There are two lighthouses, actually - the old one which is now a historical monument and the newer one which still operates. The old lighthouse opened in November 1855, but was abandoned in 1891 because it was too far from the water. It was built by the Lighthouse Commission of the Federal Government, and was once the most popular historical monument in the country, according to historians. The light from the new lighthouse stretches more than 23 miles across the water.