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Race Rock Lighthouse

Race Rock Lighthouse

A Brief History: Race Rock Lighthouse is located in the Long Island Sound, 8 miles from New London, Connecticut. It is on Race Rock Reef, which is a lethal set of rocks and the cause of many shipwrecks over the years where many perished as a result. The lighthouse was designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith and built between 1871-1878. The foundation and pier took 7 years to complete and the rest of the structure was built in only about 9 months. During construction, a boat carrying 200lbs of gunpowder exploded and killed several workers. The lighthouse stands at 67 feet above the Sound and has been fully automated since 1978. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The lighthouse has been owned and maintained by the New London Maritime Society since 2013. Some of those maintenance workers have had their own tales to tell…


Haunted History: From shipwrecks to explosions, it’s no wonder Race Rock Lighthouse has come to be known as a hotbed of paranormal activity. Some of the claims from workers over the years include strange whispers, laughing and footsteps. Others have reported being touched, poked, and even pushed by an unknown force. Boaters have claimed to see a shadowy figure in the tower. In 2004, members of the Ghost Hunters team TAPS were brought in to investigate. During their investigation, they experienced a chair inexplicably moving across the floor and unexplained EMF readings. Many of the lighthouse workers through the years have refused to return to work after the experiences they’ve had. Based on some of the stories, who could blame them?

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