 Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Accounts of haunted lighthouses have existed for hundreds of years. To many, they are considered to be isolated and romantic. Some lighthouses are possibly haunted due to tragedies from shipwrecks or other horrors that have spawned all sorts of lighthouse lore. Some who have spent the night at a haunted lighthouse come away with stories to share such as seeing a former lighthouse keeper or resident of the keeper's home. Could they still be present in some form after their death? Could keepers possibly remain behind to make sure no further tragedies occur at sea? Perhaps the worst fear of a lighthouse keeper, a ship wrecked upon the rocks is why some lighthouses continue to be haunted by their former captains. Lights turning on, movement of objects, disembodied voices, and see-through specters, they are all often reported within or around older lighthouses. Are the ghosts of these souls still on duty? Modern-day tragedies at sea still occur, and so do the ghosts that eventually haunt our world. I'm Darren Marlar, and this is Weird Darkness. Welcome, Weirdos! I'm Darren Marlar, and this is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved, and unexplained. Coming up in this episode, if their walls could talk, lighthouses could share many stories from the past. Unfortunately, these objects don't have the ability to tell their tales, but the phantoms that haunt them just might. If you're new here, welcome to the show. While you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com for merchandise, my newsletter, and winner contests to connect with me on social media. Plus, you can visit the Hope in the Darkness page if you're struggling with depression or dark thoughts. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights, and come with me into the Weird Darkness. Owl's Head Lighthouse sits on top of a hill that is just south of Rockland, Maine. It's located at the southern tip of the Rockland Harbor. It sits 100 feet above the sea and is a mere 30 feet tall. Though the lighthouse and the keeper's house are property of the United States Coast Guard, the grounds are open to the public. The name Owl's Head comes from the two indentations in the headlands that look like Owl's Eyes. In the 1800s, the lime trade in Rockland had grown so much that it was necessary to put in a lighthouse for ships coming into the Rockland Harbor at night. In 1825, President John Quincy Adams authorized the Owl's Head Lighthouse. There was an argument between John Quincy Adams and Fifth Auditor Stephen Pleasanton as to who would become the first keeper of the lighthouse. Eventually, the president's candidate, Isaac Stearns, won. In December of 1850, five ships went aground at Penobscot Bay. One of the ships, a small schooner, broke free of the cables that it was tied to. At the time, there were three people on board, Roger Elliott, first mate Richard B. Ingraham, and his fiance, Lydia Dyeron. They could do nothing as the ship crashed into some rocks. Elliott was able to escape the ship, make it to shore, and eventually found Owl's Head Lighthouse. By the time the keeper found him, he was already half-frozen. Elliott eventually worked up the strength to tell the keeper of the two other people who were aboard the ship. The keeper rounded up 12 other men to look for the two. When they found the couple, they were enclosed in a block of ice and appeared to be dead. But the men did not want to take any chances. They brought the couple back to the lighthouse. They put them in a tub of water and began to chip away the ice. Then, they began to slowly raise the temperature of the water, and they exercised the frozen people's muscles. Finally, they began to show signs of life, and after several months, they made a full recovery, and had four children. Roger Elliott was not so fortunate to make a full recovery. In the 1930s, the keeper of the lighthouse was Augustus B. Hamer, who had a Springer Spaniel named Spott. As time went on, Spott learned to pull the rope that rang the fog bell when it became very foggy until it was his full-time job. One stormy night, the Matinicus Mailboat almost ran aground at Owl's Head. The rope for the fog bell was too frozen for Spott to pull, so he began to bark. The captain of the vessel heard Spott barking and safely maneuvered away from the shore. After Spott had died, he was buried next to the fog bell. The ghost that is often spotted at Haunted Owl's Head lighthouse resembles that of an old sea captain. He is often recognized by unexplained footprints in the snow, polished brass, and feelings of coldness. One three-year-old daughter of a keeper befriended the ghost. He helped her alert her parents one night when the fog was rolling in and that it was time to sound the fog horn. The Thai Bee lighthouse was first built in 1736. However, several violent storms and shore erosion caused this Georgia lighthouse to become structurally unsound. As a result, the lighthouse was meticulously rebuilt. Over the years, inclement weather and erosion did away with the light a couple more times, and the lighthouse that stands today is actually the fourth one on Thai Bee Island. Many people who visit this scary lighthouse have reported hearing disembodied sounds, such as phantom whistling and the sound of unseen feet. A few people have even reported seeing the apparition of a five-year-old while climbing the stairwell. The ghost girl, who wears historic clothing, warns visitors not to go any further up the staircase. Some paranormal enthusiasts have theorized that the girl may have perished when one of the previous Thai Bee lighthouses crumbled to the ground in a storm. More of the world's most haunted