Penfield Reef Lighthouse is considered haunted by Keeper Jorden who drowned when his boat capsized near the light.
Ghost of Drowned Keeper Frederick Jordan at Penfield Reef Light in Connecticut Still Helps in Rescuing Mariners
Penfield Reef Lighthouse sits atop a dangerous reef about a mile offshore from Fairfield, Connecticut, in Long Island Sound.
It is believed to be haunted by the ghost of an old keeper who drowned trying to get ashore to see his family.
Penfield Reef Lighthouse. Vintage image courtesy US Coast Guard
Keeper Frederick Jordan hadn’t seen his family for weeks due to a series of storms, stranding him at Penfield Reef Lighthouse until he was finally relieved by Assistant Keeper Rudolph Iten. On a cold morning on December 22, 1916, a series of gale force winds came up suddenly, churning the waters, but the keeper decided to row ashore to join his family with handmade Christmas presents. In a dory, Jordan set out around 1:30 p.m. that afternoon as huge waves started tossing the keeper’s boat. Suddenly, a large sea swell created a huge wave and broke over the craft, spilling Jordan into the icy waters a couple hundred yards away from the lighthouse shore. Assistant Keeper Rudolf Iten witnessed in horror from the shore as his friend struggled over the raging waters. Iten grabbed a boat, but as he tried to row toward Keeper Jordan, the winds shifted against him. He could not get his boat near the keeper, who had drifted nearly a half mile away from the shore 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.
Jordan’s body was later recovered, and Iten was absolved of blame for the death. He was then promoted as the next keeper of Penfield Reef lighthouse.
Weeks later, Iten claimed he felt a constant unearthly chill in the Lighthouse and observed a hazy presence coming out of the dead keeper’s former room. One day, Iten found the keepers’ journal on the floor instead of on the shelf where it was placed, and it was opened to the day that Jordan had perished, describing his death. In the following months, Iten claimed to have witnessed a hazy figure coming out of the lantern room at various times and that the light would begin “behaving strangely” each time the ghost appeared.
Years later, another keeper at Penfield Reef Light reported seeing the figure of an old man dressed all in white floating down the tower’s stairs and then disappearing after leaving the tower door. On stormy and foggy nights, other keepers have witnessed a ghost or shadowy figure in the lantern room, swaying and sometimes moaning as if in pain.
Penfield Reef lighthouse was built of stone and wood on a dangerous underwater reef that wreaked havoc on mariners.
One power yacht owner reported that in rough weather, a mysterious figure in a rowboat guided his boat to safety, then disappeared once they were safe in calmer waters.
In 1942, a few youngsters were fishing near the lighthouse when they capsized their boat. An old man appeared from the nearby rocky shore, directed the boys to safety at the lighthouse’s base, and then disappeared. When they went to thank him at the lighthouse, the keeper did not know whom they were talking about. After seeing his photograph on the wall, the boys identified Jordan as their rescuer.
Decades after Jordan’s death, other keepers at the Penfield Reef Lighthouse reported the light acting strangely at times, especially just before a storm. To this day, 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. Many still believe the ghost of Keeper Jordan is still guarding the safety of mariners who come too close to the dangerous reef.
Here are some photos of Penfield Reef lighthouse in Connecticut.
Enjoy!
Allan Wood
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The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships
The Rise and Demise of the Largest Sailing Ships: Stories of the Six and Seven-Masted Coal Schooners of New England. In the early 1900s, New England shipbuilders constructed the world’s largest sailing ships amid social and political reforms. These giants were the ten original six-masted coal schooners and one colossal seven-masted vessel, built to carry massive quantities of coal and building supplies and measured longer than a football field! This self-published book, balanced with plenty of color and vintage images, showcases the historical accounts that followed these mighty ships.
Available also from bookstores in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for all devices.
Enjoy a 10% discount on the hardcover version. Printed and distributed by IngramSpark.
Book – Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions in Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. This 300-page book provides memorable human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses. You can explore plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions, including whale-watching excursions, lighthouse tours, windjammer sailing tours, parks, museums, and even lighthouses where you can stay overnight. You’ll also find stories of hauntings around lighthouses, such as the tale of Keeper Jordan, whose ghost still helps at Penfield Reef Light.
Book – Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions in Northern New England: New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Northern New England: New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont. This 300-page book provides memorable human interest stories from each of the 76 lighthouses. It also describes and provides contact info for plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions and tours. These include whale watching, lighthouse tours, unique parks, museums, and lighthouses where you can stay overnight. There are also stories of haunted lighthouses in these regions.
Book- New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues & Other Tales
New England Lighthouses: Famous Shipwrecks, Rescues & Other Tales contains over 50 stories, including some tales of hauntings like Keeper Jordan’s ghost at Penfield Reef Lighthouse. This image-rich book also contains vintage images provided by the Coast Guard and various organizations and paintings by six famous Coast Guard artists.
You can purchase this book and the lighthouse tourism books from the publisher Schiffer Books or in many fine bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.
Copyright © Allan Wood Photography; do not reproduce without permission. All rights reserved.
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