Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

New London Ledge Light

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Foundation
  
concrete pier

Height
  
18 m

Automated
  
1987

Year first constructed
  
1909

Focal height
  
58 ft (18 m)

Opened
  
1909

Construction
  
Granite

Materials
  
Granite, Brick

New London Ledge Light httpsiytimgcomviFqOrd3Rv3r4maxresdefaultjpg

Location
  
Thames River New London Harbor Connecticut United States

Tower shape
  
short cylindrical tower on 3-story dwelling

Markings / pattern
  
white tower, red lantern roof

Original lens
  
Fourth order Fresnel lens

Similar
  
New London Harbor Li, Stonington Harbor Light, Race Rock Light, Southwest Ledge Light, New London Customhouse

Most haunted new london ledge light house


New London Ledge Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Groton, Connecticut, United States, on the Thames River, at the mouth of New London Harbor. It is currently owned and maintained by the New London Maritime Society as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act program.

Contents

Map of New London Ledge Lighthouse, Groton, CT, USA

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History

New London Ledge Lighthouse was built in 1909 on the Southwest Ledge. It was originally called the Southwest Ledge light, but it was felt this could be confused with another lighthouse in New Haven, the Southwest Ledge Light, so in 1910 the lighthouse was renamed to New London Ledge Light. The United States Coast Guard took over in 1939 upon its merger with the Lighthouse Service and the light was automated in 1987. The original fourth order Fresnel lens was removed and was later put on display in the Custom House Maritime Museum. In 1990 the light was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

"Ernie"

New London Ledge is locally famous for the ghost of an early keeper, nicknamed "Ernie," who allegedly haunts the lighthouse. The Coast Guard crew on duty at the lighthouse, not automated until 1987, reported unexplained knockings taking place at night, as well as doors opening and closing repeatedly, the television turning on and off by itself sporadically, and the unexplained removal of sheets from beds.

In the crew's log, on the last night before the automated light system was installed, the unknown author, a Coast Guard officer, wrote the following: "Rock of slow torture. Ernie's domain. Hell on earth – may New London Ledge’s light shine on forever because I’m through. I will watch it from afar while drinking a brew."

In the 1990s, a television reporter from Japan spent a night inside the lighthouse to investigate the story of Ernie, and loud whispering noises—allegedly audible on-camera—were heard throughout the night. Ledge Light was furthermore featured on paranormal reality shows such as Scariest Places on Earth and Ghost Hunters. On the latter program, investigators from The Atlantic Paranormal Society concluded that despite a few unexplained phenomena, such as cold spots, there was not enough evidence to determine any paranormal activity taking place at the lighthouse.

Keepers

Head
  • W.B. Petty (1909 – 1910)
  • George E. Hansen (1910 – at least 1917)
  • Howard B. Beebe (1926 – 1938)
  • Leonard Fuller (at least 1940)
  • Michael Scanlan (1943 – 1949)
  • William Clark (1954 – 1959)
  • References

    New London Ledge Light Wikipedia