Nobska Lighthouse guards the entrance to Woods Hole in Falmouth. Photo courtesy of the General Services Administration

A Falmouth lighthouse and a Plymouth lighthouse are among a number of beacons being disposed of by the federal government throughout New England this spring.  

Nobska Lighthouse, which marks the entrance to Woods Hole, and Gurnet Light, one of two that guard the entrance to Plymouth Harbor, and three other lighthouses in Rhode Island, Maine and Connecticut are being offered to nonprofits for free. A pair of offshore lighthouses guarding reefs off Connecticut are set to be auctioned June 12. 

A spokesperson for the General Services Administration, which is conducting the disposition process, characterized the number on offer as a “record” but did not provide additional details. 

The 40-foot-tall Nobska Light is on the National Register of Historic Places and made of cast iron. The 4-acre property also includes the original keeper’s quarters, built in 1876, the second keeper’s quarters added in 1900 and accessory structures. 

The 34-foot-tall Gurnet Light is an unusual octagonal shape dating from 1842, although a lighthouse had existed on that site as early as 1768. The 7.8-acre property also hosts a single-story ranch house, garage, solar system and a storage shed.  

Of note, though: Even though Gurnet and other lighthouses being auctioned off by the federal government this spring are now considered surplus to the Coast Guard’s requirements, it will still host navigational aids including a foghorn that boaters and fishing boats can activate via radio as needed. 

Letters of interest on the properties are due in late July from nonprofits, community development groups and state or local governments, who have a chance to get the lighthouses for free. If no takers are found, the federal government will put the properties up for auction.