Old Saybrook Lighthouse Available For Free From Federal Government

OLD SAYBROOK, CT — Lynde Point Lighthouse in Old Saybrook is now available for no cost from the federal government, according to a U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) statement. Ownership of the historic lighthouse can be transferred to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, educational agencies, and community development organizations.

The new owner "must be financially able to maintain the historic light station, and make the station available for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes for the public..."

The Old Saybrook lighthouse is one of six across the region that the GSA has issued a notice of availability for.

The federal agency is also auctioning off four historic lighthouses.

"Lighthouses have long served as beacons for those at sea or on inland waters, marking dangerous coastlines and underwater hazards such as rocks and reefs as well as marking safe entries to harbors," the GSA said in a statement. "As technology advanced, and lighthouses became less essential to navigation, lighthouses often fell into neglect or were demolished."

To preserve the history of the lighthouses, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act was passed by Congress in 2000. Since the program's inception, more than 150 lighthouses have been conveyed to new owners.

For more information, go to the GSA's website.