Light houses now for sale

Pete Jurewicz flicked water from his big toe and leaned back in the large metal tub. It was perched upon a circular deck fifty feet above Chesapeake Bay. He could see his hometown, Hampton, Virginia, four miles away. A huge cargo ship passed silently beneath his soaking body. Pete sighed contentedly and turned in the tub to watch. He likes to rest with his eyes open, so he can see his dream.

“Where else on this whole eastern seaboard can you say, I’ve got vacation property with nobody within four miles of me.'"

He owns Thimble Shoals lighthouse, near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Pete is part of a small but growing club: private citizens who are buying lighthouses from the Coast Guard. An Amendment to the National Historic Preservation Act in 2000 made it possible for people to bid for eligible lighthouses if the Coast Guard could not find a state, city or non-profit organization to take over ownership and upkeep. For most civic groups the upkeep would be too costly, so now the Coast Guard is holding auctions on line. There are about two hundred lighthouses for sale all around the country and, ironically, people are paying big bucks for lighthouses few wanted for free.