lighthouses coming up when Weird Darkness returns. Your Haunted Lives. True Tales of the Paranormal by G. Michael Vasey. A collection of creepy, often downright chilling, true experiences of the paranormal submitted by visitors to the My Haunted Life 2 website. The tales have been carefully selected and edited and range from apparitions to hauntings to demons through to the downright bizarre. This terrific collection of true stories of the paranormal will keep you looking over your shoulder. Your Haunted Lives. True Tales of the Paranormal by G. Michael Vasey. Narrated by Darren Marlar. Here are free samples on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. Made operational in 1875, the Kuratuck Beach lighthouse first illuminated the northern shores of the outer banks in Corolla, North Carolina. Left unpainted with exposed brick, the powerful light immediately began saving lives as it guided ships safely around shallow waters with its unique light pattern. The two-story quaint Victorian home found on the grounds was first erected in 1876 as the Keeper's House and was used until 1939 when the light was automated. Originally three keepers and their families lived on the grounds, sharing this residence. Eventually the building would fall into disrepair until it was restored anew beginning in 1980. It is within this house that people claim the hauntings still occur. Is it the ghost of a former Keeper or family member who once lived here? The North bedroom seems to be the epicenter of ghost activity. Some people believe the ghost to possibly be young Sadie Johnson, a child of the first lightkeeper who tragically drowned while playing too near the water by herself. It was of course her bedroom on the north side, but perhaps she is not the spirit in question but a victim of whatever haunts this room. The North bedroom was also the place where a friend of the family came to stay, possibly permanently it would seem. She took ill and passed away in this very room. Might she haunt the lighthouse property? And if that were not enough reason to believe in ghosts at the Kuretuk Light, the final family that resided in the Keeper's House before it was closed in the 1930s, well before its restoration 50 years later, is said to also have had misfortune occur while living there. The wife of the last Keeper died of tuberculosis in the North bedroom, so it is said. There is legend that workers who renovated the old building were afraid to step into the North bedroom for some unknown reason. It is believed that the knowledge of its former tragedies was hidden from them, so what made them afraid? Could the untimely deaths woven into the history of the lighthouse in Korola be just coincidence? Maybe, but this is the lore that haunts the Kuretuk Light. In tales about such ghosts have possibly spooked those who have had the opportunity to visit the North room in recent times. It is not currently open for tours as it is used today as the groundskeeper and lightkeeper residence. When visiting the site in 2014, one group were told that the workers were not permitted to talk about the ghosts that may haunt the lighthouse and the tourism was brisk. Who would want to risk frightening visitors away after all? They did get one gentleman who worked there to confirm the haunting of the home, but he was of the opinion that the lighthouse was also haunted by the ghosts or ghosts of those who once kept the light lit for ships at night. The Presque Isle Lighthouse, the old one that is, was built in 1840 on Lake Huron, Michigan. It was quickly taken out of service by 1870 due to a newer, taller lighthouse being built. Thus, the former was abandoned. Of historical importance, a family known as the Stebbins lovingly restored the lighthouse and keepers dwelling as use for a summer home in the early 1900s. The Stebbins eventually opened the old Presque Isle Lighthouse to visitors and later on left it to tourism. Eventually, George and Lorraine Parris moved in to the keepers dwelling to take care of it and show tourists the old lighthouse and grounds. George loved children and truly enjoyed showing the Presque Isle light to their visitors, but he noticed some strange happenings at this place. The amber light would sometimes be seen lit in the lighthouse tower, yet there would never be anyone there. In fact, the U.S. Coast Guard removed the wiring in 1979 to prevent this from happening further, and it did cease, but only for a while. George eventually passed away, but his wife Lorraine knew he was still residing there because every day George used to make them breakfast before he passed, and she would awaken often to the smell of bacon and eggs after his death. The amber light began to be seen as well in the tower of the haunted lighthouse after his passing, and it was observed not only by Lorraine, but by the Coast Guard while on the water and by the National Guard when in the air. What further cemented the idea of the ghost being George who haunted the lighthouse was when a young girl climbed up the tower and returned, giggling with glee. She informed her parents that an older man had spoken to her and entertained her while she was up in the tower. Later, she was able to identify him as George Parris after seeing his portrait. The haunted Sol Sichua Point lighthouse was built in 1892, but the tower had to be rebuilt, so the lighthouse was officially completed in 1895. Sol Sichua means only choice and marks a small harbor on Lake Michigan. French fur traders gave the name used for the lighthouse as the area was the only choice for safety if boats were headed to the straits of Mackinac. Today, only the haunted lighthouse is active in the area that was once a bustling fishing community. All