TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ/AP) - Your dreams of owning a lighthouse could soon come true -- if the price is right.
Three historic lighthouses on the Great Lakes owned by the federal government are being auctioned off as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
The Poe Reef Lighthouse is located 6 miles east of Cheboygan in Lake Huron and guides ships through a hazardous channel. The lighthouse was built in 1929 and consists of a 3-story steel-plate tower topped by a square watch room. Bidding on this black and white striped structure starts at $50,000.
The Ontonagon Breakwater Lighthouse is the westernmost lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula, perched at the entrance of the channel leading to the Ontonagon River from Lake Superior. Built in 1900, the compact structure features a 31-foot white skeleton tower with enclosed upper portion. A steel ladder connects to the second story service room. Bidding starts at $5,000.
The Superior Entry Lighthouse sits on a sandbar between Superior, Wisconsin, and Duluth, Minnesota in Lake Superior. Built in 1913, the structure is five stories tall and topped with a concrete cylindrical tower. The foundation encloses a basement, a two-story main building with living quarters and a light tower surmounted by a lantern. Bidding starts at $10,000.
The U.S. General Services Administration is offering the lighthouses through an online auction. Their lighting mechanisms will continue aiding navigation and will remain the U.S. Coast Guard's property.
Ending dates for the auctions have not been set.
Proceeds from public lighthouse sales help pay to preserve and maintain those that remain active.