In 1908, the federal government bought 21 acres (8.5 ha) at the end of the peninsula for a light station. A true lighthouse was never built[4] and the land was transferred to Whatcom County for use as a county park. In 2000, the Point Roberts Lighthouse Society was formed with the purpose of building a proper lighthouse on the point.[2] According to a 2014 presentation to the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Committee, the society had completed architectural designs and had funding in place with the goal of seeing the project, which would include a U.S. Coast Guard-approved
navigational light, through to completion in 2015.[5] In November of 2018, The Point Roberts Lighthouse Society announced that they were canceling their plans to construct a new lighthouse. They cited the city government's lack of action, and issues that the city and county governments had brought forward with regards to future costs that the new lighthouse would incur.[6]