We were supposed to hike in a gorge, but somehow Garmie skipped over it. Instead, Garmie sent us straight to the lighthouse. During the trip, we hit our first real rain storm. It rained for a couple of hours.
We arrived at the lighthouse just as the rain was starting to let up. We had the entire lighthouse to ourselves for the night. It is the Selkirk Lighthouse. There are only three or four lighthouses in the north east US that you can stay in like a hotel. It was built in 1838 on the mouth of the Salmon River. The harbor was upgraded and there was talk of linking the harbor to the Erie Canal. However, the plans fell through and the popularity of the harbor died. In 1858, the lighthouse was deactivated. This was good for the lighthouse. The lantern room was designed in the birdcage style. Had the lighthouse remained active for a few more years, it would have been modernized.
We decided we were going to take a quick tour. We went floor by floor. The first floor is the most restored. It looks like a summer lake cottage. It smelled a bit like some of the buildings that we toured at the Shelburne Museum. The second floor was not as nice. There were two bedrooms and a common room. Since it was not dark, we were allowed to go up into the light. On the way to the top, we saw the attic and workroom. These rooms were not restored and contained lots of bird poop. Apparently, there are several holes where they can come in. Hopefully we will not hear them tonight. The light was in a small glass housing. It was barely big enough to stand up and move around. While I ws up there, some tourists were walking around and saw me. At first they said there was a ghost in the light. Then they started to look for an entrance because they wanted to go up.
We were told that the lighthouse is haunted. However, there are no stories. In lieu of a real story, I will provide one for your enjoyment. Back in July of 1867, the light keeper was in need of a repair on the roof. The last storm that came through had damaged a few shingles and caused a leak. Having sprained his leg a week before, he sent his twelve year old son out on the steep roof to make the repairs. The son was scared and did not want to go on the roof. After a heated argument, the son went out to do the repair. A sudden storm approached. Before the son could get back to the ladder, a gust of wind knocked him off of the roof and to his death. The father was so distraught that he committed suicide. Both were buried behind the lighthouse. It is said that anyone who stays overnight after a rainstorm will hear the son running across the roof and the wailing of the inconsolable father.
1 comment:
Hi Kim and Jon, well I have a different story, a few years back my husband rented the lighthouse for our anniversary, but because we were going to be staying somewhere different, we took our two children with us and our nanny.
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon , after a long day of traveling. We had several things happen over our weekend.
I was sitting in the living room watching "who wants to be a millionaire? I remember this clearly, because it was the evening the irs agent won the million dollars" I suddenly saw flying white and bright orbs above me they flew around for a few minutes and then vanished, my children stayed in the upstairs bedrooms, my son took paintings off the wall, because he said the sailors in the paintings were watching him, he was freaked out. My daughter and nanny were sleeping in a bed and in the middle of the night felt something grab their ankles and try to pull them out of bed.
My husband had several things happen, he was a large man at that time and also had something grab his legs and try to pull him out if bed, he walked out of the downstairs bedroom, and across the floor grate ( below the basement) and had instant chest pains, then when in the kitchen was ok, he had me guard the bathroom when he took a shower, because something didn't feel right.
On Saturday night we ordered a pizza, it was raining and when our pizza was delivered, the driver didn't even want to come near the door, and basically threw our pizza at us, he was scared.
On Sunday my family each described everything that had happened to them that night, we decided not to stay. I couldn't make this up even if I tried.
Before we left my children and I went up in the lighthouse to take pictures, my husband was standing on the ground taking pictures of us, he saw a shadowy figure cross the window where a old room was going up the stairs.
Before we left, my husband went over to the people who rented the lighthouse and was afraid to say anything, but when they asked how our visit was, he hesitated and stated my son thought it was creepy and kind if scary, the lady pulled a large book up on the counter and asked him what was the nature of your "haunting" seriously he freaked. They gave us a story as to why it is haunted, afterwards we left and accidentally drove the wrong way home for 4 hours.
I hope you had a less active stay.
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