For auction: A historic lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay
A historic lighthouse in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay can be all yours. The 1902 Hooper Island Light Station in Maryland is being auctioned by the General Services Administration with the required starting bid at $15,000. All bids must be submitted by Sept. 21 at 12:03 p.m. Click here for more details.
In 2006, the Hooper Island Lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay was deemed excess property by the Coast Guard. In May 2009, the deed for the lighthouse was given to the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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On Aug. 8, the General Services Administration opened an online auction for the lighthouse with the starting bid at $15,000.
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The lighthouse sits in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, with St. Mary’s County, Md., to the west and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to the northeast.
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The lighthouse features four living levels, with the kitchen on the first level. The other levels served as bedroom, office, and living space for the keepers, according to the lighthouse society. The living levels are lined with white glazed bricks. There’s also a watch room level and lantern level.
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Hooper Island Lighthouse is one of only five lights constructed in the Bay during the 1900s, according to the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s Chesapeake Chapter. The light’s height is about 63 feet above the water, with the deck about 18 feet above the water level.
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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.
 Hooper Island Lighthouse is the only cast-iron caisson lighthouse in Maryland with a watch room and lantern surmounted on the tower.
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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.
So far, the lighthouse has no bids.
The 1902 Hooper Island Light Station in Maryland was auctioned by the General Services Administration in 2022.
 Hooper Island Lighthouse is the only cast-iron caisson lighthouse in Maryland with a watch room and lantern mounted on the tower, according to the lighthouse society.
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(4) comments
What a crying shame that it wasn't even minimally kept up over the years. That foundational crack alone is scary, & the fact that one isn't even allowed to inspect it in person except from the outside due to safety concerns tends to make me think that they are not going to get any bidders.
A lighthouse is one thirds the calories of a regular house :-)
Thanks John, I was thinking the same thing. $15K seems like a cheap opening bid until you realize you’ve spent $15K for something that is in terrible shape and sits in a Navy danger area.
No doubt, Lighthouses are cool and fun to photograph, visit, and even fantasize about owning one. The Hooper Light is in a gorgeous spot to boot. Fished around that shoal since I was a kid. Many great memories from that area. Would I like to own it. Not a chance. Most of the Chesapeake lights with a few exceptions have been allowed to age with no maintenance the last 75 years. If the federal, state, county governments, preservationists, and salvagers arent interested that says an awful lot in my opinion. Several of these lighthouses off land in the Bay have been purchased by private individuals and have gone back on the market in a few years. One was turned into a BnB and was for sale a few summers ago. Not sure if it ever sold. Not for me.
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