Construction of the 4,300-foot-long breakwater began in April 1881. Eighteen years, $750,000, and over 732,277 tons of granite later, it was completed on November 24, 1899. The lighthouse dates from 1902 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The City of Rockland accepted ownership of the Rockland Lighthouse on September 14, 1998.