Harbor of Refuge Light stands at the ocean end of the outer Delaware Breakwater off Cape Henlopen, part of a long federal effort to improve navigation and shelter ships in Delaware Bay. Built to mark the National Harbor of Refuge, it followed earlier breakwaters and temporary beacons that proved inadequate or were destroyed by storms. A permanent lighthouse completed in 1908 soon suffered severe wave damage and was dismantled in 1925. The present cast-iron tower, established in 1926, was built to better withstand Atlantic weather and remains an active navigational aid. Its preservation now depends heavily on the condition of the aging breakwater beneath it.