Lit in 1836, it is the oldest light station in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan.

The current building was first lit in 1858 and continued as an active aid to navigation until 1988, when it was replaced with a modern skeletal tower and automated system.

The restoration was performed with the help from the non-profit Friends Of Rock Island State Park.

The fresnel lens, lost after the lighthouse was shut down in the late 1980s, was replaced by a plexiglass copy in 1999.

The original (1836) privy still stands on the grounds and is the oldest structure in Door County.