An 1878 offshore light where a keeper vanished in a storm and Coast Guard crews reported voices
Race Rock Reef, Fishers Island Sound, New London, CT 06320
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
The lighthouse sits offshore on a reef and has no public landing; it is viewed from charter and tour boats out of New London or Fishers Island Sound. Boat-tour pricing varies by operator.
Access
Limited Access
Offshore reef structure with no public interior access; viewing is from the water
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1878 · National Register of Historic Places · Major nineteenth-century offshore engineering achievement · Designed by Francis Hopkinson Smith
Race Rock Reef is a cluster of submerged and exposed rocks in Long Island Sound that wrecked numerous vessels in the nineteenth century. Congress funded a lighthouse there, and the contract went to engineer Francis Hopkinson Smith, who directed one of the most difficult marine construction efforts of the period. Foundation work began in 1871 and required roughly seven years, using thousands of tons of granite to build a stable platform on the open reef before the tower and keeper's quarters could rise.
The lighthouse was completed in 1878 and first lit in 1879. Set on its hard-won granite base, the granite dwelling and tower became a recognized example of nineteenth-century engineering, and the project's final cost ran far beyond its initial appropriation.
The station was staffed by keepers for nearly a century. Among them was Thomas Carroll, who in January 1885 was caught ashore by a multi-day storm. Unwilling to leave the light unattended any longer, he set out to row back to the station alone in heavy seas and was last seen alive pulling away from shore. He did not reach the lighthouse.
The Coast Guard automated Race Rock in 1978, ending staffed keeping. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and is now maintained with the involvement of the New London Maritime Society. Because it sits offshore with no public landing, it is experienced mainly from the water.
Sources
Race Rock's haunting reputation grew out of the experiences of the crews who staffed it. Over the years, keepers and Coast Guard personnel described hearing voices, whispers, yelling, and laughter moving through the rooms. Some reported the feeling of being touched or pushed; others described footsteps and, in one recurring account, wet footprints near the shower area.
The figure most often attached to the lore is Thomas Carroll, the keeper who disappeared in January 1885 while rowing back to the station through a storm. The tradition holds that one of the presences felt at the light is Carroll, still trying to return to his post.
The lighthouse reached a wider audience through television. In the fourth episode of the first season of Ghost Hunters, the investigation team spent roughly twelve hours at Race Rock at the request of the Coast Guard, which wanted the rumors examined. After reviewing their recordings, the investigators concluded that the lighthouse was haunted, an episode that has been replayed and recapped widely since.
The reports remain consistent in tone: sounds without a visible source, the impression of company in an empty structure, and the persistent association with a keeper the sea never gave back.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Race Rock Lighthouse stands on an exposed reef southwest of Fishers Island and has no public landing. Visitors see it from charter, sightseeing, and lighthouse-cruise boats operating out of the New London area. The structure is a granite engineering landmark and a fixture of regional lighthouse-cruise itineraries; confirm schedules and routes with the boat operator before booking.
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