The Fort Hancock U.S. Life Saving Station, also known as Spermaceti Cove No. 2 Life-Saving Service Station, is located on

Sandy Hook Sandy Hook is a barrier spit in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The barrier spit, approximately in length and varying from wide, is located at the north end of the Jersey Shore. It encloses the southern ...

, north of

Highlands, New Jersey :''See also New York–New Jersey Highlands for the northwestern part of the state.'' Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, its population was 5,005,

. Originally built on the grounds of Fort Hancock, the area has been part of the Sandy Hook Unit of

Gateway National Recreation Area Gateway National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area in New York City and Monmouth County, New Jersey. It provides recreational opportunities that are not commonly found in a dense urban environment, including ocean swimming, bir ...

since 1974. A

United States Life-Saving Service The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a Federal government of the United States, United States government agency that grew out ...

station was first located in the area in 1848 or 1849. The current structure was built in 1894 about 1,000 feet (305 m) from the 1848 site. It is a -story shingle-style building with a boathouse and a four-story tower. When the Life-Saving Service was merged into the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

in 1915, the site became a Coast Guard Station until decommissioned in 1949. It later served as administrative offices for a New Jersey state park, and, beginning in 1974, as a visitors' center for Gateway NRA. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on November 30, 1981.NPS historic place nomination form
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References

Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Government buildings completed in 1894 Buildings and structures in Monmouth County, New Jersey Highlands, New Jersey Life-Saving Service stations National Register of Historic Places in Monmouth County, New Jersey New Jersey Register of Historic Places Life-Saving Service stations on the National Register of Historic Places 1894 establishments in New Jersey {{NewJersey-NRHP-stub