72 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as FI W 5s, R sector, with a range of about 16 nautical miles; it guards Delaware Bay.
Status check, 2026-11: The record's 1908 is the earlier 52-ft wooden tower, which storms damaged and which was taken down in 1925. The current cast-iron tower was completed in 1926. It carries the heritage designation National Register of Historic Places contributing property. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 1 mile away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 38.8146° N, 75.0924° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1926 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 76 ft |
| Focal height | 72 ft |
| Light characteristic | FI W 5s, R sector |
| Range | 16 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Delaware Bay |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places contributing property |
| Coordinates | 38.81460, -75.09240 |
Nearby places
- Delaware Breakwater East End Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 1.3 mi
- Cape Henlopen Beaconlighthouse · Sussex County · 1.8 mi
- Cape Henlopen Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 2.5 mi
- Delaware Breakwater Range Front Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 4 mi
- Delaware Breakwater Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 4.5 mi
- Cape May Lighthouselighthouse · Cape May County · 10.8 mi
- South Cape Mayghost town · Cape May County · 11.5 mi
- Brandywine Shoal Lightlighthouse · Cape May County · 11.9 mi
- Mispillion Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 15.1 mi
- Mispillion Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 15.1 mi
- New Marketghost town · Sussex County · 16.4 mi
- Fourteen Foot Bank Lightlighthouse · Kent County · 16.9 mi
Questions
Where is Harbor of Refuge Light?
Harbor of Refuge Light is in Sussex County, Delaware, at 38.8146, -75.0924.
How many lighthouses are in Sussex County?
Sussex County, Delaware has 9 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
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Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.