Although Congress appropriated the $25,000 on March 3, 1891, construction wouldn't begin until April 22, 1892. During the course of construction, 105 yards of granite, 430 casks of cement, 60,000 bricks, 100 tons of sand, 200 tons of stone, and 70,000 feet of lumber were used, most which were transported to the island by the lighthouse tender Myrtle. To ensure the station would stand up to the frequent storms, the structure was constructed of a semicircular granite pier, which was 36 feet in diameter and 12 feet high. Its center was hollow, allowing for cisterns and a storeroom. Atop the granite pier was a brick fog signal house. Attached to the rear of the semicircular granite pier was a two-story double dwelling containing10 rooms. A bulkhead of hard pine, 60 feet long, was erected to protect the dwelling. The boathouse and slip were built on the west side of the rock, which was protected from the sea. Work on the station, totaled $24,750 and was finished on November 16, 1892. Installed were twin steam-driven Daboll fog trumpets, which were placed into service in December 1892. During periods of low visibility, a three-second blast was sounded every 20 seconds. In1895, a 1000-pound bell was installed. it was operated by hand while steam for the Daboll trumpet was being built up, or to be used i
in situations when the Daboll trumpet had failed. A radio transmitter was installed in 1956. Automated in 1975. The lighthouse was rebuilt from 2011 to 2014.
Tower Height: 48' ( 14.5 m), Focal Plane: 59' (18 m), Active Aid to Navigation : Yes, Lens 4th order Fresnel lens (original), VRB-25 (current), Range: 12 nautical miles ( 22 km, 14 miles), Characteristic: Fl (2) W 6s, Fog Horn: 1 every 15s,
Located on a small island just off the southern end of Southport Island.
GPS: Latitude: 43.7795, Longitude: -69.650005
