Established in 1879, Point Wilson first showed its fixed, white beam on December 15th of that year. The name of the light comes from Captain George Vancouver, who first sighted the point nearly one hundred years earlier, in May of 1792. The Clallam and Chimacum Indians knew the point as Kamkum and Kam-kam-ho.

The original light was located on top of the lightkeepers house. It was moved to its present tower location when the structure was built in 1913. The first lightkeeper at Point Wilson was David M. Littlefield, a civil war veteran who lived in Port Townsend for several years.

The fixed white light with a red flash every 20 seconds comes from a 1000-watt bulb shining through a rotating Fresnel lens. The Fresnel lens was invented by Mr. Fresnel of France. These lenses were built of different sizes and designated by order. A first order is the largest and sixth order is the smallest. The lens here at Point Wilson is a fourth order. The hand cut and polished crystal prisms concentrate the small light into a powerful beam. The light has a range of sixteen miles.

Before electricity, the light was produced by an oil lamp which is said to have burned three gallons of oil every night.

The lighthouse was manned until the early 1960's. It is now automated and maintained by the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team from Seattle. The houses were occupied by lightkeeprs until the automation of the light took place. Now, the housing is occupied by crewman of the Coast Guard Cutter Osprey (a 1999 replacement vessel to the Point Bennett), homeported in Port Townsend.

The large tower just east of the lighthouse is a Seattle Vessel Traffic Service RADAR. This provides information to the control center in Seattle which monitors the movement of all ships and large vessels on Puget Sound. While the lighthouse helps vessels find their way to avoid running aground, the Vessel Traffic Service helps the mariners to safely navigate around each other.

Point Wilson Lighthouse is on the National Historic Register of Historic Light Stations

NOTE:
The lighthouse is still under the ownership and control of the US Coast Guard. Negotiations related to transfer of ownership and control continue.  The eventual goal is to allow Washington State Parks to offer tours of the lighthouse.