Maryland's Rusty 'Spark Plug' Lighthouse Sells For $192K

MARYLAND — A historic Maryland lighthouse often referred to as the rusty "spark plug" rising out of the Chesapeake Bay has a new owner — one who was drawn to the landmark thanks to its 120-year history and its future potential.

The Hooper Island Lighthouse, located about three miles off the coast of Dorchester County and sitting 18 feet above water, was sold through an online auction held in September by the General Services Administration in September 2022.

The opening bid was $15,000, but the new owner — a real estate investor and owner of a Pennsylvania industrial painting company — paid $192,000 to become its new steward.

Also, he still hasn't seen it in person.

"I knew a little bit about the process. I still am not quite sure about what I’m getting into, but it’s turning out to be quite interesting," Rich Cucé told WTOP.

A little history on Hooper Island Lighthouse: First lit in 1902, the structure is a caisson-style light sunk 13.5 feet into the muddy bottom of the Bay, according to the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society. The height of the light is 63 feet above the water. It's also on the National Register of Historic Places.

The lighthouse has four living levels, according to the organization. The first level is the kitchen. The second, third, and fourth levels serve as a bedroom, office, and living space for the keepers.

However, before it's livable, Cucé has work ahead of him.

A 2019 Coast Guard inspection obtained by The Baltimore Banner found the front door missing. Birds roosted inside and rust was eating the tower and the cast-iron foundation. Inspectors said it was "in fair condition, but approaching poor."

It also sits smack in the middle of a U.S. Navy weapons testing zone, meaning any potential buyer would have to sign an agreement with the Navy requiring them to avoid the area during testing, the Banner reported.

None of it has deterred Cucé, who wants to make it "rust-proof forever" and possibly invite environmental groups to monitor water quality and marine life from the "spark plug's" deck, he told the Banner.

Though he might start an oyster farm or produce lighthouse-shaped wine and beer, he told WTOP.

The possibilities are endless.

"I want something more meaningful in my life. I think I really hit on something,"Cucé told WTOP. "I feel so good about what I’m doing every day."