of the original buildings stand today, including explosive storehouses, a fog signal building, and the two-family red brick keeper's house attached to the lighthouse tower. Still operational today, the haunted Sol Sichua Point lighthouse was automated by the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1970s and the site now houses a museum which is open from Memorial Day to mid-October, seven days a week. Visitors to the lighthouse have experienced some haunted happenings, such as items being moved and the sound of footsteps climbing the tower stairs, as if a lighthouse keeper is still on duty. But more than a lighthouse keeper is thought to haunt the Sol Sichua Point lighthouse. A former lighthouse keeper's brother used to visit and was captain of a ship. Captain James Townsend fell ill suddenly during one of his visits with his brother Joseph and eventually died at the keeper's house. His body was embalmed in the house basement and put on display for quite some time until family and friends could make their journey to the isolated Sol Sichua Point and pay their final respects. Since that time, many a visitor has experienced the smell of what is presumably the captain's cigars, as well as his humor. Tour guides say he likes to turn the hat backwards on the mannequin dressed as a lighthouse keeper and hide cigars in the pockets of the jacket from time to time. Does the good captain Townsend spend his days and nights at the lighthouse at Sol Sichua Point? Could his brother be the keeper who is still on duty at the haunted lighthouse? The New London Ledge Light Haunted Lighthouse was built in 1909 in New London Harbor, Connecticut. Being one of the last lighthouses built in New England, the New London Ledge Light is a unique three-story red brick building which stands alone at the eastern end of the Long Island Sound. It was built to be elegant by standing in the water in front of some very large homes on the nearby shoreline. Sitting quietly atop a concrete pier, this lighthouse simply looks the part of being haunted, being strangely mysterious. The New London Ledge Light does have a tragic story and a haunted history. Reportedly, the ghost of a former lightkeeper named Ernie jumped off of the roof of the lighthouse after his wife ran off with the Block Island ferry captain. It is believed that Ernie still haunts the lighthouse and stories from former U.S. Coast Guardsmen who formally resided there might be the proof. Many have reported having the sheets ripped off of their bed, doors opening and closing on their own, televisions turning off, the foghorn being turned off and on, as well as boats being untied and left adrift. Some claim to have seen Ernie washing the lighthouse decks. The New London Ledge Light was investigated in 2005 by TV's Scariest Places on Earth and in 2006 by SciFi Channel's Ghost Hunters. The light is now automated and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, but restoration is underway of the building itself as of this podcast. Also, plans are in the works to create a museum slash bed and breakfast that can be opened to the public. I still have a few more of the world's most haunted lighthouses to tell you about when Weird Darkness returns. Paranormal experiences, encountering extraterrestrials, extraordinary states of consciousness, spiritual phenomenon, encounters with non-human entities that can't be explained by science. These stories of what people have come across are ubiquitous here on Weird Darkness and often those who have had these encounters choose to stay quiet and not even tell close friends or family out of fear of ridicule and they suffer silently trying to deal with the internal horror of what they've experienced. If I'm describing you or someone you know, there is now a place you can turn to for professional counseling from experts who, unlike others in their field, are open to the paranormal, supernatural and extraterrestrial experiences of others and they're not there to explain away your experience but to help you recover from it and move forward with living. I'm referring to the Opus Network. If you want to reach out for help or learn more, look for the Opus Network towards the bottom of the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. The Point Lookout Lighthouse Phil was in the Navy but we'd known each other since high school. He'd been the sort of angry kid who never met a fight he wouldn't back down from, which was why it was so shocking to see those eyes alive with fear after he told me over a beer about the time he had to do some maintenance work in the Point Lookout Lighthouse. But fear was there, along with a certainty I only questioned once. You're sure you saw something like something supernatural, I asked him. He raised an eyebrow and without speaking reminded me he was a guy who wasn't prone to superstition. He had seen or more accurately felt something. But then he had been working in what's been called the country's most haunted lighthouse, which sits by the mass grave of thousands of souls. I shouldn't have been that surprised. The Point Lookout Lighthouse is situated in Point Lookout State Park, a spit of land that sits at the tip of St. Mary's County, itself a rural peninsula that claws at the crossroads of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Although the county, as locals call St. Mary's, is rapidly becoming an excerpt of Washington, D.C., 80 miles to the north, for centuries it has been a rural backwater, draped in oak and pine woods in her interior, fringed by Estuarian marsh at her edges. During the American Civil War, Maryland posed a dilemma for the Union. The state surrounded Washington, D.C., but many of her citizens owned slaves