Calling all landlubbers: Free … lighthouses?

June 1, 2023

By Kim Komando

Enjoy gorgeous 360-degree views. Fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing. Start the morning with a cup of coffee and a fresh ocean breeze. 

All that could be yours for free if you’re willing to maintain a historic lighthouse. Thanks to GPS, lighthouses aren’t necessary for navigation like they once were. The U.S. government is hunting for groups to take over six of these historic local landmarks.

It started back in 2000

Congress passed the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Since then, the General Services Administration has transferred about 150 lighthouses, given away 80 and auctioned off 70 to the tune of $10 million.

This year, six lighthouses are up for grabs at no cost to federal, state or local government agencies, non-profits, educational organizations or other groups.

The Coast Guard maintains navigation aids at or near lighthouses, but the structures still need upkeep. Lighthouses are also popular tourist attractions and often hotspots for photographers, artists and historians. I was thinking of getting one, but the idea goes on and off in my head.

💡 That’s caveat No. 1 for taking over a lighthouse: You must make them publicly available for educational, recreational or cultural purposes.

How many people does it take to change a giant lightbulb?

The 34-foot-tall Plymouth/Gurnet Light in Massachusetts is an octagonal wooden structure built in 1842. Fun fact: The original lighthouse at the site was built in 1768 and was staffed by America’s first female lighthouse keeper. 

Warwick Neck Light, in Warwick, Rhode Island, built in 1827, is 51-foot-tall and was important for mariners traveling to Providence. 

Four others up for grabs:

• Lynde Point Lighthouse in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.
• Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
• Little Mark Island and Monument in Harpswell, Maine.
• Erie Harbor North Pier lighthouse in Pennsylvania.

📝 Want to apply? Get more info here.

A lighthouse is heavy

Maybe you’re not sold on the idea of public showings. If you’re willing to pony up the cash, you can still turn an old lighthouse into a home (or maybe a really cool party spot). Those include:

• Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Light in Ohio.
• Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield, Connecticut.
• Stratford Shoal light in the middle of Long Island Sound between New York and Connecticut.
• Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance light in Chassell, Michigan.

🏠 Find lighthouses up for public sale here.

So long, old friends

Lighthouses aren’t the only things modern tech has put out to pasture. When was the last time you used a paper map? What about a phone booth? NYC removed its last free-standing public pay phone last year. It went straight to a local museum.

And maybe you still have a landline, but I’d argue you probably don’t need it. Here’s why. Yes, I know some of you will totally disagree!