In 1720, it was decided to establish a twin light at Lindesnes. Two lights would ensure a better landmark and prevent confusion with other lighthouses. The tip of Skagen in Denmark, Færder in the Oslo Fjord, and Kvitsøy at Jæren all had only one light.
Jørgen Michelsen Bornholm was granted the privilege to operate a lighthouse at Lindesnes.
He was a citizen of Strømsøe (Drammen) and a multifaceted merchant. He ran, for instance, a saltworks while in charge of several ships.
He had lost a ship at Lindesnes and knew how dangerous these waters could be. The incident made him want a light at this headland.
Bornholm was a thorough man, and he collected signatures from other captains in the Northern European harbours. He would use these to advocate his wish to be in charge of the lighthouses at Lindesnes. He wanted to erect two 60-foot-tall towers to make the lights visible to the «seafarers, when they in stormy dark weather seek land». He also calculated the state cost of all shipwrecks at “the Naize”.
The King would receive one-quarter of the lighthouse revenue. He furthermore promised to donate 50 riksdaler annually for the upkeep of Kongsberg Church.
Following a survey done by local maritime pilots in February 1723, Markøy Island and the Hammerberget mountain at Lindesnes were selected as suitable lighthouse properties.
The 60-foot-tall towers were not in place when the lights were lit on February 1st 1725. Instead, the lighthouse station consisted of two open coal-burning cast-iron baskets placed directly on the rocks.
Bornholm needed people to live at “the Naize” and at Markøy to tend the two beacons. Every night, wood was lit up, followed by stone coal, to keep the fires going all night until sunrise.
Houses, outhouses, docks and coal sheds were built. The Lights ran from August 10th to March 10th. The coal was transported by boats from Selør, Korshavn or Svinør. Five men, in addition to the lighthouse keepers and their families, carried the coal in hampers up to the coal-burning baskets on top of the rocks. It was exhausting work carrying a heavy load over a far and steep distance. The fire baskets were always hungry.
Bornholm managed a satisfactory lighthouse operation, both economically and technically. In 1742, his privilege was extended for another 20 years.
In 1759, Jørgen Michelsen Bornholm died a childless man.