Haunted Lighthouses in Connecticut
Connecticut’s rocky shoreline constantly kept mariners on alert. Several lighthouses built in southwestern Connecticut are situated on perilous rock islands or ledges. One of these structures, located on Sheffield Island, is believed to be haunted by strange music and other phenomena. Another beacon was erected on Penfield Reef, infamous for being one of the most treacherous ledges in Long Island Sound, haunted by a keeper who drowned but is still helping mariners.
Additionally, lighthouses were constructed in the Stratford Harbor area due to frequent foggy conditions. One such lighthouse stands on the dangerous Stratford Shoal, said to be haunted by an assistant keeper who went insane. New London Harbor also experiences persistent fog. The perilous New London Ledge marks the harbor entrance, with its distinctive brick lighthouse rumored to be haunted by a ghost nicknamed “Ernie,” and possibly other spirits.
Strange Music and Voices
Sheffield Island Light, Norwalk, CT
Before the lighthouse was built and even during its tenure, shipwrecks still occurred. Although rarely documented, some have reported strange music or cries for help. This was more substantiated when, in 1991, a female archaeologist was working on the island and reported to have heard strange music near the lighthouse but was unable to determine its origin. She also mentioned hearing a faint foghorn out on the water, and distant cries for help with no one in sight. Others who have maintained the island over the years have heard other strange sounds.
In 2006, a team of paranormal investigators were called upon to visit the island and lighthouse. They were able to reveal that the lighthouse may be occupied by three spirits, including a young girl named Abby, who all seem to be stuck on the island. The sounds of strange music being reported may have been attributed to the island's namesake and original owner, Captain Robert Sheffield, who had "a weird knack for musical instruments."
Condè Nast Traveler, a lifestyle travel magazine, had also named Sheffield Island and its lighthouse one of the 32 most "haunted" places in the United States.
Ghost of Drowned Keeper Still Helps Mariners
Penfield Reef Light, Fairfield, CT
In rough seas on a cold morning a few days before Christmas, in 1916, Keeper Frederick Jordan decided to row ashore to join his family with handmade Christmas presents. The rough seas and winds from a sudden gale storm capsized his dory a few hundred yards away from the lighthouse shore. Assistant Keeper Rudolf Iten grabbed a boat, but could not get it near the keeper, who at this point had drifted nearly half a mile away from the lighthouse with the constant wind gusts. Fearing for his own life, Iten had to give up on the rescue and watch Keeper Jorden drift helplessly away, eventually drowning in the cold seas.
Iten would tell a reporter later that a few days after the drowning he witnessed a hazy figure coming out of Jorden’s room, and then same figure up in the lantern room. Even when Iten became keeper afterwards, he had other colleagues at the lighthouse, who also witnessed the ghostly figure.
Over the years mariners along the Connecticut coast claim that, in stormy weather, a human figure is seen on the lantern room gallery or floating above the reef itself. Some have been claimed to have been directed away from the reef by the figure on stormy nights. Many still believe it is the ghost of Keeper Jordan still guarding the safety of mariners who come too close to the destructive reef.
Click this link Ghost of Keeper Jordan for more intricate details, to be directed to my Lighthouse Stories blog section.
Most Haunted Lighthouse in Connecticut
Stratford Shoal (Middleground) Light, Bridgeport, CT
Suicidal Assistant Keeper
Stratford Shoal Light, also known as Middleground Light, is isolated on a rocky shoal and is considered to be the most haunted lighthouse in Connecticut. In 1905, the head keeper was ashore on vacation as one Assistant Keeper, Julius Koster, who was having issues dealing with the isolation, tried to attack the other Assistant Keeper, Morrell Hulse, in an argument with his razor. Both men avoided one another for a few days as Hulse tried to keep the lighthouse maintained and working efficiently.
A few days later, Hulse found Koster in the lantern room with an axe ready to destroy the lens. Hulse was able to subdue Koster, and have the attacker removed from service and placed in a New York sanitarium. Koster committed suicide a few days later. It is believed Koster still haunts the lighthouse, throwing cookware and slamming doors.
Church Bells Underwater
Another haunting involves the ship Trustful, that sank with a load of church bells near the shoal. Some crew members, realizing a storm was approaching, were talking between one another about staying ashore, but were forced on board by their threatening angry captain. Everyone perished when the ship sank in the storm. For many years afterward, mariners have claimed that when approaching the shoal in stormy weather, the muffled sound of church bells can be heard under the waves by the lighthouse.
Click this link Most Haunted Connecticut Lighthouse for more intricate details, to be directed to my Lighthouse Stories blog section.
Hauntings of "Ernie"
New London Ledge Light, New London, CT
Many numerous accounts of paranormal activity have been documented by keepers and Coast Guardsmen who heard a ghost they named “Ernie” being responsible for doors opening and closing, a TV that would turn on and off, along with setting off the fog horn, lots of banging, and setting adrift boats.
One story involves a keeper that had committed suicide when his wife ran off with the captain of the Block Island Ferry and was never seen again. However, there is no record of any suicide attempt.
In the early 2000s, psychics and researchers were invited and contacted an unhappy spirit, which apparently claimed to have been a worker who had fallen off the roof accidentally to his death, from a prank his coworkers had concocted, where they locked him out on the roof. The spirit felt to one of the psychics that the event was covered up, which provides a unique alternative to the other “Ernie” story and may account for why no lighthouse keeper had reportedly met his death there. The psychics tried to persuade the ghost to leave without success, as he continues with his mischievous behavior at the lighthouse.
Click this link The Ghost Named Ernie for more intricate details, to be directed to my Lighthouse Stories blog section.
Books to Explore
New Book!  Available in paperback. |
New England's Haunted Lighthouses: Explore the historical mysteries surrounding the haunted lighthouses of New England! Uncover ghostly tales of lingering keepers, victims of misfortune or from local shipwrecks, lost souls, ghost ships, and more. You'll find plenty of additional details about the haunted lighthouses in Connecticut. Immerse yourself in the tales associated with these iconic beacons! |
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts This book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions you can explore, including parks, museums, boat cruises and tours. You'll also find over 360 images to enjoy as well. Look inside! |
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Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Northern New England: This book provides human interest stories from each of the 76 lighthouses in northern New England, along with plenty of coastal attractions and tours near each beacon, and contact info to plan your special trips. Look inside! |
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This book is available in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
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The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants of sail were built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies and measured longer than a football field! These true stories include competitions, accidents, battling destructive storms, acts of heroism, and their final voyages. |
