It was built to function with the Delaware Breakwater East End Light in order to mark the National Harbor of Refuge.

[1] In 1825, an act of Congress authorized the initial construction of a breakwater off of Cape Henlopen in order to create a harbor for ships in stormy weather.

As shipbuilding advanced into the second half of the 19th century, this harbor was no longer sufficiently deep for the newer and larger ships of the US Navy.

The south end, where the current lighthouse stands, featured a white frame tower of 30 feet (9.1 m) with a “five-day” lens lantern exhibiting a red light.

The 52-foot (16 m) frame tower was white and hexagonal in shape, had three stories and lead colored trim topped with a black lantern.

Originally the tower was equipped with a four-panel fourth order Fresnel lens that flashed every 10 seconds at a 72-foot (22 m) focal point.

The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 then hit Delaware Bay, partially flooding the lighthouse when a wave broke a second story window.

In April 2002, the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation, a non-profit, volunteer organization, signed a lease to manage the structure.

Damage by Hurricane Isabel in September was quickly repaired, but there is concern that the lighthouse is endangered by the poor condition of the Harbor of Refuge Breakwater on which it is built and which is still owned by the Federal Government and is the maintenance responsibility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

With the blessing of the Corps of Engineers, the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation began seeking Federal appropriations to fund repairs to the breakwater.

An appropriation of just under $350,000 was finally made with the Federal budget for 2008 and the Corps began survey and planning work in preparation for repairs.