See more of our coverage of the General Services Administration’s 70th anniversary in our series, GSA @ 70: Mission Evolved
The federal government maintains thousands of properties around the country and sometimes needs to offload a few. This includes properties not on the mainland U.S., such as light houses from New England to the Caribbean, the Great Lakes and the Pacific Northwest.
The General Services Administration’s National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act Program works with states, local communities, nonprofits and individuals to convey these historic structures for the sake of preservation. Scroll through the gallery to see some lighthouses currently for sale, as well as the most recent property transfers through the program.
Craighill Channel Lower Range Lighthouse Baltimore, Maryland
Previously transferred to non-profit in 2005 then reverted back to federal government
The Craighill Channel Lower Range Front Light, named for William Price Craighill, was the first caisson lighthouse built in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. First lit in 1873, it’s located at the mouth of the Patapsco River into the Baltimore Harbor and works in conjunction with the Craighill Channel Lower Range Rear Light. The front light measures 25 feet tall and stands in only 5 to 7 feet of water. Caisson lighthouses became a favored choice for climates where ice floe damage was a possibility, and the front range light is the only surviving example of two lights in the Chesapeake Bay, according to the Maryland Historic Trust.