[3] Erected in 1841 by Kru men from Africa (who were among the free Africans brought to Jamaica in the period following emancipation), it is the oldest lighthouse on the island[3] and the first cast iron lighthouse built in the Western Hemisphere.

[2] To protect against surf during hurricanes, a semicircular masonry wall has been built around the seaward side of the base of the lighthouse.

[2] It was designed by Alexander Gordon and built by George Grove, later a leading writer on music.

[2] It is listed by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust as a historic monument, being "of considerable interest to historians of industrial technology".

[3] It is maintained by the Port Authority of Jamaica, an agency of the Ministry of Transport and Mining.