Politics & Government

Penfield Lighthouse: Seeking Donations

A town committee seeking to acquire the historic structure has put out a call for donations.

The town panel charged with deciding whether Fairfield should try to buy says it’s seeking donations to help acquire the 136-year-old structure.

The Penfield Reef Lighthouse Preservation Committee says it “seeks to acquire, protect and preserve the lighthouse structure for present and future generations.”

“If it is successful in its bid, the Committee will continue to seek donations to restore the lighthouse's structural integrity and return it to its historical character,” according to a press release from the office of the First Selectman.

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Located about one mile off , the lighthouse will be put out to bid around Aug. 15—during a bidding period that’s expected to last about 45 days—by the federal General Services Administration. The federal government recently rescinded ownership of the historic structure, which will go to the highest bidder.

A GSA spokesperson has confirmed that the lighthouse’s new owner would not only own the structure but would be responsible for its maintenance and repair, as per historic preservation guidelines.

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Some have said the town should offer to while others have the proposed purchase, saying the cost of the and other taxpayer expenditures are prohibitive.

A recent showed that lighthouses can generally go for $100,000 to $200,000.

The committee said in its press release that donation checks should be made out to “Penfield Reef Lighthouse Preservation” and mailed or dropped off to the First Selectman’s Office.

The committee’s suggested levels of donations are:

 

Lighthouse Keeper     $25 Petty Officer                   $50 Ensign                           $100 Lieutenant                       $250 Commander                     $500 Captain                           $750 Admiral                         $1,000 Fleet Benefactor       Above $1000

Residents with questions or ideas, or who want to attend committee meetings, should contact Lighthouse Co-Chairs Sandye Mann at sandye.mann@sbcglobal.net or Bill Sapone at wjspatent@aol.com.  


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