Watch: Incredible Drone Footage of New London’s Ledge Lighthouse

One of my favorite spots in Connecticut is Ocean Beach Park in New London. It’s honestly one of the most underrated gems in the state. A few years ago, I took my family there for a weekend getaway. We rented an Airbnb and spent most of our time doing exactly what you’re supposed to do at the beach — relaxing in the sand and unplugging for a bit.

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The minute I set my chair down and looked out at the water, I noticed this strange structure sitting way offshore. It immediately caught my attention, and I needed to know what it was. So naturally, I went down the research rabbit hole — and let me tell you, some of the stories I found were pretty wild. The building rising up out of the water is known as the Ledge Lighthouse.

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I’ll share a bit of what I discovered below, but first I wanted to show you a drone video of the lighthouse that was recently posted on Reddit by user u/LighthouseHunter.

Your moment of calm at New London Ledge Lighthouse during sunrise
by
u/LighthouseHunter in
Connecticut

The Creepy Side of the Ledge Lighthouse

What I thought was an odd mansion is known as New London's Ledge Lighthouse. It was established in 1909 and reports of paranormal activity at the Ledge go back all the way to the 1930's.

The ghostly accounts include doors that would open and close, blankets that would get yanked off of beds, TV's turning on and a foghorn that would sound, all without the help of human hands. Even more terrifying, docked boats that were tied down would somehow become united and begin drifting out to sea.

Who is the central figure in this nautical nightmare? The legend centers around a man named John "Ernie" Randolph. Randolph would have most likely been a light keeper or keeper's assistant that lived there with his wife between 1916 and 1926. Randolph's legend is best described in the book "Connecticut Ghost Stories and Legends" which reads:

"Randolph's wife could not take the seclusion of the lighthouse and became very depressed about living in the middle of the bay with very little contact with the outside world. She implored him to take another job on the mainland, but the keeper was steadfast in his duty. One day, she vanished from the light. He later found out she sailed off into the sunset with the Captain of a Block Island ferry. Poor Ernie was so distraught that he climbed to the top of the light, slit his own throat and dove into the waters below. His body was never found, and from that moment on, Ernie was said to be the ghost that haunts the Ledge Light." 

The co-authors of the book spoke with Jeremy D'Entremont the President of the American Lighthouse Foundation who says he cannot rule out that a man named John "Ernie" Randolph worked at the lighthouse between 1915 and 1926.

If bumps in the night don't make the hair stand up on your neck, how about this? According to Damned CT, "From time to time, the ghost of a tall, bearded man in a slicker and rain hat has been seen."

Only In Your State says one unnamed officer called the lighthouse "Hell on Earth" and wrote a short poem called "A Rock of Slow Torture" which read: "May New London Ledge’s light shine on forever because I’m through. I will watch it from afar while drinking a brew."

That's pretty creepy and now I want to live at the Ledge Light.

P.S. Thomas D'Agostino and Arlene Nicholson are the co-authors of "Connecticut Ghost Stories & Legends." Do yourself a favor and buy the book, there are some fascinating stories in there.