TIM KELLY PHOTO | The Orient Point Lighthouse in Plum Gut is once again being auctioned off by the federal General Services Administration.
Orient Point Lighthouse is on the auction block … again.
Following a failed attempted by the U.S. General Service Agency to sell the historic lighthouse last year the department has once again opened the property for bidding.
Built in 1899, the cast iron lighthouse, also known as the “Coffee Pot” lighthouse, is located just off the tip of the North Fork in Plum Gut. The building stands 45 feet tall and boasts three stories of living quarters and two watch decks, according to the GSA listing.
The agency first attempted to auction off the lighthouse last summer, with plans to sell the property to the highest bidder within two months. The closing date was later postponed to September of that year. Despite the extended deadline, the auction did not result in a sale.
“It’s not uncommon,” said GSA spokesman Patrick Sclafani. “People say, ‘Wow. I can buy a lighthouse!’ But once they inspect it, they realize they may not have the resources to maintain the property.”
Such was the case with the East End Seaport Museum, which was considering purchasing the lighthouse before determining it did not have the financial resources to back the deal.
Nine parties bid in last year’s Orient Point Lighthouse auction, with the highest bid coming in at $100,000.
Comparatively, the offer was well below the sale price of Little Gull Island, which sold for $381,000 last October. Connecticut resident and businessman Fred Plumb bought the one-acre island in the Long Island Sound, which is one of home to an historic lighthouse. Mr. Plumb has yet to announce plans for the property.
The second round of bidding on the Orient Point Lighthouse opened on June 1. So far the highest bid is $10,000, according to GovSales.com. Bids are being accepted in $5,000 increments.
Under the National Lighthouse Preservation Act, the would-be-owners would not be permitted to tear down or make any major changes to the structure. They would also be required to allow the U.S. Coast Guard access to maintain the light.
“Our hope is that if a private owner gets it, they will reach out to conservation groups and maintain it the right way,” Mr. Sclafani said.
The GSA has not yet set a closing date for the bidding.