The lighthouse, a white octagonal brick tower, was designed by James Walker of civil engineers Messrs. Walker, Burgess & Cooper. Foundations were laid on 12 April 1857 with construction carried out by local builder William Falkingbridge of Well Close Square, Whitby. Supervising the construction Henry Norris of James Walker's firm was engaged as Superintendent of the Works on behalf of Trinity House. The light was first lit on 1 October 1858 with costs of construction having run to about £8,000. Originally, it was one of a pair of towers aligned north-south and known as the twin lights of Whitby South and Whitby North ; together they were sometimes referred to as the High Whitby lights. The North Light was of a similar octagonal design to the surviving South Light, but taller at . Their purpose was to show a fixed pair of lights which, when in transit, lined up with Whitby Rock. Each was equipped with a paraffin lamp and a large fixed optic designed by Chance Brothers. A pair of single-storey keepers' cottages was attached to each tower. In 1890, a more efficient light was installed in the South Light, allowing the North Light to be deactivated: an occulting mechanism was installed, which eclipsed the light once every thirty seconds, and a red sector was added marking Whitby Rock. The former Low Lightouse was then demolished but the site was retained for a building to house new fog signalling apparatus, including a compressed air plant powered by two Hornsby horizontal 25-horsepower oil engines. Following trials of different types of signal Trinity House took the decision to use sirens at Whitby, sounded through a pair of 'Rayleigh trumpets'. Over the next decade or more Trinity House went on to install similar equipment in several other lighthouse locations. Whitby Fog Signal was operational from 1903 and continued in use until 1987, the equipment having been updated in 1955. The building, which retains the twin roof-mounted 20-ft trumpets, is now a private dwelling, part of which is also used as holiday accommodation. Whitby High lighthouse was electrified in 1976 and automated in 1992; the former lighthouse keepers' cottages are now available to hire by holidaymakers.