and sympathized with the Confederacy. St. Mary's County, at the state's extreme southern tip, was a particularly troublesome enclave of Confederate support. St. Mary's was also isolated, sparsely populated and easily defensible, which presented the federal government with an elegant solution. To intimidate local southern sympathizers and house an increased number of Confederate POWs, a prison of war camp was created at Point Lookout in July 1863. In coming months, thousands of prisoners would flow into the camp grounds. Historical accounts describe squalid conditions, prisoners contracting illness from the swamps, wells becoming contaminated and protection against the elements, freezing, damp, chesapeake wind and winter, thick, mosquito-laden humidity in summer, was minnable. Lacking barracks, the prisoners slept in flimsy tents. By late February 1864, many of the guards charged with watching the Confederates were Black Union soldiers. Historical records suggested both prisoners and wardens understood the ramifications of a newly reversed racial power dynamic. By the time the war ended, over 50,000 Confederates had been housed at the Point and 4,000 of them were left buried in the Maryland Marshes, the victims of starvation, typhoid fever and exposure to the elements. In time, other disasters added to the tiny area's death toll, most notably an 1878 fire that wiped out a local hotel, and in the same year, the sinking of the steamship expressed, with the loss of 22 lives. Today, spirits are regularly seen and heard in the land and water now designated Point Lookout State Park. Typical sightings describe a slender man, although not THE slender man, loping across the road or into salt-kissed groves of loblolly pine. One former ranger recalls a regular apparition of a man running at full stride away from the camp's historic Smallpox Hospital, a regular escape route for prisoners. Other rangers tell a frequent low-lying damp fogs that suddenly become impenetrable and chilled with eddies of other worldly energies that set their dogs into a panic. Recording devices left in the pine bottomlands and by local peers often take up disjointed snippets of conversation at all hours of the night, a woman saying, let us take no objection to what they are doing, a man snapping, fire if they get too close to you, and a child asking to play in the water. But it is Point Lookout's lighthouse, now owned by the state, that inspires the most consistent paranormal exposure. Former Park Ranger Gerald Sword said that his Belgian shepherd would regularly lunge at unseen figures, and that once he had seen a young man in soldier's attire walk to the lighthouse, then run away into thin air. Voices and piano music would drift through the lighthouse halls, and fishermen would regularly tell him about hearing phantom cries for help on the water. My friend Phil told me that after a few minutes alone in the basement of the lighthouse, he had felt his skin prickle with a foreboding that grew so alarmingly fast, it left him in a cold sweat. As he left with three co-workers, none of them spoke to each other for a few minutes. When they did, the first comment was, did you feel that? All four of them nodded and said nothing else. The Hasita Head Lighthouse is located in Florence, Oregon, and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Built in 1894, it took five years to build due to its steep location, standing 205 feet above the water. This haunted lighthouse is known to be haunted by a friendly elderly lady who appears as a smoky gray apparition. Her name is Rue, and this gray lady has a habit of moving objects when work is being done, especially at the keeper's house. The grave of a baby has been found on the haunted Hasita Head Lighthouse grounds, and it is believed to possibly be Rue's child. Rue has not only been known to move items, but to also set off fire alarms while workers paint, open and close cupboard doors, and she has been heard walking upstairs. A worker who once encountered the gray lady refused to return to the attic again. After he accidentally broke an attic window while doing work on the outside of the house, he elected to repair it from the outside. That night, workers could hear the glass that he left lying on the attic floor, scraping upon the wooden boards. Upon checking the attic the next morning, they found the glass was neatly swept up into a pile for them. Many have seen Rue peering down at them from an attic window, which only substantiates the claims of the gray lady still living within the haunted Hasita Head Lighthouse. Today, the lighthouse keeper's house is a bed and breakfast. Imagine that Rue is very pleased to have her home now so well kept. The Seguin Island Lighthouse was commissioned by George Washington in 1795, and it is located off the southern coast of Georgetown, Maine. Seguin Island is just two miles off the mouth of the Kennebec River. The haunted lighthouse was rebuilt in 1819, replacing its original wooden tower with stone. And in 1857, it again was reconstructed with cut stone and the addition of a brick lightkeeper's quarters. The rocky and ledged area has long been hazardous to ships, and the stories of maritime mishaps abound, including the sighting of a 135-foot sea serpent in 1875. Among the long list of lighthouse keepers at Seguin Island is the tragic story of a mid-1800s man and wife. Being isolated and lonely, the wife of the keeper received the gift of a piano which she had shipped to the home. As she was only able to play but one song over and over, it is believed that eventually drove him mad into rage in which he took an axe to the piano, then the wife and himself. Piano music is said to be heard over the waters