Designed by architect James Lake Parkinson in a Carpenter Gothic style, the building is one of 25 stations built of the 1882 life-saving type.

At 4th Street and Atlantic Avenue, the life-saving station was originally near the beach, but sand gradually accumulated, such that it is currently about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) from the coast.

The United States Coast Guard continued to own the property, utilizing it during World War II to store equipment and personnel who patrolled the beach for German submarines and spies.

During the early 19th century, shipwrecks were common along the New Jersey coast, due to the poor conditions of lighthouses, markers, and coastal maps.

Corson Inlet Station was built in 1855 at the south end of Ocean City at what is now 58th Street, and was replaced by a newer facility in 1899.

[3] After a series of shipwrecks in the winter of 1870–1871, the U.S. Congress authorized funds to put trained crews at every station and repair buildings.

In the same year, Pecks Beach Station was built at what is now 36th Street and Wesley Avenue, which was replaced by a newer facility in 1899.

Over time, the beach accrued sand and moved the coast eastward to its current distance, about 1⁄4 mi (400 m) from the station.

In December 1936, the Ocean City Life-Saving Station was shut down due to its isolation from the beach and presence in a neighborhood.

[3] The building was reopened during World War II in late 1941 to store equipment and personnel who patrolled the beach for German submarines and spies.

[3] In February 1999, Ocean City's Historic Preservation Commission denied the property's owner a permit to demolish the wings of the building.

The Citizens for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit to stop the building from being relocated, and the Cape May County Superior Court issued a stay on demolition.

For eight years, Parkin and Pansini attempted to sell the property, but a historical preservation group Saving Our Station fought the sale in court.

[7] The Saving Our Station group appealed to the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, which ruled in May 2009 that averaging various property assessments was an inappropriate determination of market value.

A nonprofit organization U.S. Life Saving Station 30 was formed to seek grants to support building repairs.

[2] Beginning in May 2013, Ocean City issued a series of contracts to restore the building to its condition in 1906 and turn it into a museum.

The work consisted of restoring original light bulbs, replacing posts, fixing sidewalks, improved support for the roof, Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility, improved ventilation, removing sand, new service for water, gas, and sewage, and repairing damage caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.