Records of the town of Jamestown from 1712 make reference to a beacon, and they mention a watch house in 1705.

British sailors retreating from Newport near the end of the American Revolutionary War left a trail of destruction behind them in 1779.

This included burning the lighthouse and removing the optics, which left the light dark for the rest of the war.

A 3rd order Fresnel lens was placed in service, and it was the site of numerous fog-signal tests over the next 40 years under the supervision of the United States Lighthouse Board.

The whistle house was destroyed during the 1938 hurricane, revealing the original base for the 1749 structure which sits 100 feet (30 m) from the current tower.