today, but haunting melodies are not the only ghostly sounds that have been heard at the haunted light. Apparently, a young girl died on the island and is buried not far from the lighthouse grounds. Keepers have reported seeing the ghost of the girl running up and down the stairs, laughing and waving at them. The Tower Foghorn Building and Keeper's Quarters seem to have the most haunted activity, and the US Coast Guard who stayed there has had plenty of stories to tell. Various ghostly sounds, sights as well as furniture being moved, jackets falling off of hooks and missing items have all been reported. Probably the most prolific of haunted Seguin Island lighthouse tales is when the Coast Guard was decommissioning the lighthouse and packing up items in 1985. The warrant officer was awakened that very night after packing to the apparition of a man dressed in oil skins shaking his bed. It seems the ghost had a message when he reportedly said, Don't take the furniture, please leave my home alone. The next day, the boat that was carrying the furniture to the mainland sunk when an accident happened while lowering the loaded boat into the water. Was this ghost a former lightkeeper? The list of lighthouse keepers is long here, and due to its rich, long history and tragic stories, it's no wonder the lighthouse is haunted. The Fairport Harbor Lighthouse is located on the shore of Lake Erie in Fairport Harbor, Ohio. Being built at the mouth of the Grand River, it was originally known as the Grand River Light and was one of many lighthouses used to guide ships in and out of the Great Lakes. Constructed in 1825, the tower and house soon fell into disrepair and had to be rebuilt in 1871. The Fairport Lighthouse and Keepers House are still standing today, and it was used until 1925 but then was abandoned for a new lighthouse that had been erected nearby. The Haunted Fairport Harbor Lighthouse is 70 feet high, built of sandstone and no longer operational. The Keepers House is now home to the Fairport Marine Museum and was the first U.S. lighthouse grounds to be restored into a museum in 1945. The museum houses many nautical and historical exhibits important to the local region. There are two prominent lighthouse keepers in the history of the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. The first keeper of the lighthouse must be noted Samuel Butler, as he was also an active abolitionist and made the Haunted Fairport Harbor Lighthouse a northern terminal of the Underground Railroad, effectively guiding runaway slaves to the safety of Canada. This history of the site alone makes it a possible site to be haunted, but the second lighthouse keeper seems a fixture and remained very attached to the lighthouse of Fairport Harbor, which he loved. Captain Joseph Babcock was the first keeper of the Reconstructed Lighthouse and Keepers Dwelling, who also raised a family on the grounds. In fact, two of his children were born in the home with one of them dying young at age five from smallpox. The tragedy of losing Robbie at so young an age certainly weighed heavy on the family, but Mrs. Babcock also had fallen ill and remained bedridden inside the house. For entertainment, she reportedly kept many cats. Many years later, some claim to have seen a ghost cat whisking about upstairs, describing it as a gray puff of smoke. Interestingly, a mummified cat was found by a worker years later and it is now displayed in a glass cabinet at the Fairport Harbor Museum to this day. The AngelsGhosts.com team were fortunate enough to be able to investigate the Haunted Fairport Harbor Lighthouse and see what they could uncover. Working with different members of the ghost hunting group, Sight, they were able to make some ghost box recordings in the Tower and Lighthouse Keepers House. Is the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse haunted? If they were to compare reports from guests and volunteers with the recordings of ghostly messages that they received, they believe it is indeed haunted and a jewel of a lighthouse worth visiting. The Haunted Lighthouse on the White Lake Channel of Lake Michigan is known as the White River Light Station. Built in 1875, the first lightkeeper, Captain William Robinson, took his post in 1876 and raised 11 children with the help of his wife, Sarah, at the White River Light Station. In fact, they loved the lighthouse and duty so much that they stayed there for 47 years. And upon retirement, they saw their son become their successor. Yet, the captain refused to leave the lighthouse and he worked at the White River Light Station into his 80s. At age 87, he eventually died, the very night before he was supposed to leave the premises for good. Today, the Haunted Lighthouse is believed to be watched over still by the captain and his wife, Sarah. His ever distinctive cane and gate can sometimes be heard walking around the light station, while Sarah makes her presence known by tidying things up from time to time. The Haunted White River Light Station was officially decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1960, but it is still open today as a museum. The Big Bay Point Light sits overlooking Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, being built in 1896. The Big Bay Point Light is made of red brick with a square lighthouse tower that is attached to the Keeper's House. It was fully automated in 1941, later decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard from 1961 to 1990 and is now operating again as an active aid to navigation. After it was shut down in 1961, the property was purchased by Dr. Pick via a sealed bid, who lovingly restored it over the next 17 years. Eventually, he sold the property to the partners who