James Chagum (c. 1710-1790) was a man of Narragansett heritage whose life story spanned multiple decades, geographies, cultures, ethnicities, and ways of being. Born on Block Island, Chagum escaped servitude in Rhode Island and met his wife, Mary, in Connecticut. Together, they made their way to the northwestern part of the state, where, on a remote mountainside in Barkhamsted they created what became known as the Barkhamsted Lighthouse. They were joined in their sanctuary by their own children and other individuals who sought an off-the-beaten-path existence. They did have outside visitors from time to time. In a July 13, 1774 entry in his diary, renowned Mohegan minister and writer Samson Occom wrote about his visit with the Chagums. After James Chagum’s death in 1790, his wife and children remained there for some time, but eventually the site was abandoned. Today it is known as the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Community Archaeological Preserve.