Lighthouse finds new owner
NORWALK — After a four-month auction — which culminated in a three-day bidding war — Norwalk’s Greens Ledge Lighthouse has found a new owner.
Though the winning bidder’s identity won’t be revealed until the sale is finalized, a process that could take several months, the auction closed Thursday with a top bid of $130,000.
The bidder will have five days to produce 10 percent of the sales price in the cash-only sale, according to the Invitation For Bid.
Patrick Sclafani, public affairs specialist for the U.S. General Services Administration New England, said the spark plug lighthouse, which has been owned by the federal government, will now be privately owned with an easement maintained by the Coast Guard for the minimal technology they will maintain there.
“The Coast Guard used these lights for aid to navigation, but the increase in technology has reduced the need for the structure itself,” Sclafani said. “So they can get rid of the structure and still maintain their mission for aid to navigation … every six to 12 months the Coast Guard will come back to maintain the technology but they are no longer responsible for the structure. The owner knows and accepts those conditions, and the money they save goes back into the aid to navigation.”
Prior to being put up for auction, the lighthouse was offered at no cost to interested nonprofits and preservationists for historical or educational purposes through the National Parks Service. Applicants were reviewed by the Secretary of Interior, and when a suitable heir was not identified, the light house went to public sale.
The auction drew four bidders, which Sclafani said is normal for this type of lighthouse, which likely won’t be able to be used for residential purposes because it lacks running water and electricity and is difficult to access, even by small boat.
The rocky shoal is located at the western end of a submerged land track connecting it to Sheffield Island, making passage between the two islands impossible for sea traffic. The Lighthouse Board recommended a spark plug lighthouse be added to the ledge after the Sheffield Island lighthouse was determined inadequate for deterring ships from passing between the islands. Congress provided $60,000 for construction of Greens Ledge Lighthouse in 1899. The light and fog signal were automated in 1972 by the Coast Guard.
Sclafani said now that the auction has closed, the federal government will talk with the high bidder, who will need to secure a lease for the bottom lands with the state. Once a lease has been secured, the General Services Administration will officially close the sale and release the identity of the new owner.
“These are architectural treasures, maritime treasures,” Sclafani said. “Still generally the folks that want to buy this are interested in preservation, education … for the federal government, we’re very pleased because we know the structure will be preserved and maintained.”
KKrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt