Standing at 87 feet tall, the Fenwick Island Lighthouse was an isolated structure located at the peninsula south of Delaware at the boundary of Maryland. It was completed on 29thof December, 1858 but would only be used eight months later on August 1, 1859. The United States Congressed designated an amount of $25,000 for the construction of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, which would later be one of the Historical Landmarks of the state.

In 1978, the operation of the lighthouse was stopped, and would remain unused for several years. Four years later, it would be relit due to the petition of the public, and as a result, its ownership was transferred to the State of Delaware. It seemed that the Fenwick Island Lighthouse needed a renovation so in 1997, a full restoration of the structure was done, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the people led by the New Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse, a non-profit organization. It was rededicated a year later, in July 1998.