The lighthouse was built between 1871 and 1878, it took 7 of these years to build the huge masonry foundations in the reef, which took thousands of tonnes of riprap, many acts of courage and lots of patience. The lighthouse was automated in 1978.

The lighthouse was considered a great danger for navigators of the sea, one of the reasons being that at low tide there was only 3 feet of water to cover the lighthouses base. It has been the cause of many accidents and many ending in tragedy and loss of life, including the ship 'Atlantic' where 45 people died.

The lighthouse is thought to be haunted by a former caretaker, also strange noises are heard, fogs are seen for no obvious reason and objects have been known to move by themselves.