For Sale: $1.25 Million ‘Haunted’ Lighthouse Where You Can Actually Sleep in the Light Tower—If You Dare

A 143-year-old lighthouse that is allegedly ‘haunted’ by two ‘friendly spirits’ is set to be put on the market for $1.25 million in what is described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to own a rare piece of history.

The property, which is known as the Borden Flats Light, sits at the mouth of the Taunton River in Somerset, MA, and is said to be the only remaining lighthouse in the world where you can actually sleep inside the tower.

Built in 1881, the lighthouse holds a great deal of historical significance, having been occupied by full-time lightkeepers up until 1963, when it became fully automated.

Soon after, it fell into a state of disrepair and remained that way for decades until it was purchased at auction by Portland, OR, native Nick Korstad, who spent a staggering six years renovating the lighthouse and returning it to its original glory—save for the electrical upgrades that allow it to function by itself.

But for the last six years, the lighthouse has been under the ownership of Kevin Ferias—who ended up in the role of lightkeeper thanks to a little bit of luck—and love.

“I have always been a lighthouse fanatic and have been fascinated with them my whole life,” Ferias tells Realtor.com®. “I am a video producer and veteran photographer of 43 years, so I have photographed hundreds of them in my life.”

In 2017, he wanted to do something special for his 25th wedding anniversary and tried to reserve an overnight stay at a nearby lighthouse on Rose Island, but it was booked. So he looked into another similar structure that he had always admired.

“It was called Borden Flats Light,” he recalls. “I called the number on the website and spoke with Nick, who owned it, and he said he had just opened it for overnight stays and the date was available.”

Ferias was delighted—but little did he know that his one-night stay in the lighthouse would ultimately take him down a very intriguing new career path.

“Just imagine if Rose Island hadn’t been booked, this opportunity never would have happened,” he adds.

‘Fell in love’

When Ferias arrived for his overnight stay, he said he immediately felt right at home.

“The minute I walked in, I truly felt like I had been there before,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with the place and after our incredible experience on the Light, became instant friends with Nick and offered to photograph the Light for his website for free.”

Korstad explained to Ferias that he was looking to sell Borden Flats Light, with an asking price of $500,000, having just purchased another lighthouse in Michigan. Although fascinated by the idea of becoming a lightkeeper, Ferias says he wasn’t in a position to fork out half a million dollars on what was essentially a passion project.

“Nick was asking $500,000 for it, but our kids were in college at the time and we were in debt up to our eyeballs with college bills,” he says.

‘Didn’t want to let it go’

He still couldn’t walk away, though—nor could he get the image of the lighthouse out of his mind.

“The lighthouse sort of fell into my lap, and I knew I would never have an opportunity like this ever again and didn’t want to let it go,” he reveals.”The next five months, I lost a lot of sleep dreaming about it. Unbeknownst to my wife, I had gone to five banks, looking into financing.”

Although he got good feedback for the “community support venture,” he was told that underwriters wouldn’t assume the risk of the investment.

“If the property were on land, they would have thrown money at me, but it’s out in the bay. So, all I had for funds to work with was the $240,000 in home equity,” Ferias said.

After looking into alternative financing, it seemed likely the deal would never happen. Then Korstad called.

“He had a two-hour conversation with his mother who is in real estate, and he said they both agreed they wanted no one else to buy this lighthouse but me,” Ferias shares.

“He said if I could close in three days, they would give it to me for $240,000. I raced to the credit union and got a check. That was on a Monday; we closed on Wednesday.”

Had to ‘learn the ropes’

Having never operated a lighthouse before, Ferias had to quickly learn how to run it.

“Nick and I went to the closing and then to the lighthouse, so I could shadow him and learn the ropes of being a lightkeeper,” Ferias says. “Most people stay for just one night, and there were guests already booked for Wednesday and Thursday.

“The next day, Nick was off to Big Bay Point, the lighthouse he had just purchased in Michigan, so I was on my own from that point on.”

Although it was “sink or swim” with his new property, Ferias gushes, “Buying the lighthouse was the best thing I have ever done.”

It turns out, the lighthouse was a solid investment. Borden Flats welcomes guests who travel from all over the world between April and November (although they also take bookings by request in December). For the 2025 season, Ferias charges guests $595 per night in April, May, October, and November, and $649 a night for bookings made between June and September.

Bookings are reserved for a year and a half to two years in advance of their stay—and the lighthouse reservations have been sold out for seven years straight.

“The guests love it so much,” the owner says. “For $600 a night, I want them to have some creature comforts, so I started modernizing the interior, but people said to stop. The guests love living like the lightkeepers did.”

Off-grid living

Since it is located 1,500 feet offshore, accessible by a two-to-three-minute boat ride, the National Historic Landmark is also off the grid.

“There is no city water, so there is no shower, but there is a 40-gallon water tank that I keep filled so they have running water,” Ferias says. “We use solar out there.”

As for the toilet, you probably don’t want to know. Suffice to say, there’s finally a real toilet with a 40-gallon holding tank, and it gets pumped out weekly.

‘Labor of love’

Ferias has also invested in propane wall heaters and says he could actually likely operate the property year round as the indoor temperatures can now reach up to near 70 degrees.

“All of the money that comes in stays with the lighthouse to keep it running and keep it maintained,” he says. “It’s made of steel and concrete so it erodes like crazy. I like to keep it looking brand new and I do all of the work myself. It’s a labor of love.”

So, what triggered Ferias’ decision to part ways with his cherished investment?

“It’s time to retire,” he says. “I am 65 and my wife is 66, and we are not getting any younger. We are looking to retire next year, and this will help with our retirement fund.”

Over the years, the property has hosted weddings and engagements. As for future potential uses for the next owner, the sky is the limit.

“There are zero restrictions because it’s out in the bay, so you don’t need permits,” Ferias notes. “I had someone express interest in building a microbrewery there. The options are endless.”

‘Priceless landmark’

While the property hasn’t hit the global market just yet, Ferias says the asking price will be $1.25 million even though he has been told by experts it is worth between $1.5 million to $2 million.

“It’s a priceless historic landmark with an extremely successful overnight accommodation business associated with it,” he says.

Ferias is amenable to selling it to someone as a private summer residence, but prefers to sell to a lighthouse enthusiast with a similar passion as his because it truly becomes a labor of love.

He’s not seeking an investor looking for bragging rights to purchase it as a trophy property but, rather, a lighthouse enthusiast just like him.

“The public needs to experience it,” he says. “It’s the only lighthouse in the world where you actually sleep in the light tower. That’s the distinction we have and therefore it attracts guests from all over the world.

“Others are either on land or have a keeper house adjacent to the lighthouse. I have already received several offers for it, but they are private-use buyers. I want to find someone who is as passionate about it as I was when I bought it and wants a turnkey operation and hopefully takes her to the next level.”