Ohio Lighthouse For Sale
By Sue Clark on Aug 27, 2009 in Lighthouses For Sale 
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Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse Soon To Be Auctioned
This is one lighthouse I didn’t think would make it to the GSA Auction block last year. I would have sworn some lighthouse group would take it over. This has it all, a great location in a park, accessibility, actual living space, gorgeous looks, fantastic fishing and more. Did I say fantastic fishing? Mmmmm….walleye. Nevertheless, no one wanted to take it over, and now the General Services Administration will be putting it up for auction beginning September 28.
All you need to get in on the bidding is the standard $5,000 deposit. And of course the money to bid ($10,000 to open). I daresay this will go higher than the $25,502 paid for East Charity Shoals Lighthouse in Lake Ontario.
The information for this lighthouse auction is up at the GSA auction page, and includes the two documents that are a little different from most lighthouses. One is a lease from the Army Corps of Engineers and the other is a large file on bottomlands and other various permits needed in Ohio. The bottomlands issue has been the bane of lighthouse groups and buyers for a while, notwithstanding the presence of laws stating that the states do not get control when the transfer is made.
And Ohio’s process seems to be exceptionally restrictive, and probably involves paying rent to the state. Apparently the Great Lakes states, at least Michigan and Ohio, have this idea they can rent their bottomlands. Maybe elsewhere, but definitely not below an active aid to navigation, according to (apparently) forgotten laws still on the books.
Details and Photos
All documents are in Adobe Portable Document files (PDF) and you’ll need the free Adobe Reader to view them. These links will open in a new browser or tab. You’ll need to view the Invitation For Bids first, so you can see exactly what you’ll need to do to bid. GSA also has a PDF with photos of the interior and exterior available to look at, so you can see the amount of work you’ll need to do. And there is the sample lease from the Army Corps of Engineers. By the way, the price listed in there is $1,200 for the first term of the lease, but that may or may not be the actual amount required. And last, but definitely not least, is the Ohio Coastal Permits and Lease Booklet.
Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse. Photo by Lapstrake. Some rights reserved.
I had to post the photo above, it’s so evocative of a beautiful day on the Great Lakes. And none of the photos at the GSA site compare to this one above by Lapstrake on Flickr. Click on it to view larger. Also, there will be an inspection date on the lighthouse, which will be announced sometime after the auction opens for bidding.
For further information, please visit the GSA auction site or contact Arthur Ullenberg at arthur.ullenberg@gsa.gov or via telephone at (312) 353-6039. Please do not contact Lighthouse News on details or to register.
Photo Credit: Fairport Harbor Lighthouse at Sunset by laslzo-photo. Some rights reserved.
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2 Comment(s)
By Gary aka lighthousephoto on Aug 28, 2009 | Reply
This is a beautiful light to visit and photograph. It’s a beautiful walk out to it from the parking lot in one of Ohio’s parks. I’d love to be able to buy this one, but that isn’t in the cards at the moment.
By Sue Clark on Aug 28, 2009 | Reply
Gary, we need to put together a group to get it. I’d love to own this one myself. It couldn’t be more perfect. Perfect place, perfect light, perfect everything.
And did I mention the fishing?