still own it today. When it became a bed and breakfast, apparently the resident ghost felt it necessary to help Innkeeper Linda Gamble with things, but after she was woken up in the middle of the night by slamming cupboard doors in her kitchen, she angrily told the ghost to stop. Reportedly, today, the ghostly activity has settled, and she believes there to be five resident ghosts, though we're not sure just who all of them are. There was a soldier stationed there in 1952 who committed murder at the nearby Lumberjack Tavern, an incident that was the inspiration for the book and movie, Anatomy of a Murder, but he only murdered someone there. He didn't die there himself, so why would he have stayed to haunt the Big Bay Point Light? There is another story that might answer at least who one of the ghosts of the Haunting Big Bay Point Light might be. Linda believes the ghost banging the cupboard doors was the first lighthouse keeper, William Pryor. Mr. Pryor began his light keeping duties in 1896 and stayed only five short years. He was looking for an assistant and found the perfect helper in 1899, his son George. Unfortunately, in 1901, George had an accident and was injured by falling down some steps and eventually died in a hospital. A month later, William Pryor walked away from his lighthouse duties and into the nearby woods with his gun and some strictine, being presumably grief stricken for his son. His body was eventually found by a hunter 17 months later in 1902, a skeleton hanging from a tree in the woods not too far away from the haunted Big Bay Point Light. His tragic suicide and grief could be why his ghost still remains at the lighthouse to this day and his bright red hair is seen in the mirrors of the property. Plymouth Lighthouse was originally built in 1769 at the mouth of Plymouth Bay in Massachusetts. The original structure had two towers, lit with oil lamps, being built on the property of its eventual lighthouse keepers, John and Hannah Thomas. Hannah became a very capable lighthouse keeper herself as John went off to the Revolutionary War and was killed in battle. In fact, she became the first woman lighthouse keeper in all of America. Some believe Hannah still resides at the location even today, even though the original Plymouth Lighthouse was lost to fire and rebuilt in 1803 with a new building and even taller twin towers. 1843 saw both towers reconstructed and by 1924 the Northeast Tower was removed as it was no longer needed. The haunted Plymouth Lighthouse South Tower has continued to operate since that time, but today it is automated. However, in 1998, the lighthouse had to be moved again due to fear of losing the structure because of erosion. A professional lighthouse photographer and his wife decided to spend the night at the supposedly haunted location, choosing to sleep in a house adjacent to the lighthouse. He awakened in the middle of the night to find the upper half of a woman floating above his sleeping wife and staring at her. The apparition was in a period dress and had long, dark, flowing hair. Could this woman have been the original owner and keeper, Hannah Thomas? Many people believe so. The Battery Point Lighthouse was formerly known as the Crescent City Light Station and it is a unique lighthouse because it is situated on Battery Point Island. It only sits on an island during high tide though, otherwise it could be accessed from the mainland at Crescent City, California as a peninsula. Being built in 1856, this Northern California Lighthouse decorates the Pacific Ocean as a two-story white granite stone house with a white brick lighthouse tower atop. Today, it can be visited as it is a museum and also remains operational as an aiding light for navigation, though it was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1965. Being fully automated, the Haunted Battery Point Lighthouse has had its share of stories. A year before it was to be deactivated, the lighthouse keepers witnessed an unfortunate tragedy. A tsunami occurred in 1964, creating huge tidal waves that destroyed seven city blocks of Crescent City. The keepers were eyewitnesses to the destruction, being threatened themselves by the largest of waves from the ocean. The lighthouse is haunted at Battery Point, but no one seems to know exactly by whom or why. There is believed to be at least one resident ghost which is playful. A paranormal research group that investigated the Battery Point lighthouse believes it is haunted not by one playful ghost but by three, a child and two adult specters. Some of the haunting activity being reported occurs when visitors are given a tour. Some guests have experienced being touched on their shoulders and sensing a presence. Caretakers report having their slippers moved at night while they are asleep, a rocking chair moving back and forth on its own, and sea boots trudging up the Haunted Lighthouse stairway as if still on duty, especially during times of storms. Even cats at this lighthouse have acted strangely during times of ghostly activity. There's still more Weird Darkness to come with more of the world's most haunted lighthouses. Up next are you a business owner or marketing manager? How would you like to share your product or service with our Weirdo family of listeners? Whether your business is worldwide, nationwide or local, I would love to tell people about what you have to offer. To get your business heard in Weird Darkness or just get information about advertising in the podcast, visit WeirdDarkness.com slash Advertise. