New London Ledge Light

New London Ledge Light
New London Ledge Light

Location	Groton, Connecticut
Coordinates	41.306121°N 72.077286°W / 41.306121; -72.077286
Tower
Constructed	1909
Foundation	Concrete pier
Construction	Granite and Brick
Automated	1987
Height	58 ft (18 m)
Shape	Small cylindrical tower on 3-story dwelling
Power source	solar power
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
First lit	1909
Focal height	18 m (59 ft)
Lens	Fourth order Fresnel lens
Range	15 nmi (28 km; 17 mi)
Characteristic	three white flashes separated by 5 s, 10 s off, red flash, 10 s off

New London Ledge Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Connecticut, United States, on the Thames River, at the mouth of New London Harbor in Groton, Connecticut

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.

File:New London Ct Ledge Light Lighthouse.jpg

"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.

Postcard, about 1910

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 late 1990s, a television reporter from Japan spent a night inside the lighthouse to investigate the story of Ernie, and loud whispering noises—audible on-camera—were heard throughout the night, as seen in an episode of ABC Family's Scariest Places On Earth. Ledge Light was also investigated by members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society, or TAPS, in a 2005 episode of the show Ghost Hunters. Following the investigation, TAPS announced that a few unexplained phenomena, such as cold spots, were detected at the lighthouse. However, they concluded that there not enough evidence to determine any paranormal activity taking place there.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut

External links

• New London Ledge Lighthouse, Long Island Sound, East of main harbor channel, New London, New London County, CT: 12 photos and 9 data pages, at Historic American Engineering Record