It was moved to Pensacola in 1823 from its previous post at the mouth of the Mississippi River after a lighthouse had been completed there.

The new location allowed the tower to serve as the rear range light marking the passage across the Pensacola Bar.

It had a sixth order Fresnel lens, and showed a fixed white light visible for 11 miles (18 km).

At the start of the Civil War, Pensacola was controlled by Confederate forces, while Fort Pickens across the bay remained in Union hands.

Electricity was introduced to the lighthouse in 1939, eliminating the need to rewind the light rotation clockworks every 4½ hours.

As of 2009, the lighthouse reopened on a limited basis for public tours, and since early 2011 it has been open 7 days a week.