Is a Lighthouse Off Our Shores Your Next Home?

The Little Gull Island Lighthouse and the Orient Point Lighthouse have both been around for a long time, built in 1806 and 1899, respectively. Now, both of these historic lighthouses are being auctioned off to anyone interested in slightly different, and more secluded, living situations.

The Little Gull Lighthouse is located about seven miles from Orient Point, right in the middle of the Long Island Sound, and about halfway to Fisher’s Island. Little Gull Island is about one acre of land, and the light station is 450 square feet. That’s really a small amount of property to wander around on, but anyone interested in buying the land must already want a lot of time alone since it’s so far off from shore. The lighthouse itself stands at 81 feet, and has been identified by the Coast Guard as a Historic Light Station of New York, so anyone who wants to purchase it should have a strong interest in history. Before 1869, when this particular lighthouse was constructed, another lighthouse stood in its place, at about 51 feet tall, built in 1806. This lighthouse had a part in the War of 1812, in which the light was put out by some British Marines during a raid in 1813.

A penchant for fishing might also be helpful for anyone interested, considering the island’s distance from land. The fishing in these waters is actually very good. The waters of the area are often called the “Bermuda of the North” due to the variety of fish, from striped bass to bluefish to fluke. Anyone who chooses to live in this particular lighthouse will be consuming a lot of seafood. Either that or they’ll have to own a very large pantry.

The Orient Point Lighthouse is a little closer, in Plum Gut, which is between the Long Island Sound and Gardiner’s Bay. This is less than a half a mile offshore, so it shouldn’t be too hard to travel back to the mainland to shop for groceries. The view from this lighthouse, which stands at 45 feet, is impressive. Anyone who climbs all the stairs to the top will be able to see Montauk Point to the South and Fisher’s Island and Connecticut to the north. The lighthouse itself has a total of six levels, with three stories that serve as living quarters, and two watch decks. The base is made of concrete filled cast iron caisson, and the cast iron tower is lined with bricks.

Though this lighthouse isn’t as far out into the Sound as Little Gull Island, the fishing in the area is reported to be just as rich, with striped bass, bluefish, and fluke that migrate in from the South in the summers.

Both islands come with protected boat landings that make coming back from various fishing areas a lot easier. The boat landing on the Orient Point Lighthouse is on the south side of the island, and is made of a steel frame with timber and rubber fenders.

Bidding for both of these lighthouses has already begun, and you’ll have to move quickly if you’re interested in Orient Point Lighthouse, which already has four bidders, the highest bid currently at $25,000. Little Gull Island also has its own bidders, two to be exact, with its highest bid at $60,000. Perhaps some people really are interested in living apart from everyone else. Just remember if you own one of these lighthouses, you may not always be alone, as the Coast Guard reserves the right to stop by at any time.