Cape Spear is the most easterly point in Newfoundland, and in all of Canada after Newfoundland joined confederation in 1949. Recognizing the importance of the site and the role it would play in serving as first landfall for many ships crossing the Atlantic, and for traffic around the vital St. John’s Harbour, the province's second lighthouse (after Fort Amherst) would be built there in 1836.

The lighthouse initially consisted of a square base which housed the keeper and their family, with a domed lantern room sitting atop the main structure. Over the years, multiple extensions would be made to the lower half however these were later torn down in the 1980s in order to restore the lighthouse to its original 1830s look. The site was used during WW2 as a heavy coastal battery in order to protect St. John’s harbour against German attack. To fulfill this task, two 10-inch M1888 on lend-lease from the US were placed in hardened concrete bunkers with a disappearing carriage system so that they could be slid back inside their protective structure after firing.

Today, the area is designated as a national historic site of Canada, and the lighthouse as well as its adjoining structures are open as a museum. At nearly 190 years in age, the lighthouse at Cape Spear is the oldest lighthouse in the province, except for the original structure at Fort Amherst which is long since demolished.