GSA To Hold Public Auctions for Historic Lighthouses

GSA  #  10525  

July 25, 2008
Contacts:  MaryAnneBeatty, (202) 501-1231
maryanne.beatty@gsa.gov              
Melissa Williams, (202) 501-1231
melissa.williams@gsa.gov               

Washington, DC— For those who have ever dreamed of owning their own piece of nautical history, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is conducting seven online auctions at http://www.auctionrp.com for historic lighthouses available for sale to the general public. The properties are located in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Maryland and New York. 

The lighthouses are made available through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA) process, which provides a mechanism for the conveyance of federally-owned historic lighthouses throughout the United States.

“As stewards of numerous historic properties, we recognize that the cultural, recreational and educational values associated with these lighthouses are part of our shared heritage,” said David L. Winstead, Commissioner of GSA’s Public Buildings Service. “GSA is committed to working with our federal partners and other interested stakeholders to preserve these treasured assets.”

GSA, the federal government’s property management and procurement agency, partners with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Interior’s National Park Service to transfer excess historic lighthouses under the authority of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA).   This legislation amended the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 by establishing a National Lighthouse Preservation Program.

Under the NHLPA, GSA transfers a historic lighthouse at no cost to a federal agency, state or local government body, or certified non-profit organization after the Department of Interior identifies a new steward through a competitive application process. If no steward is identified through the no-cost transfer application process, GSA will sell the lighthouses through a competitive public auction.  GSA works closely with State Historic Preservation Officers to ensure historic preservation requirements are in place to protect these properties as part of the conveyance. 

Complete bid packages and information about on-line bidding can be found at http://www.auctionrp.com.  Interested citizens may also contact GSA’s Office of Real Property Disposal at (202) 501-0084 for additional information about the NHLPA program.

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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.
• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles. 
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 425 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government  information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.

Did You Know?  GSA transferred 35 historic light stations out of Coast Guard ownership through the NHLPA.