[4] The first lighthouse at the site, a masonry building 108 feet tall constructed in 1830, was destroyed by German troops near the close of World War II.

This, the current tower, is a little taller, 125 feet tall, and was designed in the Art Deco style by Maurice Durand.

[5] Construction was supported by the state, according to the demands of the chambers of commerce of Nantes and Bordeaux, and the tower was to be used both as a landmark and as a watchtower.

Nevertheless, a pronouncement of 18 April 1836 found that it was not fair to force the commune to maintain the bell tower in its then-current state, given that it could be either removed or shortened without doing damage to the church itself.

[5] As it was eventually decided that the tower was of essential importance to the island, the state agreed to subsidize repairs, allotting 3000 gold francs for the purpose in 1837.

[5] The first lighthouse on the site was formally opened on 15 October 1830; it showed a fixed white light from a first-order Fresnel lens.