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Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse

Haunted Places in Ohio > Haunted Lighthouses
This historic Ohio lighthouse, built in 1871, has been on Lake Erie's edge since the 1820s. One of the most enduring legends is about a gray cat that supposedly haunts the lighthouse and museum today. The story goes that the cat belonged to a lighthouse keeper's wife and stayed in the building even after her death. The keeper's wife, who was extremely ill and on her deathbed, received the cat as a gift to aid in her recuperation. Visitors and staff have reported feeling a cat brushing up against their legs, hearing soft meows, or even seeing a ghostly feline darting around—only to turn and find nothing there. Some say you can hear scratching sounds or see impressions on furniture, as if an invisible cat has curled up for a nap. There are also reports of an old lighthouse keeper still keeping watch. Late at night, people have reported seeing a figure in 19th-century garb peering out from the lighthouse tower. Others say they've heard footsteps echoing through the old keeper’s quarters—even when no one else is around. Museum staff and guests have also described sudden cold drafts in warm rooms, lights flickering or going out without explanation, and whispers or faint voices when no one else is nearby. One woman claimed she heard someone softly humming in one of the upstairs rooms, but when she went upstairs to investigate the source, the humming stopped and nobody was there.

Old Fairport Harbor Lighthouse paranormal

Photo by: Marianne Donley
Location submitted by: sdonley on 12/15/2013
DBA Approved: Y

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PANICd#: 1308

Publication date: 02/01/2015

Visited by PANICd

Last visited: 10/20/2019

The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60-foot tower with a detached keeper's house.

129 Second Street
Fairport Harbor , OH 44077
Phone: 440-354-4825
Open to the public: Yes

https://www.fairportharborlighthous...

Lat: 41.757136
Lon: -81.277691

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 6
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 4
Evidence: 0
Resources: 0
Retrievals: 10004
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 1

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History

History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.

The Grand River (Fairport Harbor) Light is located in the village of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and has a 60-foot tower with a detached keeper's house. The light was decommissioned in 1925, replaced by the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light.

At one time the Coast guard considered using the keeper's house to house their personnel and demolish the tower but a letter writing campaign by local residents prevented it from happening. In 1945 the Coast Guard turned over ownership of the light to the town.

The tower is open to the public and the keeper's house currently serves as the Fairport Harbor Marine Museum and Lighthouse (the first of its kind in the country), operated by the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. Visitors can climb the lighthouse for a view of the harbor. Founded in 1945, the museum features exhibits about the history of the lighthouse and its keepers, a Fresnel lens, lifesaving equipment, life on the Great Lakes, ship models and maritime artifacts. There is a gift shop. The former pilothouse from the Great Lakes carrier the Frontenac is attached to the museum's building. The museum is open seasonally, and is located at 129 Second Street. The lighthouse and museum are said to be haunted. Legend has it that a ghost cat haunts the facility. Volunteers and tourists alike have reported feeling a cat rub against them, although the cat is never seen.

Added by: sdonley on 02/01/2015 DB#:214
Source(s):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_River_%28Fairpo...

Stories

Stories are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location. This section could also contain research notes as well.

There are two prominent lighthouse keepers in the history of the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. The first keeper of the light must be noted, Samuel Butler, as he was also an active abolitionist and made the haunted Fairport Harbor Lighthouse a northern terminal of the Underground Railroad, effectively guiding runaway slaves to the safety of Canada. This history of the site alone makes it a possible site that's haunted. But the second lighthouse keeper seemed a fixture and remained very attached to the lighthouse of Fairport Harbor, which he loved. Captain Joseph Babcock was the first keeper of the reconstructed lighthouse and keeper's dwelling, who also raised a family on the grounds. In fact, two of his children were born in the home, with one of them dying young at age five from smallpox.

The tragedy of losing "Robbie" at so young an age, certainly weighed heavy on the family, but Mrs. Babcock also had fallen ill and remained bed-ridden inside the house. For entertainment, she reportedly kept many cats. Many years later, some claim to have seen a ghost cat whisking about upstairs, describing it as a gray "puff of smoke." Interestingly, a mummified cat was found by a worker years later, and is displayed in a glass cabinet at the Fairport Harbor Museum to this day!

Added by: sdonley on 02/01/2015 DB#: 1167
Source(s): http://www.angelsghosts.com/haunted_lighthouses_fa...

Paranormal Claims

Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.

Claim # Added Added By Claim
1981 02/01/2015 sdonley Investigators have captured the responses from the light house keepers in the keeper's house.
1982 02/01/2015 sdonley Investigators have captures the responses from the light house keepers in the tower.
1983 02/01/2015 sdonley The apparition of a grey cat has been seen on many occasions.
1984 02/01/2015 sdonley The apparition of a small boy has been seen at the base of the tower.

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