One of the oldest lighthouse stations in the United States (established 1771) · Current cast-iron tower built 1877 or 1878, active Coast Guard aid to navigation · Site of July 4, 1809 Fort Constitution explosion that killed ten soldiers · 35-year tenure of keeper Joshua Card (1869-1904)
Portsmouth Harbor Light has marked the entrance to the Piscataqua River and Portsmouth Harbor since 1771, when it was erected at the colonial fortification known as Fort William and Mary on New Castle Island. The original structure was a wooden lantern atop the fort wall. Over the following century, the station was rebuilt several times as lighthouse technology and the demands of maritime traffic changed. The current cast-iron tower, 48 feet tall and white with a black lantern, was erected in 1877 or 1878, depending on the account, and is an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation.
On July 4, 1809, an accidental gunpowder explosion at the fort — by then renamed Fort Constitution — killed ten soldiers. Local paranormal lore holds that the event sent additional spirit energy onto the lighthouse grounds.
The keeper most closely associated with the lighthouse's paranormal reputation is Joshua Card, who served at the station from 1869 to 1904, a tenure of 35 years. Card was known for meticulous record-keeping and dedication to the light; his service logbooks are held in regional maritime archives. He died in the early 20th century.
The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, the nonprofit that manages public access and preservation for the station, documents the lighthouse's history and organizes seasonal tours including ghost events with paranormal investigator Ron Kolek.
Sources
- https://www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org/2022/08/24/investigate-haunted-history/
- https://paranormaltraveler.com/1585/portsmouth-harbor-lighthouse-a-haunted-maritime-landmark/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portsmouth_Harbor_Light
- https://www.syfy.com/ghost-hunters/season-4/blogs/episode-recap-portsmouth-harbor-lighthouse
Apparition of figure in pea coat and wide-brimmed hat near the towerFootsteps with no identifiable sourceVoices recorded during investigation
The core paranormal claim at Portsmouth Harbor Light is specific and sourced to two witnesses who did not know each other: two people, at different times, reported encountering a man dressed in a pea coat and wide-brimmed hat near the lighthouse tower. Both described the figure using clothing consistent with 19th-century lighthouse keeping attire, and both — when subsequently shown photographs of former keepers — independently identified the appearance as matching Joshua Card, who had served at the station for 35 years before his death in the early 20th century.
Ghost Hunters, the Syfy network's paranormal investigation series, included Portsmouth Harbor Light in its Season 4 programming. During the investigation, the production documented footsteps and voices on recording equipment with no identifiable physical source in the vicinity. The IMDB entry for the episode confirms the Season 4 inclusion.
Paranormal Traveler's coverage of the site provides additional context on the Joshua Card sightings and ties the 1809 Fourth of July explosion — which killed ten men at the adjacent fort — to the concentration of reported activity on the grounds. Ron Kolek, a veteran paranormal investigator who has worked with the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, runs the nighttime ghost tour program through the official lighthouse organization.
Notable Entities
Joshua Card (keeper, 1869-1904)
Media Appearances
- Ghost Hunters (television, Season 4)
Where this legend is told
