The lighthouse, which was established in 1910, is three stories high above a square pier. According to local legend its lonely keeper Ernie, on discovering that his wife had run off with the captain of the Block Island Ferry, threw himself to his death from the building's roof. Although Ernie's suicide is not in any of the lighthouse logbooks, staff working there reported Ernie's ghostly presence. Phantom footsteps, cold spots and the movement of objects and doors of their own accord were reported right up to the day that the lighthouse became automated on May 1,1987.
Skeptics believe that the haunting can be explained by strong belief in Ernie's story creating hallucinations. Contributing factors would have mental strain caused by long periods of isolation. Others believe that haunting cannot completely be ruled out, as lighthouses are renowned for their ghostly reputation and it is quite possible that over the years the events and emotions associated with Ernie's suicide took on a ghost-like form.
