U.S. General Services Administration
Preservation Group Acquires Southwest Ledge Lighthouse
Southwest Ledge Lighthouse in New Haven, Connecticut officially has a new owner following the sale and deed execution of this maritime treasure.
Dr. Casey Jordan of Beacon Preservation, Inc. acquired her second lighthouse after her bid of $180,002 came out on top. Casey already owns and has restored Goose Rocks lighthouse in Maine, one of the first lighthouses sold by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA).
Southwest Ledge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was put up for public auction in the summer of 2016 and sold to Casey in September 2016. Casey then worked with the state of Connecticut to obtain a State Submerged Lands Lease from Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Once complete, GSA executed the deed and officially transferred the lighthouse to Casey and her organization at the end of March 2018. According to their website, Beacon Preservation, established in 2006, “is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of lighthouses and their environments for educational, cultural, recreational, and historical preservation purposes.”
Constructed in 1876, Southwest Ledge Lighthouse is a rare example of a Second Empire style mansard roof offshore light. It is located one mile offshore at the east side of the entrance to New Haven Harbor.
Since 2000, under the NHLPA, GSA has been administering the historic lights program with its partners the National Park Service and the United States Coast Guard. So far, 117 lights have been conveyed out of federal ownership: 66 stewardship transfers and 51 public sales.