The wreck of the merchant ship Lord Ashburton in 1857 on the northern tip of Grand Manan, with the loss of 21 lives, led the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly to call for "a Light House to be erected on the Northern Head of Grand Manan". The site chosen was a headland called the "Swallow's Tail" near the entrance to the harbour at North Head. The lighthouse tower and keeper's dwelling were built in 1859 at a cost of £495 and the lantern was first lit on 7 July 1860. It was the first lighthouse to be built on the island of Grand Manan.
