Haunted Light Houses

There is an ever-present fascination with haunted places, and lighthouses are no exception. There seems to be no shortage of haunted-lighthouse tales, some well documented and others less factual and passed along by word of mouth--tales of terror, tormented hearts and mischief. Where are these haunted towers that house beacons of beckoning light for seafarers? Are all lighthouses haunted? Perhaps there is something about them that predisposes them toward housing ghostly residents trapped in an otherworldly existence between the past and the present.

History

Lighthouses were often manned by their keepers and their families. Because many of them were (and are) in isolated locations, being a lighthouse keeper was not something that all people were suited to. Others were happy for the life of solitude, and it is said that many lighthouses are haunted by the keepers themselves, who never moved on from their stations. Some of the apparitions are also thought to be wives or family members.

Geography

Famous haunted lighthouses are found in many places. One of the most famous is Owl's Head Lighthouse in Owl's Head, Maine. This lighthouse is supposedly haunted by an old keeper who will not leave, a little lady who is often seen in the kitchen and an unknown and unseen spirit that is known to jump into bed with visitors. None of these specters are said to be malevolent.

Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, California, is unique for two reasons: It is only accessible during low tide, and it is haunted by a mischievous ghost who plays practical jokes and smokes a pipe--and also by a singing woman.

Seguin Island Lighthouse in Maine is said to be haunted by the ghost of a keeper's wife. Her husband had a piano brought to the lighthouse for her, but she played the same song over and over until she drove him crazy and he chopped up the piano with an ax. He then turned on her and killed her with the same ax. Afterward, he killed himself. His ghost is said to be tending to his duties as a keeper, and piano music is sometimes heard on the wind.

Point Lookout, Maryland, seems to be haunted by Civil War ghosts. The Old Presque Isle Lighthouse in Michigan has a light that continued to light even when the wires were all disconnected and the bulb was removed. The light comes on at dusk and goes off at dawn. and is called an unknown light by the Coast Guard. There have been sightings of a man who appears to be "George," the last keeper of that light when the lighthouse was used as a museum.

This list is far from all-inclusive. There seem to be as many haunted-lighthouse stories as their are lighthouses along our nation's coastlines.

Significance

Why are there so many haunted lighthouses? Perhaps it is because untimely deaths occurred in and around many of these structures. Maybe the unusual design of lighthouses tends to inspire visitors' imaginations and open them to flights of fancy. The crashing of ocean waves and the howling wind may be contributing factors to what visitors believe they hear. The sun bouncing off the water may help determine what guests believe they see. But to people who are open to believing in parallel worlds where those who have left this world still exist, haunted lighthouses and their ghosts are certainly in the realm of possibilities.

Considerations

There are many lighthouses, haunted and not, to explore up and down coastlines in many parts of the world. Adventurous travelers who are fascinated by the stories of haunted lighthouses may want to plan long weekends to travel to various sites and draw their own conclusions. This could make for a unique and interesting hobby.

Theories/Speculation

Whether you believe in ghosts and hauntings, or you believe that all the stories of haunted lighthouses are folklore, it is a fact that strange things have occurred at a great many lighthouses throughout their history. It is comforting that most of these occurrences constitute mere mischief-making, musical interludes, shows of duty or (at worst) mildly annoyances. If some of these lighthouses are indeed haunted, many of their ghostly inhabitants seem to have remained behind for a very long time, dedicated to keeping the lights lit for seafarers to find their way.