[2] It is the second of three lighthouses that have been built on Bald Head Island since the 18th century to help guide ships past the dangerous shoals at the mouth of the Cape Fear river.

A 10-acre (4.0 ha) site on the west side of Bald Head Island, along the banks of the Cape Fear River, was selected for North Carolina's first lighthouse.

The lighthouse, which was first activated on December 23, 1794, directed traffic to the Cape Fear River and the growing port of Wilmington, located several miles upstream.

Old Baldy was first lit in 1817 by keeper, Sedgwick Springs, a veteran of the American Revolution and owner of the nearby Sedgely Abbey Plantation.

Positioned some four miles from the eastern end of the island and equipped with a minor light, the lighthouse was unsuccessful in guiding ships safely past Frying Pan Shoals especially during storms and fog.

[2] Requests for funds to increase the height of Old Baldy and install a more powerful first-order lens to make it a coastal beacon, as had been done at Cape Hatteras in 1854 and Tybee Island in 1866, were never approved.

[1] In 1995 Jacob Arthur, grandson of Charlie Frank House, Jr. (a contributor to the lighthouse's restoration and preservation) unveiled the plaque that stands in the foyer today.

[7] When Hurricane Fran struck the southern North Carolina coast on September 5, 1996, there were a few residents remaining on Bald Head Island.

When wind speeds climbed past hurricane strength, some islanders fled their houses and sought shelter inside the Bald Head Lighthouse.

It is possibly one of the safest structures on the island; its construction of brick and plaster five feet thick has weathered many storms[8] and is now known to withstand at least Category 3 hurricanes.