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash Advertise. One of the oldest cities in America, St. Augustine, Florida, is rich with history and ghosts. The lighthouse that stands at the end of St. Augustine's Anastasia Island was built in 1874, one in a long line of lighthouses that has served the city since Sir Francis Drake raided the village in 1586. St. Augustine has become a national historic site, drawing thousands of visitors each year. But visitors don't just come for the history. St. Augustine's years of service has left it with many ghosts, leading Jason Hawes of Ghost Hunters to dub the lighthouse the Mona Lisa of paranormal sites. After the original lighthouse established by the territorial American government eroded and fell into the sea, construction began in 1871 to build the lighthouse as it stands today. A man named Hezekiah H. Pitti oversaw the work. To entertain his restless children, he allowed them to play with the supply cart that ran back and forth between the lighthouse and the ocean. On July 10, 1873, he would come to regret that decision. After a day of play, the two eldest Pitti children, Eliza and Mary, drowned when the cart toppled over into the water. Historians believe that a third child, a young African-American girl was also killed in the accident, though her name goes unmentioned in newspaper reports. According to lighthouse workers, the mischievous spirits of these children still haunt the lighthouse today. Workers will find locked doors standing wide open the next day, and the sound of children's laughter can be heard in the stairwell. Music boxes sold in the gift shop inexplicably pop open, playing by themselves. Tour guides report multiple incidences of being touched or grabbed by ghosts while showing visitors around the lighthouse. Visitors to the lighthouse report catching glimpses of a young girl dressed in period clothing peering out from the lighthouse door or standing near an upstairs window. In 2009, a cell tower technician took a photo of his co-worker with the lighthouse in the background. The figure of a young girl in a long dress with long hair can be seen standing alone on the top observation deck. The ghosts of the young girls are friendly and don't engage directly with visitors. Unfortunately, there are other, less pleasant, presences making themselves known at the lighthouse, including a figure who has come to be known as the Man in Blue. This specter has terrified many who have worked and lived in the house, following them down all 219 stairs from the top of the tower. One lighthouse keeper was so unnerved that he refused to live in the lighthouse any longer. Eventually, a Coast Guard officer who evidently didn't fear ghosts switched duties with him. Many believe the Man in Blue is the restless spirit of lighthouse keeper Joseph Andrew, who fell to his death while painting the original tower in 1859. Others claim the spirit is that of another lighthouse keeper who allegedly hanged himself in the tower. Visitors and staff report the overpowering smell of cigar smoke on the landing of the tower, despite the fact that smoking is expressly prohibited on the grounds. Could it be that Andrew had a penchant for cigars? The St. Augustine lighthouse hosts over 200,000 visitors per year and it is open to the public daily. For those especially interested in the paranormal activity there, the lighthouse offers the Dark of the Moon tour, a comprehensive tour of all of the haunted sites related to the lighthouse. If you like an intimate audience with the Man in Blue, private tours are also available. Big Sur, California has always been a dangerous place to navigate a ship, so sailors in the 1800s petitioned to have a lighthouse built there, especially after the steamship Ventura sank at Point Sur in 1875. In 1886, the U.S. Lighthouse Service Board allocated money to build the Point Sur Lighthouse. It was given its first keeper on August 1, 1889. On February 12, 1935, the USS Macon Airship sank in 1450 feet of water off the shore of Big Sur. The zeppelin-like structure was helium-filled, had an aluminum frame, had a top speed of 80 miles per hour and was 785 feet long. Of the 83 people on the airship when it crashed, two lost their lives. Today, Point Sur is a ghost town and the lighthouse is totally automated and the buildings are under restoration. The most popular ghost seen at the Point Sur lighthouse is a Man in a Keeper's uniform that is from the 1800s. He is seen at the visitors center once in a while. In 1810, at Cooper's Point on St. Simon's Island, Georgia, James Gould finished the construction of the first 85-foot St. Simon's Island lighthouse that began in 1804. In May of 1810, President Madison appointed James Gould as the first keeper of the lighthouse until he retired in 1837. During the Civil War, Federal soldiers invaded Georgia, forcing the Confederates to evacuate St. Simon's Island. Before they left in 1862, the Confederates destroyed the lighthouse on St. Simon's Island so that the Union could not use it as a navigational aid. In 1874, the U.S. government had Charles Klusky build a second St. Simon's Island lighthouse that was to be built on top of the ruins of the destroyed one. The new one is 104 feet tall and has 129 spiraling stairs. In 1880, headkeeper Frederick Osborn and assistant John Stevens got into a serious argument about Osborn's wife that ended in Osborn's death by gunshot. Stevens was never charged and became headkeeper of the lighthouse. Years later, Stevens and many other people would hear haunting footsteps going up and down the staircase in the tower, possibly the footsteps of Frederick Osborn. Port Boca Grande Lighthouse is located on Gasparilla Island, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico. Built in 1890, beach erosion eventually threatened the lighthouse, but it was saved by the building of a 265-foot granite jetty to form a