Perched high above the sea at Seguin Island Light Station, one of Maine’s oldest and most isolated lighthouses has long been the source of eerie tales and local legend.
Established in 1795, the lighthouse guided generations of vessels traveling the Kennebec and Sheepscot rivers. The island itself is often shrouded in fog, with its powerful foghorn sounding dozens of days each year. Its rugged landscape and remote setting have helped fuel stories that have endured for more than a century.
The most famous legend centers on a lighthouse keeper who reportedly lost his sanity after his wife repeatedly played the same tune on a piano. According to folklore, he killed both his wife and himself with an axe. While historians have found little evidence to support the story, some claim the melody can still be heard drifting across the water on quiet nights.
Former Coast Guard personnel stationed on the island during the 1970s and 1980s shared accounts of unexplained experiences. Reports included sightings of an older man climbing the lighthouse stairs, tools mysteriously disappearing and reappearing, unexplained cold spots, and sounds echoing through empty rooms.
Others spoke of seeing a young girl running through the station or hearing laughter near the lighthouse. Local stories suggest a child who died on the island was buried there many years ago.
One of the most intriguing accounts came during preparations to automate the lighthouse in 1985. A Coast Guard officer reportedly awoke to find an apparition pleading for the station’s furniture to remain. The following day, equipment being transported from the island was lost in an unusual accident, leading some to wonder whether the island’s legendary “Old Captain” had made his presence known.
Whether fact, folklore, or imagination, the ghost stories of Seguin Island continue to fascinate visitors. On foggy evenings, with the lighthouse standing watch above the crashing waves, it is easy to understand why the island remains one of Maine’s most enduring haunted landmarks.
Here’s a video that highlights the site and its remote location.
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