HOOPER ISLAND, Md. - The historic Hooper Island Lighthouse is still up for auction after the U.S. General Services Administration extended the online sale for another 24-hours.
The GSA announced the opening of the online auction on Aug. 8, after years of trying to sell the lighthouse to a responsible non-profit organization willing to man and upkeep the building.
"The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 put lighthouses out of federal hands that might still be in operation," says Will Powell, public affairs officer for GSA's Mid-Atlantic Region. "Who better to do that than non-profits? Hooper Island Lighthouse was originally conveyed in 2009. In 2017 we did issue a notice of availability to try to find a new steward for the lighthouse. We didn't get any solid takers, so we did issue that again last year with no interest again. The next step, which we did in August, was to issue a private citizen to bid on and buy the Hooper Island Lighthouse."
The auction's opening bid began at $15,000. Since opening, there have been five bids placed on the Hooper Island Lighthouse. The highest bid was submitted Wednesday afternoon for $120,000.
"We've had a lot of interest in the property and have tried to get the word out and basically just find the right folks that are interested in lighthouses to say this would be something that is of interest to them and to take on that kind of project," Powell says.
The auction was initially supposed to close on Wednesday, Sept. 21, but according to Powell and the GSA, the auction will remain open for another 24-hours following the most recent bid to give interested buyers a chance to try to top the offer.
"Generally it is 24-hours," Powell says. "Sometimes it is shorter, depending on what's being auctioned, but at least for now, it's a 24-hour period."
In addition to the extended sales period, some people noticed just how much above the opening bid price buyers are willing to pay for the Hooper Island Lighthouse. Capt. Philip Gootee, a charter boat captain who gives tours at Hooper Island Lighthouse, says the expensive bids are unusual, but understandable.
"It's something great for someone to say they own," Gootee says. "It has a lot of historical value and is a symbol of the area, so it's good to be maintained, not lost."
Those interested in learning more about the Hooper Island Lighthouse online auction can visit https://realestatesales.gov/gsaauctions/gsaauctions/.
