The Chantry lighthouse is a significant landmark. It was built at a time when commercial shipping traffic was increasing on the Great Lakes between Canada and the U.S. because of new trade agreements and the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal locks in 1855. The Bruce Peninsula was also open to settlement by 1850, making the lighthouses timely. The other Imperial Towers were also built in the same era, including the nearby Point Clark Lighthouse, to act as navigational aids for the ships. Like those, the Chantry tower was made primarily of cut stone with a functional design that is simple but elegant and pleasing to the eye.
