The South Shore of New England boasts some of the most exclusive beachfront properties on the East Coast and boasts some of the most haunted lighthouses in the United States.

The terror of men

block island rhode island

The Block Island Southeast Light, the tallest lighthouse in New England, sits 200 feet above sea level in Mohegan Bluffs.

A lighthouse keeper, in the early 1900s, hated his wife so much that he pushed her down the round ladder to her death. This wife, however, still has the last word.

Apparently, she frequents the southeastern light, making her discontent with men well known. She doesn’t bother the ladies, but men better watch out! Witnesses reported seeing her chase the men, locking them in her rooms and in the lighthouse. When she is particularly angry, she throws knives and other sharp objects at them.

The keepers reported that their furniture moved around constantly, and if they left a small flame under something they were cooking, they would find it smoldering when they returned to the kitchen.

The southeast light moved back 250 feet in 1993 due to soil erosion. According to legend, every time a structure is moved from its original place, the haunting entity disappears, however, some witnesses say that this woman did not understand that message.

Is the guardian’s angry wife still hanging around the Southeast Light? She’ll probably have to visit him to find out the truth, but she leaves her men at home… just in case.

A ghost named Ernie

New London Ledge Lighthouse-Connecticut

Lady. John Randolph, the lighthouse keeper’s young wife who found life in the lonely light tedious and boring, amused herself by flirting with the local fishermen whose fortunes rose and fell with the temper of the sea.

When her life became completely unbearable, she ran off with a ferry captain while her husband was ashore shopping for supplies. When John Randolph returned and found his wife had left him, he was so distraught that he scaled the sixty-five foot tower, slit his throat, and fell into the sea.

Randolph’s successor soon realized he was not alone. Locked doors opened and closed at will, locked desk drawers were constantly rearranging, a fishy smell permeated the living room, and the new manager felt a chilling undercurrent as “someone” made their presence known.

A ghost, nicknamed “Ernie”, made himself visible only to women and children, but enjoyed playing with everyone. Tools and other items appeared and disappeared seemingly at will, and the floors and windows were always clean. The Coast Guard knew Ernie well when they took over the light.

In 1982, a psychic visiting the light revealed that Ernie was actually John Randolph. Randolph promised the psychic that he would leave, but then decided that he would rather stay and keep the future guardians company.

Those who doubted Ernie’s existence were given a rude awakening. Fishermen who stopped at a nearby cafeteria, voicing their doubts during conversation, found their boats untied and adrift.

saved by the guardian

Penfield Reef Lighthouse – Connecticut

The legend of this light is one of tragedy and lives saved.

Keeper Fred Jordan left the light one day in December to go ashore, buy supplies, and do some Christmas shopping. Unfortunately, he never made it. The keeper’s assistant, Rudy Iten, watched in horror as the keeper’s ship capsized. Iten jumped into the lighthouse intending to rescue its chief, but hurricane force winds blew the boat over a mile out to sea, making rescue impossible. He tried to signal, but Keeper Jordan was lost at sea.

Not long after Iten became Head Warden, he reported seeing Jordan’s ghost creeping down the stairs before disappearing, noting that the daily page in his logbook always went back to the date Jordan died. Stories abound of caregivers who saw Jordan slipping down stairs or floating over rocks just before a storm. Iten, not wanting anyone to think he was making up ghost stories, asked each subsequent caretaker who saw Jordan to sign an affidavit.

The lighthouse keepers are not the only witnesses to Jordan’s ghost. In 1942, a fishing boat carrying two children capsized near the light. The children reportedly “felt something” leading them to safety. They walked to the lighthouse, thanked a bewildered caretaker, and identified a portrait of Jordan as their savior.

Another story claims that a couple, lost in dense fog, were mysteriously guided to safety by a man in a dory, who promptly disappeared.

Penfield Reef Lighthouse is no longer in service, but many believe Keeper Jordan still rescues those who get too close to the reef.