Spectral Keepers of the Lights

Spirits at Sheffield Island Lighthouse

Although Sheffield Island (Norwalk, Connecticut) Lighthouse only functioned for a mere 34 years (1868-1902), it’s hauntingly appropriate for an early Halloween. This past weekend, Esmerelda, a ghost and her sister Hazel the witch, took up residence in the Keeper’s house, offering scary tours for visitors to the island.

More than one hundred people took the ferry to the island for the third annual event this weekend, according to the Stamford Advocate story. Esmerelda and Hazel were played by Norwalk Seaport Association Trustees Patricia Kolkmeyer and Pauline Schlagel, and people coming in to the house were greeted with fake cobwebs, where the ghost in a white sheet greeted visitors. Moving into the dining room, where Hazel sat dressed in a witch’s costume, kids were treated to a table filled with creepy crawly items. Howling and creaking noises were heard in the background, as children clung to their parents.

Sheffield Lighthouse is allegedly haunted for real. Last year, Christine Kaczynski, who founded Connecticut Paranormal Research and Investigations, visited the lighthouse with 18 other paranormal researchers equipped with digital cameras, video recorders, sound equipment and meters that can pick up “electrical magnetic energy fields.” Their research claimed a six or seven year old girl named Abby is trapped on the island with two fighting adults.

From a newspaper (Norwalk Advocate) account of the investigation:

With Seaport Association board members in attendance, the 19 researchers arrived on the island at 9 p.m. to set up their equipment in the 1827 lighthouse and began detecting the presence of spirits almost immediately.

At the point when Abby presented herself on the second floor of the stone lighthouse, Kaczynski said the temperature dropped 25 degrees,and a trifield meter, which picks up natural magnetic changes (in addition to electric and microwave changes) spiked. Kaczynski said another spirit followed them around the lighthouse and property until they left at 2 a.m.

“There are a lot of spirits on the island, and they are curious and interested in people. Orbs (of light) were following investigators, and there was one huge orb that kept following people. They like company and people coming out there. They seemed very peaceful, and (the sense) wasn’t negative at all. It was welcoming,” Kaczynski said.

Seaport Association President Thomas Kies, who with some other board members chaperoned the group to the island, said the night was perfect for ghost hunting. “It was an interesting evening, because it was a full moon betweenwispy, gauzy clouds and there was no wind. It was dead silent,” Kies said.

Kies said he allowed the researchers to go about their business. He said he and the other board members huddled around a picnic table next to the lighthouse keeper’s cottage that night. Away from the action, Kies said he did not see any ghosts or paranormal activity.

A photo from the investigation, allegedly showing a specter in the window:

Now that Halloween is soon to be upon us, I hope other lighthouses will do something for the holiday. What better way to get children interested in lighthouses than to have fun things to do? Would you be interested in doing or going to a Haunted Lighthouse program for Halloween? Leave a comment and let us know.

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