The Mystery of Seguin Island Light

Three miles off the mouth of the Kennebec River, a desolate island rises steeply from the Atlantic. Perched 180 feet above the water is the Seguin Island Light, the highest lighthouse in Maine and one of the most powerful on the entire East Coast.

Its light can be seen for miles—the original second-order Fresnel lens, installed in 1857, remains one of only a handful still operating in Maine. But it is the darkness of its history, not the brightness of its beacon, that draws many visitors. Seguin is widely considered one of the most haunted locations in New England, its ghost story passed down through generations of lighthouse keepers and visitors.

The Legend

The story dates back to the mid-1800s. A new keeper was assigned to Seguin. It was a prestigious post, but an isolated one. He brought his young wife with him.

At first, life was peaceful. But as winter set in, the isolation began to weigh on the wife. To cheer her up, the keeper ordered a piano to be shipped to the island. It was a massive undertaking to haul the instrument up the steep tramway, but he succeeded.

There was only one problem: she had brought only one piece of sheet music.

Day after day, night after night, she played the same song. Over and over. The melody echoed through the keeper’s house and out over the waves. The keeper, unable to escape the sound and the isolation, slowly began to lose his mind.

He asked her to stop. She couldn’t—it was her only connection to the world she had left.

One night, the music stopped abruptly.

When the relief boat arrived weeks later, they found the keeper dead by suicide. His wife was found strangled. The piano had been smashed to pieces with an axe.

The Haunting

Since that tragic winter, keepers and visitors have reported the same phenomenon: phantom piano music.

The Sound: It is described as faint, drifting on the wind, usually coming from the direction of the keeper’s house.
The Apparitions: Some have reported seeing a woman in period clothing walking the tramway or standing at the window.
The Equipment: Coast Guard crews in the mid-20th century reported tools moving, doors locking themselves, and a general feeling of being watched.

Visiting Seguin Today

Despite the grim story, Seguin is a stunningly beautiful place. The lighthouse is still active (though automated), and the island is maintained by the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station.

Getting There

Ferry: In the summer, the Seguin Island Ferry runs from Popham Beach (Phippsburg).
Private Boat: You can take your own boat, but there is no dock—only a mooring field. You must dinghy to shore and land on a rocky beach.

What to Do

Hike the Trail: A steep zig-zag trail leads from the cove to the top of the island.
Tour the Tower: Seguin has one of the only working First Order Fresnel Lenses in Maine. It is a jewel of glass and brass. You can often climb the tower for a small donation.
Stay Overnight: For the truly brave, you can join the “Friends of Seguin” and apply to be a volunteer keeper for a week in the summer. You will sleep in the keeper’s quarters—where the piano once played.

Practical Information

Season: Ferry service typically runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting.
Cost: Ferry tickets are approximately $40-50 per person; check current prices with the ferry operator.
Duration: Plan for at least 3-4 hours on the island to explore thoroughly.
What to Bring: Sturdy hiking shoes (the trail is steep and rocky), water, sunscreen, layers (it’s always cooler and windier on the island), and a camera.
Accessibility: The island is not wheelchair accessible due to steep terrain and rocky landing.

The History Behind the Haunt

Before the ghost story, there was simply a lighthouse doing its job. Seguin was one of the first lighthouses authorized by George Washington’s administration, originally lit in 1795. The current granite tower was built in 1857, replacing earlier wooden structures that couldn’t withstand the brutal offshore conditions.

Life on Seguin was genuinely difficult. Keepers and their families were essentially stranded for months at a time, especially during winter when storms made the crossing impossible. The fog signal—necessary because fog shrouded the island an average of 2,734 hours per year—was so loud it permanently damaged the hearing of some keepers. The isolation was profound.

Whether the piano story is literally true or a metaphor for the psychological toll of such isolation, it speaks to a real experience. Many keepers reported strange occurrences; some refused to stay. The Coast Guard automated the light in 1985, ending over 190 years of human habitation—but perhaps not human presence.

Other Maine Lighthouse Ghosts

Seguin isn’t alone. Maine’s coast is dotted with lighthouses that have their own supernatural reputations:

Hendricks Head Light (Southport): A ghost child is said to appear—connected to a baby who washed ashore in a feather mattress during a shipwreck.
Wood Island Light (Biddeford Pool): Site of a murder-suicide in 1896; strange occurrences reported ever since.
Owl’s Head Light (Rockland): The ghost of a frozen sailor still walks the grounds.

Whether you believe the ghost story or not, standing on the high cliffs of Seguin, listening to the wind and the waves crash against the rocks below, it is easy to understand how the isolation could drive someone to the edge—and why these stories persist long after the keepers are gone.

Why the Story Endures

The Seguin ghost story has survived for over 150 years because it touches something universal. The isolation of lighthouse keeping was real and documented—keepers went mad, marriages collapsed, and families fell apart from the strain of living cut off from the world for months at a time.

The piano story works because we can imagine it so vividly: the same melody, day after day, the walls closing in, the howling wind and crashing waves, the slow descent into madness. It’s a cautionary tale about isolation packaged as a ghost story, and it resonates because modern life offers its own forms of isolation that can feel equally suffocating.

Planning Your Visit

For the best experience at Seguin Island:

Book early: Ferry spots are limited and popular dates fill up fast, especially on weekends with good weather.
Check the forecast: The crossing can be rough in wind or fog, and the ferry may cancel in bad conditions.
Plan for the day: Most visitors spend 3-4 hours exploring, which is perfect for a half-day trip.
Bring lunch: There are no food services on the island. Pack a picnic and enjoy it on the rocks with a view.
Listen carefully: If you do hear piano music on the wind, well… at least you’ll have a good story to tell.

The Island Experience

Beyond the ghost story, Seguin offers something increasingly rare: genuine disconnection from the modern world. There’s no cell service, no electricity in the traditional sense, no convenience store. What you bring is what you have.

This isolation, which proved so destructive in the legend, can be restorative for modern visitors spending just a few hours on the island. The silence (punctuated by wind, waves, and seabirds) provides a mental reset. The lack of digital distraction allows you to actually see what’s in front of you.

Many visitors describe leaving Seguin feeling restored, despite—or perhaps because of—the island’s haunted reputation. There’s something cleansing about confronting both natural beauty and human tragedy in the same place.

The Volunteer Keeper Program

For those truly drawn to Seguin, the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station run a volunteer keeper program. Participants spend a week on the island, greeting visitors, maintaining the grounds, and living in the same quarters where keepers once resided.

Volunteer keepers report various experiences. Some hear nothing unusual. Others describe footsteps, cold spots, and the persistent feeling of not being alone. Whether these experiences are supernatural or simply the product of isolation and suggestion, they contribute to the ongoing mythology that keeps Seguin’s story alive.

Applications typically open in early spring for the summer season. Slots fill quickly—the program has developed a devoted following among those who’ve experienced island life once and want to return.