The U.S. is giving away six lighthouses – here is how you can own one

The United States is home to 779 lighthouses that, for generations, warned and protected ships from perils. Although numerous lighthouses still guide seafarers, the development of GPS has made them no longer essential for navigation. However, lighthouses still attract public attention. Many have become popular tourist destinations and serve as muses for photographers and artists. 

Lighthouses offer picturesque waterfront views and a chance to own a piece of history.  The U.S. General Services Administration is offering up six lighthouses. They will be given away at no cost to federal, state, or local government agencies, non-profits, educational organizations, or other entities. These organizations must be willing to preserve lighthouses and make them available to the public. 

The six lighthouses stand in five states across the East Coast. The GSA would also sell four lighthouses in New York, Connecticut, Michigan, and Ohio at public auction. Although six lighthouses are available for free, the new owners will have to cover renovation expenses and pay property taxes. Another four lighthouses that go to auction may later become private residences.  

“People really appreciate the heroic role of the solitary lighthouse keeper,” John Kelly of the GSA’s office of real property disposition told TIME. “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.”

The six lighthouses are Plymouth Light and Nobska Lighthouse in Massachusetts, Warwick Neck Light in Rhode Island, Lynde Point Lighthouse in Connecticut, Little Mark Island Monument in Maine, and Erie Harbor North Pier Lighthouse in Pennsylvania. If these lighthouses cannot find new owners they will also appear at public auction. 

The United States has been giving away or selling lighthouses since Congress passed the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2000. Over the past two decades, about 150 lighthouses found new owners: 80 were available for free, and 70 sold at an auction, with prices ranging from $10,000 to $1 million. The GSA raised more than $10 million from the sale of lighthouses, CNBC reports. 

Resources:

“If You’ve Always Wanted a Lighthouse, Here’s Your Chance. U.S. Is Giving Some Away,” by Mark Pratt (Time, 2023)

“The U.S. is giving away 6 lighthouses—here’s what it’s like to actually own one: ‘It’s truly a labor of love’,” by Celia Fernandez (CNBC, 2023)

“US to give away free lighthouses as GPS makes them unnecessary,” by Guardian staff and agency (The Guardian, 2023)

“Here are six lighthouses the government is literally giving away for free,” by Lakshmi Varanasi (Business Insider, 2023)