U.S. General Services Administration has announced the opening of the online auction sale of the Hooper Island Lighthouse in Maryland. The federal government is searching for a new steward to purchase the lighthouse, located about four miles west of Middle Hooper Island in the Chesapeake Bay. It is a caisson (“spark-plug”) lighthouse built in 1902. The lighthouse stands in 18 feet of water with a focal plane height of 63 feet. The lighthouse sits in approximately 18 feet of water with the foundation extending another eighteen feet above the waterline. A four-story tower is built upon the foundation.
Only the structure will be conveyed in the sale. No land will be conveyed. The underlying submerged land will remain in the ownership of the U.S. Government, as conveyed by State of Maryland by cession deed dated April 21, 1924.
Inspection of the structure must be done from a safe distance. Tying off to, climbing, anchoring to or trespassing on the Property is strictly prohibited due to safety concerns.
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org