Haunted Maine Lighthouses

by Taryn Plumb

What is it about lighthouses that make them bastions of spiritual activity? Built for strength and permanence, they are nonetheless vulnerable, protecting lives yet isolated and remote. Unforgiving of human frailty, these outposts inevitably become the settings for tragedy—and for the spirits that linger on at the site of their ruined hopes, their sufferings, their obsessions. With its incessant fogs and infamously craggy coast, Maine has the second highest number of lighthouses in the country. Many of these 64 beacons are shrouded in wisps of rumor and mystery. There are ongoing strange and eerie events and occurrences that recall past violence or sadness—stranded crews who resorted to cannibalism, keepers driven to madness by unending days of blinding fog, children drowned in shipwrecks. Author Taryn Plumb explores the ghostly tales and mysteries surrounding Maine lighthouses. Some hauntings can be directly tied to a known historical event, while others seem to have no origin, yet all will enthrall you with their spookiness.

Genres: Nonfiction

145 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2018

Reviews

[James Bowman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid selection of ghost stories centered around Maine's many lighthouses. The telling is perhaps a little too literary at times, but overall it's an enjoyable read that strikes the right balance between fact and fable. There's also a nice little bonus section at the end of less lighthouse-centric tales. (B+)

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a recent trip to Maine, my wife and I visited The Owl’s Head Lighthouse. Afterward, we stopped by the visitor’s store where I discovered this entertaining and fascinating book on haunted Maine lighthouses. As a photographer, I find lighthouses intriguing subjects. A few years back we did a trip to Maine expressly to photograph a series on the subject. Part of what makes Lighthouses fascinating is their isolation away from most everything else and Maine’s rocky coast adds to that isolated atmosphere. Years ago being a lighthouse keeper was a solitary life. You had to be a strong person secure with being by yourself. If not, the imagination can play tricks. This all bodes well for many of the legends in this terrific book.