In 1802, the United States government purchased land at the mouth of the Connecticut River from William Lynde. A year later, a 34-foot wooden lighthouse was constructed on the site by Abisha Woodward of New London at a cost of $2,200 (roughly, $60,000).

Philip Grumley was appointed as the first keeper and served for 15 years. He was succeeded by King Miller, who tragically became the lighthouse’s first casualty when he drowned after his skiff overturned in June 1827. Daniel and Catharine Whittlesey followed as the third and fourth keepers of the light.

In 1838, the wooden tower was replaced by the current 65-foot brownstone structure, built for $7,500 by Jonathan Scranton, Volney Pierce, and John Wilcox of Madison, Connecticut.

Lynde Point has also been the site of several heroic rescues. In 1915, Keeper Lawrence Gildersleeve, who was born at the lighthouse, rescued two individuals stranded in harbor ice.

The lighthouse was electrified in 1955 and fully automated by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1978. In 1990, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized for the exceptional craftsmanship of its tapering brownstone walls.