Take an Online Tour!

Founding of U.S. Coast Guard

In 1854 the 4-masted Brig “Powhattan” was wrecked off of Long Beach Island with a loss of 340 lives. The public's reaction to this tragedy caused congress to establish the United States Lifesaving Service in New Jersey. Lifesaving stations were built approximately every 10 miles from Sandy Hook down to Little Egg Harbor and the loss of life from shipwrecks along the Jersey Shore. In 1915 the U.S. Life Saving Service and the U.S. Revenue Service merged to form the United States Coast Guard, which has performed admirable ever since to protect our shores even though the number of shipwrecks has been reduced drastically.