Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse in Massachusetts
After the Destruction of the “Lighthouse Storm” in Massachusetts, Ghost Keepers Still Assisting Mariners Around Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse
Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse’s original skeletal construction.
Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse lies within a dangerous group of rocky ledges called the Cohasset Rocks between the “south shore” towns of Cohasset and Scituate, located south of Boston, Massachusetts. Before the lighthouse was built in 1850, many shipwrecks were recorded from the dangerous rocks, and many lives were lost. When the lighthouse was built on a small rocky ledge surrounded by water, it had its share of bad luck for many of those who tried to tend its lantern.
It took three years to build, from 1847 to 1850. It was an engineering feat consisting of an enormous 30-ton lantern perched on a giant 87-foot skeletal iron tower to protect the structure and its keepers against strong winds and waves. From its construction, it was known as the “Iron Lighthouse,” and much praise was given to its engineers. The concept was that fierce winds and waves could pass through instead of constantly smashing a solid, enclosed structure, as was the construction of most other lighthouse towers.
It was lit on January 1, 1850. The first keeper was Isaac Dunham, with his son Issac A. Dunham, who was his father’s assistant keeper. Both quit after ten months at Minot’s Ledge Light because they felt the structure was inadequately built and feared for their safety. Constant vibrations from the pounding seas and winds caused noticeable cracks in the locations where holes were drilled for the pillars.
The Lighthouse Storm of the Century
Minot’s Ledge lighthouse protects a dangerous ledge.
One of the worst storms in New England’s recorded history occurred on Monday, April 14, 1851, and continued through that Saturday, April 19th. This storm that entered the New England coastline on a Monday morning had all the ingredients of high winds, rain, hail, and even snow over nearly a week to cause massive devastation all along the eastern seaboard and inland of central and southern New England.
Just before the storm hit on Monday, April 14, 1851, Keeper Bennett was ordered to come ashore to gather much-needed supplies and had left his two young assistants, Joseph Antoine, and Joseph Wilson, to manage and tend the lighthouse in his absence. Joseph Wilson was a proud sailor and was reported in March, before the storm, in response to inquiries from reporters as to the safety of the lighthouse, that he would stay as long as Bennett would remain and that only when they would leave the lighthouse, it would be too dangerous for anyone else to take over. Joseph Antoine was a Portuguese sailor with relatives in Cohasset and loved working at the lighthouse. The storm suddenly came upon the Massachusetts coast that Monday afternoon with a vengeance, preventing the two men from leaving their post.
By Wednesday afternoon, April 16, the seas were still surging and pounding Minot’s Ledge Light. The only way to reach the shore would have been to descend the 87-foot structure down a rope outside to their small boat and battle the devastating waves for miles to reach the mainland. It was an impossible task as the two had no choice but to ride out the storm and hopefully survive.
Minot’s Ledge light new construction after storm.
On April 17, 1851, winds were gusting at a hurricane force of over 100 miles per hour. It was one of the most destructive and powerful storms ever recorded. The waves pounded the structure, causing the lamp at Minot’s Lighthouse to go out at around 10 p.m. The tower succumbed to the pounding huge waves, tidal surges, and hurricane-force wind gusts and tumbled over, crashing over the rocks of Minot’s Ledge. There was nothing left of the structure. The following day, Antoine’s body was discovered washed ashore at Nantasket Beach, while Wilson’s body was later found on nearby Gull Island.
By Sunday, April 20, the storm had finally cleared away from its near weeklong devastation in New England. The storm was later named the “Lighthouse Storm,” as it was directly responsible for the destruction of Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse.
A lightship was temporarily brought in, and new construction of a granite stone tower began in 1855. It was finally completed years later, in 1860, as one of the most expensive lighthouses in the nation’s history. It is still considered to be one of the top engineering feats of the old United States Lighthouse Service. In 2000, a granite memorial to Joseph Antoine and Joseph Wilson was erected on Government Island to honor the two men.
Hauntings at Minot’s Ledge Light After the Tragedy
Vintage Image of Minot’s Ledge Light, Courtesy of the US Coast Guard
Since the tragedy, Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse is believed to be haunted by the two assistant keepers. Many fishermen swear during stormy weather, they’ve seen a man hanging from a ladder on the side of the tower, screaming, “Stay away, stay away,” in Portuguese (Joe Antoine was Portuguese).
Both Joe Wilson and Joe Antoine had once devised a method for signaling the end of the shift by making five loud taps that would echo up the very long stairway. After their deaths, other keepers stationed at Minot’s Ledge Lighthouse would report hearing the five taps echoing up through the stairs at the end of a shift, with no one below to make the sounds.
Other keepers who stayed at the rebuilt granite lighthouse have reported seeing two shadowy figures, presumably the two assistant keepers, in the lantern room in the middle of the night.
When birds frequently flew overhead, they would dirty the windows, taking much of the day for the keeper to clean. Other strange paranormal events include cleaning these lighthouse windows from bird droppings. Some keepers have reported that the task would mysteriously be completed when they or their assistants gathered the materials to clean the windows.
One keeper brought his cat to the tower for companionship. He reported that the cat behaved strangely near the lantern room, running in circles and yowling. One of the last keepers stationed at the light was tapping his pipe at his desk when he heard a knock on the wall. He yelled, “What do you want?” The assistant keeper, sleeping in another room, replied, “Why did you wake me up?” Both men realized no one was on the other side of the wall.
Exploring the Cohasset Area Near the Lighthouse:
No boat tours are going to the lighthouse due to its relatively remote location. Still, sometimes you can catch a ride with a fisherman or lobsterman if you offer to pay for the service out of the marina in Cohasset Harbor.
Cohasset is a friendly coastal town with museums, beaches, a nearby wooded reservation, and hiking parks. The coastal shore route in this area, also known as the “Gold Coast,” provides many beautiful opulent homes and scenic ocean views.
Nearby in Hull, The Hull Lifesaving Museum provides maritime exhibits and educational workshops and tours.
Enjoy,
Allan Wood
Books to Explore
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, like the destruction of Minot’s Ledge Light in New England’s worst storm. 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 plenty of stories of hauntings around lighthouses.
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 the destruction of Minot’s Ledge Light in the “Lighthouse Storm.” 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.
American Lighthouse Foundation
Join, Learn, and Support The American Lighthouse Foundation
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