WayfarrowFenwick Island Light
Lighthouse · Sussex County, Delaware
Fenwick Island 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 1858, in the Civil War era, making it the 3rd oldest of the 12 in Delaware with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 87 feet tall (5th tallest of 9 measured in Delaware); its light sits 82 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl W 13s (a white flash every 13 seconds), with a range of about 13 nautical miles; it was deactivated in 1978.
Status check, 2026-11: Finished December 1858 and first lit August 1, 1859; it is Delaware's oldest lighthouse. The National Register form measures it at 84 ft 5 in to the ventilator ball. Fenwick Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 38.4514° N, 75.0548° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1858 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 87 ft |
| Focal height | 82 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl W 13s |
| Range | 13 nautical miles |
| Deactivated | 1978 |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 38.45140, -75.05480 |
Nearby places
- Hearnsghost town · Wicomico County · 20.2 mi
- Cape Henlopen Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 22.7 mi
- Cape Henlopen Beaconlighthouse · Sussex County · 23.5 mi
- Delaware Breakwater East End Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 24 mi
- Delaware Breakwater Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 24.2 mi
- Delaware Breakwater Range Front Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 24.2 mi
- Bowdens Garageghost town · Sussex County · 24.3 mi
- Piney Groveghost town · Worcester County · 25.1 mi
- Harbor of Refuge Lightlighthouse · Sussex County · 25.2 mi
- Kellyghost town · Wicomico County · 25.9 mi
- Minksvilleghost town · Wicomico County · 26.7 mi
- North Laurelghost town · Sussex County · 29 mi
Questions
Where is Fenwick Island Light?
Fenwick Island Light is in Sussex County, Delaware, at 38.4514, -75.0548.
How many lighthouses are in Sussex County?
Sussex County, Delaware has 9 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
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.