GSA’s ‘2023 lighthouse season’ features new lighthouses for sale

Leasing/Property Management

GSA’s ‘2023 lighthouse season’ features new lighthouses for sale

Over 150 lighthouses have been sold or transferred out of federal ownership since the implementation of the General Services Administration's National Historic...

Alyssa Miguel

June 19, 2023 1:38 pm

< a min read

**Plymouth (Gurnet) Light**

Plymouth, Massachusetts

*Status:* Available for transfer

The current white octagonal wooden lighthouse is 34 feet high, capped with a standard cast iron lantern, housing a modern beacon. The original fourth-order Fresnel lens has been removed. Along with the lighthouse the 7.8 acre property includes a single-story ranch style house with basement, garage, solar system (+/-2,303sf), and a storage shed. The lighthouse was originally built in 1768. It burned down and was rebuilt as a pair of lights in 1801. The lights were then reconstructed again in 1842. In 1901 the northern light was torn down; however, the foundation remains preserved on site. The lighthouse is an active aid to navigation operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, powered by electricity, and includes a fog signal horn. The fog signal is a Mariner Radio Activated Sounds Signal and is activated remotely by mariners as needed. The property is accessible only by AWD/4-wheel drive, taking Gurnet Road (part of Duxbury beach) leading to the property or by boat.

Over 150 lighthouses have been sold or transferred out of federal ownership since the implementation of the General Services Administration’s National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

The NHLPA allows for lighthouses to be transferred at no cost to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations and educational organizations. Lighthouses that are not transferred can be auctioned off to the general public.

GSA currently has five lighthouses in New England available for transfer, and is putting up four lighthouses for auction. Scroll through the gallery to see some of the lighthouses.