SOUTH HARPSWELL — The top bidder in a government auction for a Maine lighthouse is willing to pay $283,000 for the 1871-built structure.
The federal General Services Administration closed the auction for the Halfway Rock Light Station on Saturday. The government will now take from a week to a month reviewing the bid before deciding if it will be awarded. The bid would be the highest ever for a Maine lighthouse if accepted.
The lighthouse is located on a two-acre ledge off of Bailey Island in Casco Bay. It is called Halfway Rock because it is roughly halfway between Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small. The lighthouse is 76 feet tall and located off of South Harpswell. The lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bidding began July 17 at $30,500, increased gradually over several weeks and was extended several times after an initial projected closing date of Aug. 26. Bidding had been topping out at about $275,000.
A spokesman for the federal General Services Administration said Saturday that about a dozen bidders toured the interior of the lighthouse last month.
The lighthouse was built in response to an 1860s shipwreck in which everyone on board drowned. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places for 26 years.
The granite tower is topped by an iron dome roof for the light, which officials say will continue to serve as an active navigation aid. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains the light.
A Maine man bought New England’s tallest lighthouse, the Boon Island Light Station off of York, for $78,000 earlier this month.
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