The General Services Administration is auctioning off lighthouses, but the opportunity to make a bid -- or get one free if you qualify -- is quickly winnowing away. By Wednesday, bidding will close on one lighthouse, with the deadlines for another not far behind. Between now and then, GSA expects to see a surge in interest, already evident through a bidding uptick.
Free Lighthouses?
While a free lighthouse sounds like an incredible bargain, not everyone is eligible to apply. Recipients of free lighthouses are restricted to state or local government entities, nonprofits, historic preservation groups, and community development organizations, according to the Washington Post. And there are only 12 free lighthouses available for the asking.
Free lighthouses come with conditions. They must be properly maintained, can't be put to commercial use, and must be made available on reasonable terms to the general public for education, park, recreation, cultural or historic preservation purposes.
Buying Your Own Beacon of Light
Ordinary folks interested in lighthouse ownership have to pay for them. Although the bidding starts low, sometimes as low as $1, the selling prices typically range from the tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Lighthouses sold by GSA have drawn extensive popular interest as of mid-day Tuesday, overloading the servers on the auction sites. News reports published earlier contain some details of lighthouses on sale now or coming up for sale soon by the GSA:
* The Kenosha North Pierhead Lighthouse in Wisconsin is up for bid, still at the bargain price of $13,000 as of Sunday, the Washington Post reported.
* Ohio's Conneaut Harbor West Breakwater Light was an even bigger bargain, only attracting $5000 in bids.
Why GSA Sells Lighthouses
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 requires GSA to seek qualified operators to maintain decommissioned lighthouses. When GSA is unable to find a suitable donee under the Act, the lighthouses go on the auction block. But even though the government is shedding its responsibility for maintaining and operating the auctioned lighthouses, it doesn't sell them indiscriminately. The Act requires that all lighthouse sales contracts contain covenants to protect the historic integrity of the light station.
Lighthouse Purchase Fine Print
Owning a lighthouse may seem like a romantic notion, but potential buyers note: lighthouse ownership involves expense, work, and sometimes some unusual limitations. Some lighthouses may not be accessible by land, for example, while others may be quitclaimed subject to existing leases. Before bidding on a lighthouse with the expectation that it's going to become your new home or a darling bed and breakfast, read all of the fine print carefully.
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