The US General Services Administration (GSA) is auctioning off six historic American lighthouses this year. This is a unique opportunity for those who love lighthouses and want to own a piece of American history.
Lighthouses are beautiful and iconic structures that have stood for centuries as beacons of hope and safety for sailors. However, with the advent of GPS technology, many lighthouses are no longer needed for their original purpose. This has led to the government selling off lighthouses to private citizens and organizations who are willing to preserve them.
The GSA has a long history of selling off lighthouses. In fact, since the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act was passed in 2000, more than 150 lighthouses have been sold or transferred to various organizations. Of these, 81 are now owned by government agencies and nonprofits, and another 70 have been sold to the public.
The six lighthouses that are being auctioned off this year are all located in the northeastern United States. They include the Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Connecticut, the Stratford Shoal Lighthouse in New York, the Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Light in Ohio, the Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light in Michigan, the Lynde Point Lighthouse in Connecticut, and the Nobska Lighthouse in Massachusetts.
The auction for these lighthouses will begin on July 11, 2023. The starting bid for each lighthouse will vary depending on the condition of the structure and its location. However, the GSA estimates that the lighthouses could sell for anywhere from $10,000 to nearly $1 million.
This is a unique opportunity to own a piece of American history and to help preserve these important landmarks. If you are interested in bidding on one of these lighthouses, you can find more information on the GSA website.
In addition to the six lighthouses that are being auctioned off, there are also several other lighthouses that are available for free to eligible organizations. These lighthouses are located in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania.
If you are interested in owning a lighthouse, but do not have the funds to bid on one of the lighthouses that are being auctioned off, you may want to consider applying for one of the lighthouses that are available for free. To learn more about how to apply for a free lighthouse, you can visit the GSA website.
“Costs for upkeep of lighthouses are relative to what the new owner plans to do,” the GSA mentioned in a notice of the May 2023 “Lighthouse season.”
“A total restoration could be thousands of dollars while a simple cleaning is much less. New owners should expect to have to paint, clean, and possibly restore broken or missing items. Most lighthouses do not have any utilities, so there would be a cost associated with making the lighthouse livable.”
“People really appreciate the heroic role of the solitary lighthouse keeper,” John Kelly said. He is of the GSA’s office of real property disposition and he spoke to AP about this. “They were really the instruments to provide safe passage into some of these perilous harbors which afforded communities great opportunities for commerce, and they’re often located in prominent locations that offer breathtaking views.”
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