2 Historic Massachusetts Lighthouses Could Have New Owners In 2023

MASSACHUSETTS — Two historic Massachusetts lighthouses could be given to government entities or nonprofits in 2023 as part of the now annual "Lighthouse Season".

The U.S. General Services Administration has offered the Nobska Lighthouse in Falmouth and the Plymouth/Gurnet Lighthouse in Plymouth to government entities and nonprofits.

So why is this happening?

While the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) may continue to maintain active aids to navigation at or near specific lighthouses, the structures themselves are often no longer critical to the USCG’s mission needs, officials said.

To protect the history and heritage of lighthouses, Congress passed the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in 2000.

The NHLPA recognizes the significance of historic lighthouses for maritime traffic, coastal communities, nonprofits and lighthouse enthusiasts. The NHLPA program transfers these historic landmarks from the USCG to new owners.

Initially, under the NHLPA, lighthouses may be transferred at no cost to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, educational agencies, and community development organizations.

These entities 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 at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions.

This process starts with the GSA issuing a Notice of Availability (NOA) and is followed by an application review by the NPS.

If a new owner is not found through the NOA process, the lighthouse is offered for competitive sale to the public by GSA through an online auction.

Since the program’s inception in 2000, over 150 lighthouses have been conveyed to new owners, including 81 lights to local governments and nonprofit entities through no-cost transfers.

About 70 were sold via public auction, which raised over $10 million dollars for the USCG to reinvest in its Aids to Navigation mission, officials said. Sale figures have ranged from $10,000 to $933,888.

Nobska is one of six lighthouses to be offered through a Notice of Availability in 2023, five of which are in New England.

They include:

• Lynde Point Lighthouse, Old Saybrook, Connecticut
• Nobska Lighthouse, Falmouth (Woods Hole), Massachusetts
• Plymouth/Gurnet Lighthouse, Plymouth, Massachusetts
• Warwick Neck Light, Warwick, Rhode Island
• Little Mark Island and Monument, Harpswell, Maine
• Erie Harbor North Pier Lighthouse, Erie, Pennsylvania

Falmouth

In Falmouth, it's becoming increasingly likely that the Friends of the Nobska Light may finally come to own the piece of Cape Cod history.

On Tuesday, Friends of the Nobska Light announced that they would apply for the lighthouse with the support of Falmouth officials and the Coast Guard.

Friends of the Nobska Light is an organization dedicated to the upkeep of the lighthouse and has organized fundraisers and capital campaigns to help keep the structure preserved.

According to the Cape Cod Times, the Town of Falmouth has also submitted a letter of interest.

Read more: The Nobska Lighthouse Could Be Awarded To A Falmouth Nonprofit