Stratford: The Stories We Tell
Stratford has, of course, its lighthouse at Stratford Point, which was erected in 1881. But, did you know Stratford has a second lighthouse within its town boundaries? The lighthouse is known as Stratford Shoals, or Middle Ground, light. On a bright and clear day, you can see the lighthouse from Long Beach, or Stratford Point, in the middle of Long Island Sound, just to the south and west of Lordship. If you take the Port Jeff Ferry from Bridgeport to Port Jefferson Long Island, you’ll pass by the lighthouse on the port (left) side of the ferry.
The current lighthouse was built in 1867 and automated in 1970, after which the lighthouse was no longer manned. The lighthouse is 35 feet tall, as is the Stratford Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built on a small island which allowed room only for the male lighthouse keepers. Life was very lonely at the light. In 1905, assistant keeper Julius Koster became very angry, lashed a razor to a long stick, and attacked first assistant keeper, Morrell Hulse with it. Over the next several days, Koster tried repeatedly to kill Hulse. Koster locked himself in the lantern room. Hulse continued to prevent Koster from approaching the light itself for fear Koster would extinguish it. In doing so, Hulse went sleepless for five days. Several days later, the head light keeper arrived back at the light and rescued Hulse. Koster was dismissed and Hulse was hailed as a national hero. Rumors have it that Koster’s ghost still haunts the lighthouse, slamming doors and throwing chairs against walls.
In the early 1800s, a ship named Trustful left Bridgeport harbor with a cargo of church bells. The weather was so severe that one of the crew members asked to be left at Stratford Shoals. The Trustful proceeded on without him, and the ship sank in the rough weather. To this day, it’s rumored that if you listen closely at Stratford Shoals, you can hear the muffled sound of church bells ringing from beneath the waves. While we lack an extensive history of Stratford Shoals, we know some details. In 1867, 12,392 passed by the light. In 1868, 14,000 vessels passed by the light. In 1896, Austin Morris, an accused bigamist, was a keeper at the light. In 1898, a “fog trumpet” was sounded whenever it was foggy at middle-grounds. Orrin F. Merry was one of the keepers in 1922.
In June of 1955, an F-84 Thunderstreak fighter plane crashed near the lighthouse. The pilot parachuted from the plane and was rescued by the lighthouse crew.
In 2024, the Government Services Agency (GSA) sold the lighthouse for the price of $0 to a gentleman who lives in California. The buyer had to assume responsibility for all toxic waste and other associated issues at the lighthouse, and the lighthouse must be preserved as an historic landmark.
Let’s hope our town is successful in securing the transfer of Stratford Point Lighthouse for the residents of the Town of Stratford. It would be a shame to have the light become the private property of an individual, or entity, which would prevent us from visiting this beautiful and historic landmark.
