Prior to the establishment of this lighthouse by Congress in 1855, Warren Crowell had maintained a lantern burning in the attic window of his house at Wrinkle Point to aid local mariners near the mouth of the Bass River. Crowell's on site residence gave him an inside track for the job of lighthouse keeper, which he held until 1880, except for a nine year leave of absence, most of which he served as a wounded prisoner in a Virginia POW camp during the Civil War.
With the advent of the Cape Cod Canal, the light was deactivated in 1914, but was relit in 1989 with automatic control. Its current optic, a 300mm lens, flashes a white light every six seconds.
During the light's de-activation period, the building was expanded and converted to an inn. The Lighthouse Inn, with its distinctive light on the roof, added to its popularity. Its re-activation in 1989 didn't hurt either.
