In 1888 the Lighthouse Board requested funds to establish a light in this area, with an amount of $20,000 being approved the following year (equivalent to $680,000 in 2023[2]).

[4][3] This was the last shore lighthouse with an integral keeper's residence built on the east coast of the United States.

[3] It was installed in conjunction with transmitters on the Ambrose and Fire Island lightships; with a radio direction finder, a ship could fix its position accurately through triangulation from the three sites.

At the outset of World War II, the light was deactivated and the lens removed;[3] the house was remodeled to serve as a dormitory for a Coast Guard observation post.

[3] This restoration was accomplished, and the building is now available both for tours[3] and for a variety of meetings; the beacon was removed from the external tower and placed in the old lantern, now operated as a private aid to navigation.