Calling the old crones who want and stoic Willem Dafoe: Now it’s your turn to be the lighthouse keeper. You might ask, ‘What kind of lighthouse? Why, any of 10 bright lights that the US General Services Administration (GSA) is providing to individuals and other organizations in 2023.
“This year, GSA is to give the number of the history of the lampincluding at least six to non-profits and government agencies and at least four to the public through markets,” the federal agency wrote in press release Friday announcing this year’s “Lighthouse Season”. I know, it’s that magical time of year when the government hands out old naval history.
As a prospective lighthouse keeper, you may have additional questions. For example: ‘Is your sea lost love comes back to land?,’ ‘Does he sail the sea Shall a ghost trouble thee, as thou troublest the mountain?, or ‘What cruel creature calls it every night from the rocky hills?’ Unfortunately, Gizmodo can’t answer those questions. No reply. At any point, it is by definition a ‘wait and see’ type of event.
What Gizmodo can tell you is that the GSA lighthouse giveaway (and sale) is an annual result of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. Through a federal agreement involving the US Coast Guard, GSA, National Parks Service, and other agencies, the Lighthouse Preservation Act works to transfer ownership. of unused pages in groups that can care for them. Assets not taken by the regulatory body are transferred to public auctions. It’s like a pet adoption program, but with lighthouses.
“While the US Coast Guard (USCG) may continue to maintain navigational aids at or near certain lights, those structures are often no longer necessary for the needs of the USCG,” says the GSA. The advent of GPS, navigational charts, radar, and other such devices have made the original flash of the lighthouse unnecessary. Electricity is an old technology. He is BlackBerry phone tall buildings—tower telegraph.
But that doesn’t stop their beauty. Being a lighthouse keeper doesn’t have to be about performance, it can be fun. Good old fashioned, magical fun.
Unfortunately, even though the GSA is generous, maintaining a lighthouse is still a more expensive proposition than… not doing it. Non-profit organizations, community organizations, educational institutions, or local governments that may be interested in using free lanterns must prove that they have the necessary funds to maintain them. And for ordinary people, successful marketing will require positive change.
GSA has transferred ownership of more than 151 buildings through the NHLPA since 2000, according to the agency’s website. 81 of the bad boys have been delivered, while 70 were sold at auction, making about $10 million. On average, this means that each lighthouse costs somewhere around $143,000.
On the face of it, it’s one of the best things you can get when you get it – even a low profile– US American home prices are still rising somewhere about $400,000. But the GSA notes that “many lighthouses do not have the necessary infrastructure, so there may be a cost associated with making the lighthouse habitable.” Also, you may need a boat for your trip—most are only accessible by water. Don’t let this stop you from achieving your dreams. The federal government will sell it to you a sea vesseltoo.