[1] Plagued by fog, earthquakes, and flooding, it was eventually abandoned and left to deteriorate in favor of a new light at Table Bluff.

The design was essentially that of the original Point Loma Light: a central tower with a 1½ story house erected around it.

The move was delayed for some decades, and in interim the light experienced numerous injuries from the elements.

The lighthouse was officially closed on 31 October 1892 and the buildings were used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a field office during improvements to the harbor mouth,[2] then was left to decay, with the central tower eventually collapsing around 1933.

All that is left at the site today are foundation walls (which can be viewed in Samoa Dunes Recreation Area at the end of the north spit), though the cupola of the lantern was eventually recovered from the sand and is displayed at the Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum.