Haunted Port Townsend Lighthouse

Point Wilson is on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It is approximately 2 miles north of Port Townsend, Washington adjacent to Fort Worden State Park. The Point Wilson Lighthouse is at the tip of Point Wilson. The straight of Juan de Fuca is on the north side of the point and Admiralty Inlet is to the south.

Point Wilson is about 60 miles from Seattle and about 100 miles from Forks, WA.

Image credit: Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey - Public Domain

The Point Wilson Lighthouse was built in 1879 when Washington was still Washington Territory. (Washington did not become a state until 1889.)

The light was commissioned on December 15, 1879, equipped with a fourth order barrel-type fresnel lens that was visible for up to 13 miles.

The first lighthouse keeper was David Littlefield who served as lightkeeper for about 4 years.

A new lighthouse was built in 1913 with a new concrete and masonry lighthouse tower attached to a fog signal building. It was powered with the original 4th order Fresnel lens from the original lighthouse, but the height of the new tower increased the visiblity of the light to 16 miles.

Just after midnight on Friday, April 1, 1921, a tragic accident occurred near the Point Wilson Lighthouse. The 417-foot passenger ship S. S. Governor, with 240 passengers and crew members aboard collided with the freighter S. S. West Hartland. Although a rescue effort was immediately begun, eight lives were lost when the S.S. Governor sank within 30 minutes in 240 feet of water, one mile off Point Wilson. The crew of the S.S. West Hartland were more fortunate with no loss of life.

During World War II (1941-1945), the Point Wilson light was turned off, as were several other lighthouses on the west coast to prevent them being used as landmarks for an enemy attack

In November 1976, both the lighthouse and fog signal at Point Wilson were automated. A radio-beacon transmitting signal was also installed that is used for locating a ship's position.

The fresnel lens is currently illuminated by a 1,000-watt quartz lamp. It produces a 60,000 candlepower beam that is visible for 16 miles. The foghorn signal is activated by automatic sensors that detect moisture in the air. When activated it sounds one three-second blast every 30 seconds,

Photo Credit: Courtesy US Coast Guard - Public Domain

Buy at AllPosters.com

Over the years several different Coast Guard wives who lived in the light keepers house reported seeing a movement out of the corner of their eye only to turn and see a fleeting shadow of a woman in a long dress. There were also numerous tales of unexplained sounds of footsteps or noises like someone was rummaging through a bathroom cabinet when no one else was in the house. Sometimes items from a cupboard were mysteriously pulled out and found laying on the floor. In another strange incident, cards received by a child for her birthday that had been displayed on the mantle were found scattered on the floor

A guest of one family who resided in the light keepers house was sleeping on a sofa when he awoke with the sensation that he was being smothered. He saw the figure of a woman in the nearby kitchen.

Another encounter involved a Coast Guardsman who lived in the residence. He sensed a presence as he stood cooking a meal in front of the stove in the kitchen. He turned around to see the shadowy figure of a man standing nearby.

It seems that most of the paranormal activity happened in the west side of the house, so sometimes families living in the keepers house stayed on the east side of the house to avoid having any strange experiences.

One theory is that Point Wilson Lighthouse is haunted by the ghost of Maria Hastings Littlefield, the first light keepers wife. According to Washington state death records, she died July 1, 1912 and is said to have tragically lost her only son, Loren Littlefield in drowning accident October 6, 1900.

Another possibility is that the spirit of Lucy Washbourne wanders the Point Wilson Lighthouse.
Just after midnight on April 1, 1921, Lucy Washbourne, her husband and their two daughters were asleep in the cabin on the S.S. Governor, when it collided with the S.S. West Hartland offshore from Point Wilson. Their cabin was at the site of the impact. Lucy and her husband were rescued from the cabin, but the two girls were trapped inside. The crew were unable to reach them and left them to go down with the ship. Lucy Washbourne was hysterical and ran back into the sinking ship and she and her daughters were never seen again. A total of 8 people were lost when the SS Governor sank.

There were other numerous shipwrecks in the vicinity of Point Wilson, so perhaps some other unknown ghost or ghosts may be haunting the light keeper's house.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society

Buy at AllPosters.com

Paranormal Investigations of Historic America (PIHA) visited the Point Wilson Lighthouse keeper's residence on June 19, 2010 to investigate the stories of paranormal activities.

Information about PIHA from their website:

"PIHA is made up of a small group of experienced, dedicated paranormal investigators who have a passion for history and an interest in the phenomena of the possible existence of paranormal activity. Our approach, equipment and procedures for paranormal investigating is primarily based on the use of technologically advanced electronic equipment and scientific logic in obtaining evidence of possible paranormal activity."

Here is the link to view the video of their visit along with their report: 
PIHA Paranormal Invesigations

Buy at AllPosters.com

The Point Wilson lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard and managed by Fort Worden State Park. The lighthouse and tower are open to visitors from May through September on Saturdays during the hours of 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Port Townsend Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla #47 offers free guided tours. For information, call (360) 385-5520 or (360) 582-3890.

Driving Instructions: From Highway 20 in Port Townsend, turn left on Kearney Street. When Kearney Street ends, turn right onto Blaine Street. From Blaine Street, turn left onto Walker Street, which becomes Cherry Street. Follow Cherry Street 1.6 miles to Fort Worden where the road changes to Fort Worden Way. Enter Fort Worden and turn right on Eisenhower Avenue. When Eisenhower Avenue ends, turn left on Harbor Defense Way and follow it 0.8 miles to the Point Wilson Lighthouse.

Lodging: Port Townsend is a picturesque seaport town located about 2 miles from the Point Wilson Lighthouse. It is known for numerous historic Victorian era homes. There are several choices for overnight lodging.

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Port Townsend

Get great deals on Expedia.com!