As 1921 began, the historic Barnegat Lighthouse was under siege by two forces: First, from the relentless erosion of the ground on which it stood, and second, from the federal government, which opposed the will of the local citizens and wanted to abandon it to the relentless tide.

The Philadelphia Inquirer of Feb. 6 summed up the feelings of many of the local residents.

“Claiming that the Lighthouse Bureau, after taking over the jetties built at their own expense last year by citizens who hoped…