basin. The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse marks the entryway into Charlotte Harbor. Still a working lighthouse today, it is part of the Gasparilla Island State Park and houses a museum as well. In 1986, the lighthouse was fully restored as a working lighthouse, after being decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1966 due to disrepair and the structure becoming unsound. Lighthouse keepers and their families stayed in the keeper's house from 1890 until 1951. The light was automated in 1956, but what makes the landmark haunted? The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse also served as the keeper's house. What are the lighthouse keeper's daughters passed away in the home due to sickness? It was either Diphtheria or Hooping Cough that claimed her life. Legend has it that at midnight, she can still be heard playing upstairs in one of the rooms, according to a former Park Ranger tour guide. The story of the young girl is not the only lore surrounding the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse being haunted though. There is another legend of sorts about this site. Some have claimed to see the headless apparition of a lady, believed to be a former Spanish princess by the name of Josephia. The pirate who gave the island its name, Jose Gaspar, was said to be madly in love with Josephia, whom he had kidnapped and brought to the island where he had buried his treasure. After professing his devotion to her, she is said to have rejected him. In a fit of rage, Gaspar took her head off with his blade and then buried her body on the beach, where the lighthouse would later be built. Her head, however, is believed to have left Gasparilla Island with the pirate. Does she still search the beach for her head? Some claim so, and it does make for a great story. Love the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters or unsolved mysteries like you do? You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren at WeirdDarkness.com. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find all of my social media, listen to free audiobooks I've narrated, visit the store for Weird Darkness t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases and more merchandise. Sign up for monthly contests, find other podcasts that I host like Retro Radio, Old Time Radio in the Dark, Micro Terrorist, Scary Stories for Kids, The Church of the Undead and more. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find the Hope in the Darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression or dark thoughts. Also on the website, if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell, you can click on Tell Your Story. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. All stories in Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise and you can find source links or links to the authors in the show notes. Weird Darkness is a registered trademark, copyright Weird Darkness. And now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. Psalm 16 verse 8, I keep my eyes always on the Lord, with him at my right hand I will not be shaken. And final thought, be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose, instead of the expectations and opinions of others. Roy T. Bennett. I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness. Our July Weirdo Watch Party is Friday, July 14th with a movie presented by Graveyard Cinema with Mad Marty and Horrible Henry as they present the 1942 creeper, The Corpse Vanishes, starring horror legend Bella Legosi. All those dead girls and that horrible dead creature. My dear, you must have had a bad dream. In the film, Legosi plays a scientist who, aided by an old hag and her two sons, kills virginal brides, steals their bodies and extracts fluid to inject into his ancient wife in order to keep her alive and young. Gee, almost like a vampire, Bella. Nice typecasting. From the movie poster says, kidnapped brides are the victims of his terror. Prepare to shudder when you see the strange practices of this doctor who sacrificed beautiful women for the sake of a mad love. The Weirdo Watch Party is always free to watch online with everybody, so grab your popcorn, candy and soda and jump into the fun and even get involved in the live chat as we watch the movie. It's The Corpse Vanishes, starring Bella Legosi Friday, July 14th. The movie starts at 5.30 p.m. Pacific, 6.30 p.m. Mountain, 7.30 p.m. Central, 8.30 p.m. Eastern. See a trailer for the film and invite your friends to watch along with you on the Weirdo Watch Party page at WeirdDarkness.com. And we'll see you on Friday, July 14th, or The Corpse Vanishes. When Salem Roanoke took a job near his family's new home as a hired hand in the Texas Hill Country, he anticipated learning the rancher's trade, but a series of strange events, shocking murders and unholy revelations divert him down another path. This terrifying trajectory puts him directly into the middle of a struggle between monsters, magic and men. Armed and backed by a militia of ranchers, Salem attempts to combat the creeping tide of evil that threatens to engulf his new home and destroy the people most important to him. Will Salem manage to save his home or have his actions condemn everyone he hopes to save? The Witch Trials, a summer of wolves and season of the witch by SR Roanoke. Available in paperback, Kindle and audiobook versions, look for The Witch Trials by SR Roanoke on Amazon or find it on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash audiobooks. And while you're at it, spread the darkness by sharing this video with someone you know who loves all things strange and macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com slash listen.