Under a law passed in 2000, the U.S. government can auction or give away “federally owned historic lanterns that are deemed excessive in relation to their needs.” This law was created to ensure historical protection and preservation of those structures that are no longer necessary for navigation in the light of modern technologies.
The Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse in Ohio, USA, was put up for auction, and Consaul began bidding in 2009. In 2011, it won with a bid of $71,010. (equivalent to approximately PLN 1,000 at the current exchange rate).
Sheila Consaul gave the CNBC Make It crew a look inside her home:
Built in 1925, the lighthouse has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and three stories. It was abandoned in the late 1940s. Consaul lives in the lighthouse from May to October, and when he is at his second home near Washington, it sits empty. Abandoned for over 70 years, the structure required a lot of work. When Consaul bought it, all the windows were broken and the plaster was peeling off the walls. Renovations began in the summer of 2012, and more than 10 years later, the project is almost complete. “The renovation process was long and tedious,” he says.
The light turns on every night
Consaul estimates that since purchasing the lighthouse, it has spent over $300,000 on its renovation. hole. Most of that money went toward adding a kitchen/dining room, state-of-the-art water treatment equipment, replacing all electrical and plumbing, replacing windows and refinishing wood floors. It uses a generator powered by gasoline, solar energy and wind.
The property is less than a mile from the nearest car park at Headlands Beach Park, so large appliances such as the stove and fridge had to be transported by boat and then craned to the lighthouse platform.
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The lighthouse is still operational and serves as an aid to navigation. It is operated by the US Coast Guard. The light turns on every night at dusk and turns off at dawn.
