Always dreamed of owning your very own lighthouse? You're in luck because the government is ready to give a few away and auction others. There are, of course, some rules that may make this dream come true a hard pass, but you be the judge.
@robertgarciarealtor Who Wants to Buy a Historic Lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay? Bidding for Maryland’s Hooper Island Lighthouse starts at $15,000. #auction #maryland #marylandlighthouses #lighthouse #usagovernment #movetomaryland #buyahouseinmaryland #realtor #homesinrockville #homesinpotomac ♬ The Office - The Hyphenate
The government is giving away six lighthouses and auctioning off four others. The offers come with caveats, of course, including the fact that the free ones must be given to federal, state, or local governments, nonprofits, educational organizations, or other groups. Any group that gets a lighthouse has to commit to upkeep and make the lighthouse available to the public for educational, recreational, or cultural purposes. So, any dream you might have had of living undisturbed in a lighthouse probably won't be played out in one of these. Probably, because if a worthy group can't be found to take on a free lighthouse, it goes up for auction.
The six being given away include:
- Lynde Point Lighthouse in Old Saybrook, Connecticut
- Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth, Massachusetts
- The Plymouth (Gurnet) Lighthouse in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- The Warwick Neck Light in Warwick, Rhode Island
- Little Mark Island and Monument in Harpswell, Maine
- Erie Harbor North Pier Lighthouse in Erie, Pennsylvania
The four being auctioned off starting in June are mostly more than 100 years old. There's no guarantee you'll get a deal on a historic lighthouse, however. Auctioned lighthouses have ranged from $10,000 to $933,888, according to the U.S. General Services Administration. The four on the block are:
- Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield, Connecticut
- Stratford Shoal Light in East Setauket, New York
- Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Light in Cleveland, Ohio
- Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light in Chassell, Michigan
To learn more and find out when and where the auctions are taking place, visit the U.S. General Services Administration site.
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