Paranormal Bird Island Lighthouse Mystery
Congress appropriated $11,500 on March 3, 1819, for three separate aids to navigation, including a lighthouse on Bird Island (1.5 acres). The island was purchased by the government from George Blankinship for $200. At one point there was a keeper’s cottage made of stone and a covered walkway linking the cottage and the lighthouse. Bird Island Light was taken out of service on June 15, 1933. The hurricane of 1938 destroyed every building except the lighthouse.
In March 1940, the government sold the island at auction to George Harmon of Bar Harbor, Maine, for $654. Just a month later, the island was purchased by Augustus Fiske of Providence, Rhode Island. Apparently, not much was done with the property over the next 25 years.
In early 1965, the Marion Conservation Commission announced that donations were being accepted towards the purchase of Bird Island. The town purchased the island from Fiske's heirs in May 1966 for $2500.
In 1994, the Bird Island Preservation Society was formed. The Society raised funds for restoration, and the comeback was capped by a relighting ceremony on July 4, 1997. Care and custody of Bird island was transferred to Marion Marine Department in 1998.
William S. Moore Lighthouse Keeper 1819-1822
William Moore was assigned as the first lighthouse keeper on September 1 1819. According to local legend, William was a pirate and had been banished to Bird Island as a form of punishment. Although interesting, it's untrue.
An even more horrific legend is that William murdered his wife in 1822, and then disappeared, this also is untrue. William remained the lighthouse keeper until 1830. Others believed his wife became ill and he refused to take her to the mainland for medical care therefore causing her death.
A rifle was found in a secret hiding place, along with a bag of tobacco, when the original keeper's house was torn down in 1889. The gun was believed by some to be the murder weapon. Along with the gun, a note was found, signed by Mr. Moore.
The stated :
This bag contains tobacco, found among the clothes of my wife after her decease. It was furnished by certain individuals in and about Sippican. May the curses of the High Heaven rest upon the heads of those who destroyed the peace of my family and the health and happiness of a wife whom I Dearly Loved.
Officially Mrs. Moore died from tuberculosis.
Paranormal
There is no grave to mark her final resting place, it is believed she was buried on the island. Subsequent light house keepers, were even convinced they had seen her ghost wandering around in the night. According to an article in the Standard Times, reports from later keepers were frightened by the “ghost of a hunched-over old woman, rapping at the door during the night.” Subsequent keepers had similar experiences and one even claimed his children were repeatedly frightened by the spirit of a "stoop-shouldered old lady" with one arm extended as though reaching out for something.
Peter Murray Lighthouse Keeper 1891-1895
Peter's 11-month-old child, Gerald Murray, became ill with pneumonia. The ice prevented the keeper from getting the baby to the mainland and he had no way of signaling for help. Desperate, he extinguished the light to attract attention. Help eventually arrived, but too late. The Murrays buried their child on the mainland and never returned to Bird Island.
Lighthouse Keepers
William S Moore 1819-1834, John Clark 1834-1849 and 1853-1861, James Delano 1849-1853, Marshall V Simmons 1861-1867
W.A. Simmons Asst. 1867-1868, keeper 1869-1872, A.B. Bowman Asst. 1868-1869, Russell G. Gray Asst. 1870-1871
Charles A. Clark Asst. 1871-1872 keeper 1872-1891, Jabez Jenney Asst. 1872, Peter Murray 1891-1895, Zimri Tobia Robinson 1895-1912, C.W. Jordan 1912, Elliot C Hadley 1912-1917, H.H. Davis 1917-1919, Maurice A. Babcock 1919-1926,
George T. Gustavus 1926-Jun 15 1933
Congress appropriated $11,500 on March 3, 1819, for three separate aids to navigation, including a lighthouse on Bird Island (1.5 acres). The island was purchased by the government from George Blankinship for $200. At one point there was a keeper’s cottage made of stone and a covered walkway linking the cottage and the lighthouse. Bird Island Light was taken out of service on June 15, 1933. The hurricane of 1938 destroyed every building except the lighthouse.
In March 1940, the government sold the island at auction to George Harmon of Bar Harbor, Maine, for $654. Just a month later, the island was purchased by Augustus Fiske of Providence, Rhode Island. Apparently, not much was done with the property over the next 25 years.
In early 1965, the Marion Conservation Commission announced that donations were being accepted towards the purchase of Bird Island. The town purchased the island from Fiske's heirs in May 1966 for $2500.
In 1994, the Bird Island Preservation Society was formed. The Society raised funds for restoration, and the comeback was capped by a relighting ceremony on July 4, 1997. Care and custody of Bird island was transferred to Marion Marine Department in 1998.
William S. Moore Lighthouse Keeper 1819-1822
William Moore was assigned as the first lighthouse keeper on September 1 1819. According to local legend, William was a pirate and had been banished to Bird Island as a form of punishment. Although interesting, it's untrue.
An even more horrific legend is that William murdered his wife in 1822, and then disappeared, this also is untrue. William remained the lighthouse keeper until 1830. Others believed his wife became ill and he refused to take her to the mainland for medical care therefore causing her death.
A rifle was found in a secret hiding place, along with a bag of tobacco, when the original keeper's house was torn down in 1889. The gun was believed by some to be the murder weapon. Along with the gun, a note was found, signed by Mr. Moore.
The stated :
This bag contains tobacco, found among the clothes of my wife after her decease. It was furnished by certain individuals in and about Sippican. May the curses of the High Heaven rest upon the heads of those who destroyed the peace of my family and the health and happiness of a wife whom I Dearly Loved.
Officially Mrs. Moore died from tuberculosis.
Paranormal
There is no grave to mark her final resting place, it is believed she was buried on the island. Subsequent light house keepers, were even convinced they had seen her ghost wandering around in the night. According to an article in the Standard Times, reports from later keepers were frightened by the “ghost of a hunched-over old woman, rapping at the door during the night.” Subsequent keepers had similar experiences and one even claimed his children were repeatedly frightened by the spirit of a "stoop-shouldered old lady" with one arm extended as though reaching out for something.
Peter Murray Lighthouse Keeper 1891-1895
Peter's 11-month-old child, Gerald Murray, became ill with pneumonia. The ice prevented the keeper from getting the baby to the mainland and he had no way of signaling for help. Desperate, he extinguished the light to attract attention. Help eventually arrived, but too late. The Murrays buried their child on the mainland and never returned to Bird Island.
Lighthouse Keepers
William S Moore 1819-1834, John Clark 1834-1849 and 1853-1861, James Delano 1849-1853, Marshall V Simmons 1861-1867
W.A. Simmons Asst. 1867-1868, keeper 1869-1872, A.B. Bowman Asst. 1868-1869, Russell G. Gray Asst. 1870-1871
Charles A. Clark Asst. 1871-1872 keeper 1872-1891, Jabez Jenney Asst. 1872, Peter Murray 1891-1895, Zimri Tobia Robinson 1895-1912, C.W. Jordan 1912, Elliot C Hadley 1912-1917, H.H. Davis 1917-1919, Maurice A. Babcock 1919-1926,
George T. Gustavus 1926-Jun 15 1933