Following the Civil War, expanding maritime commerce made better methods of assisting ships in distress necessary. Built in 1876 by the United States Life-Saving Service, the Indian River Life-Saving Station became part of a network of similar facilities along the Atlantic seaboard. In 1915, the Life-Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service merged to form the modern-day United States Coast Guard, which continued operating the station until it was decommissioned after a devastating coastal storm in 1962. The property was later transferred to the State of Delaware, used for a time as a maintenance facility by the state's Transportation agency, and then incorporated into Delaware Seashore State Park. In 1997, the facility was extensively renovated and restored to its 1905 appearance, and it is now operated by the Delaware Seashore Preservation Foundation in partnership with the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation. The Indian River Life-Saving Station was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.