New London Ledge Lighthouse
Groton, Connecticut
Built in 1909
Location:
Thames River, entrance to New London Harbor. Lighthouse can be viewed from a short distance. Best viewed by boat.
| Latitude: 41° 18' 18" N |
| Longitude: 72° 04' 42" W |
Historic Stories:
New London Ledge lighthouse was built in 1909 to accommodate shipping traffic entering New London's harbor around a treacherous ledge. Its rather elegant brick structure came about from requests from the rather affluent locals to have an elegant building to compliment their fancy coastal homes. In irony, most of these same homes were destroyed in the hurricane of 1938.
| The lighthouse survived the 1938 hurricane, when waves crashed up to the second floor and the keepers had to take refuge in the lantern room. |  Early New London Ledge Light Courtesy US Coast Guard |
The lighthouse was automated, and in 1987, the last of the keepers left the beacon.
In 2015, the New London Maritime Society took ownership of the the lighthouse, and are directly involved in all funding and preservation of the lighthouse and property. They also provide tours to the lighthouse during the summer months.
Haunted by Ernie
The lighthouse is believed to be haunted by “Ernie”. The story goes that after finding out his wife had run off with a Block Island ferry captain, the Keeper returned to the lighthouse and decided to end it all, committing suicide by slitting his throat.
Many numerous accounts or paranormal activity have been documented by keepers who came afterwards, including cleaning the decks in the middle of the night, setting boats adrift, setting off the fog horn, and lots of banging and slamming of doors. Psychics were also brought to the lighthouse to help Ernie leave, but have not been truly successful. Some believe the entity is actually a construction worker who fell off the roof to his death during a prank by his fellow workers.
Places to Visit Nearby:
The Coast Guard Academy Museum, in New London, contains artifacts that span over two hundred years of history of America's premier maritime service, (860) 444-8511.
| Mystic Seaport is also nearby, and is an outdoor recreated 19th century village that has a lighthouse tower that resembles Brant Point Light in Massachusetts. |  |
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It also serves as an educational maritime museum, with artifacts, exhibits, a working preservation shipyard, and four National Historic Landmark vessels.
A replica harbor lighthouse that is constructed similar to Brant Point light on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts is also found there where you learn about how mariners used these lighthouses.
There is a river cruise aboard an old coal fired steamboat, The Sabino, from the Mystic Seaport waterfront that also gets a very close view of New London Ledge lighthouse.
The Mystic Aquarium provides educational and up close exhibits of marine life that include sharks, jelly fish, eels, and barracuda.
In Groton, you can check out the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum. This is the nation’s official submarine museum, which houses the Nautilus, the first nuclear powered submarine.
Directions for a Distant View:
The lighthouse is best viewed by boat but can also be viewed from a distance on the shore.
- From US Route I-95 North, take Exit 86 (US Route 1) to Defense Highway (Route 349), From US Route I-95 South, take Exit 87 to Route 349, then
- Left on Rainville Ave.,
- Left on Eastern Point Rd.,
- Follow Eastern Point’s into Shennecossett Rd., then turn right onto Beach Pond Rd.
- Bear left onto Rita Santa Croce Drive to Eastern Point Park.
- The lighthouse can also be viewed from Shore Ave, and from Avery Point Light at UCONN.
Contact Info:
New London Maritime Society
150 Bank Street
New London, Connecticut 06320
Email: nlmaritimesociety.org
Phone: (860) 447-2501
Local Boat Tours
Mystic Seaport
There is a river cruise aboard an old coal fired steamboat from the Mystic Seaport waterfront that also gets a very close view of New London Ledge lighthouse.
75 Greenmanville Ave
Mystic, CT 06355
Phone: (860) 572-0711
Cross Sound Cruises
Provdes lighthouse cruises between southeast Connecticut and Long Island Sound (New York) lighthouses. These include the Classic Lighthouse Cruise, the Long Island Cruise, and the Lights and Sights Cruise. All three cruises include views of New London Harbor and New London Ledge lighthouses.
2 Ferry St, PO Box 33, New London, CT 06320
OR
41270 Main Road, Orient Point, NY 11957
Phone: (860) 444-4620
Email: info@longislandferry.com
Books to Explore
Lighthouses and Coastal Attractions of Southern New England: This book provides special human interest stories from each of the 92 lighthouses, including those that are haunted and their stories, along with plenty of indoor and outdoor coastal attractions you can explore, and tours. Take a look inside! |
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Available from bookstores 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 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 book, balanced with plenty of color and vintage images, showcases the historical accounts that followed these mighty ships. These true stories include competitions, accidents, battling destructive storms, acts of heroism, and their final voyages. |
This image-rich book contains over 50 stories of famous shipwrecks and rescues around New England lighthouses, and also tales of hauntings that occurred. You'll find more details about the hauntings of New London Ledge Light. |
You'll find this book and others I've written from the publisher Schiffer Books, or in many fine bookstores like Barnes and Noble.