Wisconsin's oldest lighthouse, built in 1836 on an island accessible only by ferry, where keeper David Corbin is buried and visitors report unexplained noises and phantom children near the island's Scandinavian settler cemetery.
1924 Indian Point Road, Washington Island, WI 54246
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
State park vehicle sticker required; ferry from Washington Island to Rock Island is separate and seasonal
Access
Limited Access
Island hiking trails; no paved roads, no motorized vehicles allowed on Rock Island
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1858 · Wisconsin's oldest lighthouse, first lit 1837 (construction began 1836) · National Register of Historic Places (1979, #79000074) · Only car-free state park in Wisconsin · Thordarson Viking Hall — notable Arts & Crafts Norse revival structure (1929)
Rock Island sits just north of Washington Island at the outer edge of the Door Peninsula, guarding the Rock Island Passage — a critical shipping lane on Lake Michigan. Congress funded the original lighthouse in 1836 after petitions from Detroit merchants who needed reliable navigation aids for the passage. That first structure, a one-and-a-half-story house with a detached 30-foot tower, was poorly constructed and required replacement within two decades.
The existing limestone lighthouse was completed and first lit in 1858. It served a succession of civilian light keepers from 1836 through 1946, when the station was automated. David Corbin, appointed first keeper on December 19, 1837 (construction of the original tower began in 1836, completing in October 1837), served the station for fifteen years until his death in December 1852 and is buried in a small grave just outside the lighthouse — one of the most evocative details of any lighthouse on Lake Michigan.
The island changed hands multiple times before passing to Icelandic-American inventor Chester Thordarson, who constructed a Viking Hall boathouse on the island in 1929 using native stone. Thordarson's heirs sold the island to the State of Wisconsin in 1965 for the creation of Rock Island State Park, which admits no motor vehicles — access is strictly by foot and ferry. The Pottawatomie Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. A multi-year restoration was completed in 2004 by the Friends of Rock Island State Park in partnership with the Wisconsin DNR, returning the interior to its circa 1909–1913 appearance. Volunteer docents now live in the lighthouse seasonally and conduct free guided tours.
Sources
The Pottawatomie Lighthouse has accumulated ghost lore over nearly two centuries of occupation. According to Travel Wisconsin and regional coverage, visitors and volunteer docents report hearing strange thumping noises from the second floor when no one is upstairs, along with doors opening and closing without apparent cause. Local tradition holds that these phenomena are linked to David Corbin, the lighthouse's first keeper, who spent his final years at the posting and is buried just outside the building. Why Corbin would haunt his posting is never explained beyond his deep connection to the place.
Apart from the lighthouse itself, hikers on the island's perimeter trail encounter two cemeteries. The Scandinavian settler cemetery, associated with the Norwegian and Swedish families who farmed Rock Island in the late 1800s, has generated reports of apparitions of children playing together — a detail echoed in the Shadowlands index and regional ghost-lore compilations. A small Native American burial area on the island is also documented, though specific paranormal claims associated with it are not independently attested.
The island's extreme isolation — accessible only by two ferry rides, no motorized vehicles, 40 primitive campsites reached only on foot — contributes to its uncanny atmosphere. Campers report unexplained footsteps and voices at night.
Notable Entities
Free guided tours led by live-in volunteer docents cover the lighthouse interior restored to its 1909–1913 appearance, the lantern room, and the history of keeper David Corbin, who is buried steps from the building.
Hike the perimeter trail past the Scandinavian settler cemetery and the smaller Native American burial area, both associated with reported apparitions of children in local lore.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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