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This
was the first lighthouse to be constructed on the Gulf Coast . The first
lighthouse was constructed in 1824 and took only two months to build. An
adjacent keeper's dwelling was completed only a few days later. It stood 80'
above sea level on the northern entrance of the bay near the present day Lighthouse
Point Restaurant just west of the old Spanish fort named Fort San Carlos de
Barrancas in an area that had been the fort's cemetery years before.
Complaints about the lighthouse started early. The workmanship and quality of
material used for the tower left much to be desired. Its low height and nearby
trees blocked the light from view from some directions to seaward. Improvements
to the reflector lenses and windows in 1847 failed to improve the quality of the
light sufficiently.
The first
Keeper Jeremiah Ingraham was appointed December 22, 1824 and served as keeper
until his death on September 6th 1840. His wife, Michaela, succeeded
him and continued as the keeper until her death in 1855.
In 1832 the
lighthouse guide warned against trying to use the light at night, when it would
be most useful, because trees on Santa Rosa Island to the east and on the
mainland to the west obscured the beam. In 1838 it was suggested that the
lighthouse be moved “to enable our cruisers to leave or enter the harbor at
any time of the night”. By 1851 the light was so dim it was said to be equal
to only a small harbor light. Because of complaints about the old tower,
the present tower was authorized in 1854.
At the start
of the Civil War, Pensacola and the mainland were taken over by Confederate
forces while across the bay, Fort Pickens was in Union hands. On April 12,
1861, the same day that the first shot of the Civil War was fired at Ft. Sumter,
the occupying confederate troops extinguished the light. They feared the Union
Naval ships were using the light to re-supply Ft. Pickens. As part of the siege
of Fort Pickens, the lighthouse was used as a lookout tower and cannons and
mortars were emplaced in the immediate vicinity. On November 22 and 23, 1861 the
opposing sides exchanged canon fire. The lighthouse was struck several times by
Union shot but not badly damaged. Following evacuation of the confederates the
Union Army tried to re-exhibit the light. They found that the lens and apparatus
had been dismantled and hidden. According to legend, the lenses were buried in
the sand for protection. However, records reveal that the lenses were sent to
Montgomery for safe keeping. Following the wars end, the original
first-order lens was retrieved, reassembled, and once again operational. The
year was 1869, the same year new Keepers Quarters were built.
The lighthouse suffered from two
lightning strikes in 1875, the keeper's dwelling roof damaged by a tornado in
1877 and the Charleston Earthquake of 1886 stopped the station's pendulum clocks
and made a sound in the tower "... a rumbling, as if people were ascending
the steps, making as much noise as possible."
The color
signature designated in 1878, features the upper two –thirds painted black and
the lower one third painted white. The tower gets a fresh coat of paint every
five years, the most recent in 2002.
The Pensacola Lighthouse
originally used a clockworks mechanism to power the rotation of its lens. In
1939, the light was electrified when the Army ran power lines out to the tower.
Prior to the installation of electricity, the former keepers pulled chains with
weights of the clockwork mechanism every two hours to keep the lens
rotating. As a respite from having to climb the 177 wrought iron spiral
steps, the keeper would draw a curtain around the lens to block out the
sun. Before nightfall one 5 gallon, 40 pound bucket of oil had to be
carried to the top.
The lighthouse
continued in manned operation until it was automated on September 8, 1965. The
former Keeper’s Quarters houses the Navy’s Command Display Center, which has
exhibits pertaining to the history of the lighthouse and Naval Air Station. The
lighthouse is tended by the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team and the former
keepers quarters is under Navy supervision.
Haunted
History
"Barrancas Lighthouse
This classic ghost story begins in 1857 with the construction of the
Pensacola Lighthouse and two of its early keepers, a husband and
wife.
For whatever reason, the wife murdered her husband while he slept in
their quarters adjacent to the lighthouse. The violent stabbing left
a large pool of blood on the floor.
Actually, as a psychologist who stayed there several years ago
confirmed, there are three lighthouse ghosts. Two, he said, are
probably keepers who died there of natural causes. The third is
either the murdered keeper or his mistress.
Let's walk up the lighthouse's 178 steps, late at night, and be
"greeted" by its "keeper!"
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"Many
people have reported odd occurrences at the lighthouse. One tale tells the
story of a father and his two children, ages 8 and 11 who were touring the
lighthouse. While on the staircase the boy reported someone whispering his
name "Alex" in his ear and he kept talking about seeing a ghost.
It
is said that the presence of the old keepers can still be felt in the lighthouse
and the adjoining buildings. Emmitt Hatten, a Pensacola resident, who was raised
in the house said “when I would go up to pull the chains to keep the lens
turning, I could hear human breathing. I was certain that it wasn’t mine and I
would stop and listen.” He also told of a story about a man who was
killed in the house by his wife leaving a blood spot on the floor that refused
to go away. Hatten said, “ I can remember my Mom scrubbing the floor
trying to get rid of the blood stain and her getting upset because it would
constantly return.” The site is now the Coast Guard Liaison
Office. He continued, “ At night, we would hear footsteps coming up the
stairs, but when we would look, no one would be there.”
