The original lighthouse was actually out on a point and was used by mariners to stay away from the shore. It was in use until 1941 when city planners wanted to tear the building down and erect a metal tower for the now automated light. The building got a reprieve in World War II because it was used for coast watching. But the building was torn down in 1943 and the light on a metal tower was all there was for twenty years. That is when the Abbotts wanted to raise a memorial to their son Mark who had died in a surfing accident. They used the life insurance money and as much of the original materials of the building to create a new lighthouse/museum on the site.