Borden Flats Lighthouse was built in 1881 on a dangerous reef to help guide increased shipping traffic as the city of Fall River, Massachusetts, became an important center for textile manufacturing. In fact, the city grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 1800s, with over 100 mills in operation by 1920. Borden Flats Lighthouse is a cast-iron tower on a cylindrical caisson – the type of lighthouse that’s often called a sparkplug light.
In 2006, it was announced that the lighthouse would be available for transfer to a suitable buyer under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. There were no applicants, so the lighthouse was at government auction to the general public. The eventual buyer, Nick Korstad, completed much renovation and opened the lighthouse for tours and overnight stays in 2016. In 2018, Nick bought the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B in Michigan, and he sold Borden Flats to Kevin Ferias. Kevin, a Rhode Island native, is the media director for New England Laborers.
In part two of a two-part interview, Kevin and Nick compare notes on paranormal activity at the lighthouse, along with many other aspects of owning an offshore lighthouse.
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Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org