The lighthouse was meant to serve the increased shipping traffic on the Elizabeth River, and initially was designed with six piles.

Eventually the structure sat at a tilt, with the west side about 14 inches (36 cm) lower than the east.

The lighthouse gradually became useless due to construction at the point, and eventually it was surrounded by piers and warehouses built by the Norfolk and Western Railroad.

It was eventually suggested that a new lighthouse be built at Bush's Bluff, some miles upriver, and that this might supersede the light at Lambert's Point.

The Lambert Point Light was finally extinguished on December 31, 1892, the same year that Bush's Bluff was marked with a lightvessel.