The Lantern House Above Cedar Bay Has Been Quiet Since the Ferry Route Closed
This small house overlooking Cedar Bay remained occupied by the Sørensen family for nearly thirty years. The owner worked as a ferry navigation instructor responsible for training deck crews and maintaining route safety records for regional passenger crossings.
The house was arranged around daily routine rather than size:
front sitting room, compact kitchen, attic storage, and a narrow mudroom used for marine equipment and winter clothing.
The Mudroom Hooks
Several details remain throughout the property:
- tide notebooks stored beside kitchen shelving
- marine signal manuals stacked near the sofa
- rubber boots and wool caps hanging by the entrance
- insulated lunch tins resting on the counter
- framed shoreline maps fixed along the hallway
- folded storm jackets near storage benches
- ferry timetables clipped beside the doorway
The bay community depended heavily on ferry transport for work and supply connections. During the early 2010s, however, a newly completed bridge redirected most passenger traffic and permanently altered the local economy. Small harbor services declined soon afterward.
Several marine workers transferred elsewhere.
Seasonal housing vacancies increased steadily along the coast.
The Sørensen family reportedly remained in the house longer than many neighboring households because work contracts continued temporarily after the bridge opened. Eventually, however, reduced maritime staffing and shrinking local services made staying less practical.
The family relocated to a larger town with year-round employment and easier access to schools and healthcare.
Most household furniture remained behind.
The house was closed rather than sold.
Today the property still reflects its connection to the bay.
The ferry manuals remain stacked near the sitting room.
The storm jackets still hang by the entrance.
And beside the mudroom hooks, the final crossing schedule remains clipped exactly where it was last checked.