Many
people have reported odd occurrences at the lighthouse. One tale tells the
story of a father and his two children, ages 8 and 11 who were touring the
lighthouse. While on the staircase the boy reported someone whispering his
name "Alex" in his ear and he kept talking about seeing a
ghost.
It
is said that the presence of the old keepers can still be felt in the lighthouse
and the adjoining buildings. Emmitt Hatten, a Pensacola resident, who was raised
in the house said “when I would go up to pull the chains to keep the lens
turning, I could hear human breathing. I was certain that it wasn’t mine and I
would stop and listen.” He also told of a story about a man who was
killed in the house by his wife leaving a blood spot on the floor that refused
to go away. Hatten said, “ I can remember my Mom scrubbing the floor
trying to get rid of the blood stain and her getting upset because it would
constantly return.” The site is now the Coast Guard Liaison
Office. He continued, “ At night, we would hear footsteps coming up the
stairs, but when we would look, no one would be there.”
Interview:
GHG
Marlene: The footsteps that are heard on the stairway, hallway and the
opening of the door and gate out front - does this normally occur during the
day or the evening hours?
Dianne:
I am normally only there during the day, it is usually around 4:00pm or 4:30pm
that I hear the footsteps, but with the Hatton family they would experience
this in the evening hours. The Hatton family were the ones to see the
front door open and close, to hear the footsteps continue out to the gate and
see the gate open and close. Footsteps
in the passageway are heard most often, no matter the time of day. Emmitt
Hatton grew up in the keepers quarters, he relayed these accounts to Dianne
before his passing last year.
GHG
Marlene: Which
doors are most commonly found unlocked in the mornings?
Dianne: Most
any exterior door. Because this has been a problem over the years,
whoever locks up is very careful to double check that all doors are secured.
GHG
Marlene: Any
experiences in the tower?
Dianne: Yes,
three members of the Coast Guard went up one evening after the tours.
They said the smell of pipe tobacco was very strong, one said he saw smoke.
Each said that they felt someone was in the tower, but they searched and could
not locate anyone in the tower.
Very
often the hatch to the lens area of the tower will slam shut, this has
happened on many tours also.
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Our Findings:
We did not conduct an actual investigation on this evening, Friday, February 7,
2003. Our group met with Coast Guard and Navy liaisons and
lighthouse volunteers. We toured both the lighthouse and the quarters. We did take some
photos and set up video cameras. We have not reviewed all of the photos
and videos yet but this a sample of what we have found so far...only a few
orbs. Our meters and thermal scanners did not detect anything out of the
ordinary.
Several people,
including Jim from the Coast Guard stated that the "blood stain" is
very apparent in humid weather. Dianne wet the floor several times but
we did not see the stain. They described the stain as a body imprint.
According to Dianne, Mrs. Hatton spent hours scrubbing this area only to have
the stain return. The stain was in the upper room when the Hatton's came
to live in the quarters. No historical documents have been located, only
the folklore that a man was murdered in the room. The floor has been
sanded and coated with polyurethane.
This trip was planned basically to learn the history of the
lighthouse, to hear first hand accounts of encounters the volunteers have had,
to learn the layout of the quarters and to get some baseline readings to
determine where electrical lines and electrical appliances are located. We
plan to make a return visit and conduct a formal investigation. We'll
publish our results when we do.
GHG
Ghost Hunters did return to this location on two other
occasions. On the third visit Sharon Renae joined the team
to lend her psychic impressions of the site. Her perceptions
validated our data recorded from the previous visits and many of
the sightings by the Coast Guard personnel and The Lighthouse
Keepers.
We
would like to thank our Coast Guard and Navy liaisons, the Lighthouse Keeper
Volunteers and NAS security for granting permission and access to the lighthouse
and keepers quarters, for sharing their experiences and historical
information. We would also like thank them for their personal dedication
to preserving the historical lighthouse, its artifacts and for sharing their
time and efforts to conduct tours.
GHG Ghost
Hunters participated with the filming of a segment when this lighthouse
was featured on the Travel Channel, Monday – Haunted
Lighthouses Across America
In May 2007 GHG Ghost
Hunters team was invited to return to the Light House Keeper's dwelling.
The team consisted of seven members. Data is under review.
Once again, we would like to
express our thanks to the U S Coast Guard, Captain Pettitt USGC, Light House
Friends, Dianne and Sue for their time and for sharing their experiences from
this location.
Lighthouse
Links:
Pensacola
Lighthouse Standing Guard for 173 Years
Pensacola
Light
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