The Saint Simons Light

Living on St. Simons Island made it easy to begin my ghost hunting right at home. This St. Simons Lighthouse has stood on the island since 1872, replacing one destroyed during the Civil War. However, Civil War soldiers are not the haunt of this island light. As with many lights around the states… the spooks here are caused by the early and unfortunate demise of a light house keeper himself. As the legend goes….it was in 1880 when the keeper of the time, Frederick Osborne “met his maker” at the hands of his assistant John Stephens. Some say their argument was over Osborne speaking “inappropriately” to Stephen’s wife. Others will say it was Osborne’s obsessive control of Stephens that pushed them to such a deadly argument. In the end, Frederick lay dead.

Stories of Osborne’s spirit haunting the light are documented as far back as the early 1900’s only a few years after his death. Tales from keepers over the years hearing footsteps in the stairwells, the light adjusted and windows opened and closed. Some reports even tell of “smelling the kerosene of his old lamp”.

People are not the only ones who have experienced Frederick. One document from a previous caretaker the Svendsens said their family dog Jinx had multiple encounters. They would hear someone…see no one, but Jinx would growl and his hair stand on end as he followed the invisible spirit around. As stories are added over the generations it seems that Frederick Osborne is still on duty each night conducting his rounds and inspecting the light on St. Simons. On this page you will see a few photos I have taken thru the windows of the keeper’s house. It looks as if Frederick himself is standing on the other side of the glass looking right out at me in a few. After taking one of the photos chills ran up my spine, the hairs on my arms stood up and I nearly jumped off the porch!