The light marks the northern limit of the Florida Reef, an underwater coral formation on the lower east coast of the state.

The official order approved on February 12, 1901, called for a "first-order light at or near Hillsboro Point...at a cost not to exceed $90,000.

[3] The wives of the lighthouse keepers would make sea grape jelly to trade for pickled vegetables from local farmers.

[6] During the 1926 Miami hurricane J.B. Isler stood a 32-hour watch, keeping the light burning while fearing the lighthouse would fall.

[3] It stood but 20 feet (6.1 m) of sand was washed out from under it, according to Mary Ella Knight Voss, daughter of a prior lightkeeper.

[3][7] The Hillsboro Inlet Light Station was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1979.

[Note 3][10] The octagonal iron pyramidal tower was built by the Russel Wheel and Foundry in Detroit Michigan after entering the lowest bid at $24,000.

Documents from the Foundry and William Craighill (District 7 & 8 Engineer in charge of the project) detail numerous errors which may have helped in the demise of the Cape Fear light.

Among the long-held myths are the origins of the tower which stated that this lighthouse was built by a Chicago steel firm for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

Gardner Construction Company of New Orleans, Louisiana cleared the land, laid the foundations and re-assembled and erected the lighthouse.

[2] Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens emits a light measuring 5.5 megacandelas and is placed 135 feet (41 m) above sea level.

The mercury was contained in a doughnut-shaped base and required filtering every 10 years to remove salt that accumulated.

[24] Two 1,000 watt xenon high pressure lamps were installed in 1966, bringing the light to 5.5 megacandelas, making it the third most powerful lighthouse in the world at that time.

[Note 3] Automated in 1974, the light acts both as a coastal navigational aide and as a support to local water traffic.

[4] The Coast Guard had planned to remove the original fresnel lens but a successful local campaign, including resolutions from the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, led to the restoration.

[17][25] The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society was co-founded in 1997 by Harry Cushing and David F. Butler as a part of the campaign.

[28] The old mechanism contained 400 pounds (180 kg) of mercury which was replaced by a specially designed ball bearing system.

[28] One month after the lamp was relit the bearing system, designed by Collins Engineering of Chicago, failed.

[4][15] It was redesigned by the Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit, with sixty 2 inch (51 mm) balls in 68,000 US gallons (260,000 L) of oil.

[30] The Coast Guard considered turning the light off or obscuring a portion of it to prevent guiding hatchling sea turtles away from the ocean in 2012.

[31][32] Also that year a bronze statue of the Barefoot mailman, James "Ed" Hamilton, was erected at the base of the lighthouse.

[33] The earlier sculpture stood outside the Barefoot Mailman Restaurant until it closed, moving to in front of the Hillsboro Inlet town hall and then in 2003 to the lighthouse grounds.

The Morale, Well-Being and Recreational Cottages facility consists of the Keeper's Quarters, Inlet House and The Bungalow.

Located directly behind the Inlet House is The Bungalow a 1+1⁄2-story, one and a half bath, one bedroom building that can accommodate 4.

[37] Surrounded by water on three sides and on the other by the Hillsboro Club which restricts access to its property, the lighthouse is only available to tours four times a year conducted by the preservation society via boat.

[38] Ralph Krugler the official historian of the preservation society is preparing a book on the history of the lighthouse.

He intends to correct many of the inaccuracies that have been reported (he states even the list of keepers in bronze on the lighthouse isn't accurate) and relate stories uncovered in his research.

[2] Hurricane Irma washed a large amount of sand from under the foundations of the lighthouse and displaced the barefoot mailman statue.

The preservation society is raising funds for a plan to build a granite spur jetty to protect the site.

Bergell's work exceeded the expectations of a keeper, he rescued many stranded seafarers and saved numerous lives.