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Haunted Lighthouses - Seguin Island Light |
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Author: Denise Villani  Way up in the northeastern corner of the U.S,
perched high on its own little barren island made of rock, sits Sequin Island
Lighthouse. This lighthouse, located at the mouth of the Kennebec River in
Georgetown, Maine, is the second lighthouse that was ever built in Maine and is
one of the oldest in the U.S. The little island of rock, located in an area that
is frequently shrouded in fog -- an average of 2,734 hours of fog every year --
and hammered with cold, high winds, seemed almost designed by nature to harbor a
lighthouse.
Merchants submitted the petition for the lighthouse in 1786,
but the government didn't order the lighthouse built until 1795. Once President
George Washington gave the order, the lighthouse construction began and the
project was completed in 1797 at a cost of $6,300.
Sequin Island
Lighthouse holds the title as the highest elevated lighthouse in Maine, standing
just over 180 feet above sea level. The fixed, non-flashing light is visible to
ships as far out as 40 miles. Due to the high occurance of fog in this area, the
light house is equipped with one of the most powerful fog horns ever made. The
original structure was replaced in 1820, and again in 1857 when the present
structure was erected. The light was continued to be manually monitored until it
was fully automated in 1985. 
The history of Seguin Island Light Station is filled with
strange and tragic stories. One is that of the first lightkeeper who died
penniless and boatless on the island. Some say his ghost has haunted the keepers
who came after him. There have been sightings of a ghost who has been named the
"Old Captain". He is usally seen climbing the staircase of the tower as if
heading upstairs to tend to the light.
One night the old furnishings
were being removed from the premesis. Apparently the man in charge of the crew
moving the furniture was awakened in the middle of the night by the "Old
Captain" who asked him not to take the furniture and to leave his home alone.
The man didn't grant the request and the next day after the furniture had been
loaded onto a boat and was being lowered into the water, the cable mysteriously
snapped. The boat and everything in it fell onto the rocks below and were
smashed into pieces. It appears the "Old Captain" got his way afterall.
Another frequent sighting is that of a young girl running up and down
the stairs and waving to those who see her. She has also been heard laughing and
bouncing a ball in a room upstairs. History shows that a young girl died on the
island and was buried near the lighthouse.
Perhaps the most tragic
incident that occured on the island is that of a former caretaker in the mid
1800's who was driven insane and murdered his wife, then took his own life.
Legend states the caretaker brought his wife to live with him at the lighthouse
shortly after they were married. As time went by, she became depressed and
sullen and he bought her a piano to help cheer her up.
Unfortunately,
she didn't memorize music and had to play from sheet music. Since she had only
had one piece of sheet music on the island, she played the same song over and
over until her husband finally took an axe to the piano and to her, and then
killed himself.
 Passing ships have reported that the sound of faint piano music coming
from the island can be heard floating out over the waves on still, calm
evenings.
Additional accounts of the paranormal include doors opening
and closing by themselves, mysterous cold spots, coats being thrown onto the
floor, tools disappearing and reappearing at random, and coughing from an unseen
source.
The Sequin Island Lighthouse is open from Memorial Day to Labor
Day, and is accessible by boat from Bath, Popham Beach, or Boothbay Harbor.
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