The idea has drawn skepticism, but it turns out that the iconic Sheboygan Lighthouse is, indeed, for sale. The announcement came from the General Services Administration office in Chicago, stating that what’s officially known as the Sheboygan Breakwater Light is no longer needed by the US Coast Guard, and is being made available at no cost to eligible entities. Those would be federal, state and local agencies as well as non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations. The property could be repurposed from primarily a navigation aid to that of education, park, recreation, and cultural or historic preservation.
The eventual owner will have some restrictions. Although not yet listed, the lighthouse is eligible to be added to the National Register of Historic Places, and so it’ll have to be properly maintained, and it will still have its light and foghorn maintained by the Coast Guard. Also, NOAA, or the National Weather Service, will keep and maintain its equipment mounted atop the structure. And, just so you know, the pier it sits upon is not part of the deal and it’s being offered “as-is”.
If you’re seriously interested, here’s what you need to know:
should submit a letter of interest to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) within 60 days from the date of this notice:
September 1, 2025.
Office of Real Property Disposition, Chicago Operations Branch
230 S. Dearborn Street, Room 3540 for U.S. Mail or Room 3523 for UPS/FedEx
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Attention: Kristopher Mendez (kris.mendez@gsa.gov)
. Name of Property
. Name of eligible entity
. Point of contact, title, address, phone and email
. Non-profit agencies must provide a copy of their state-certified articles of incorporation or evidence that an application
has been filed.
Eligible entities that submit a written letter of interest will be sent an application from the United States Department of the
Interior, National Park Service (NPS) and given an opportunity to inspect the Property. Building inspectors and/or contractors
may accompany the applicant on the inspection.
The completed applications are due within ninety (90) days from the date of the site inspection. The NPS will review
applications and may recommend an eligible applicant to receive the Property. If a recommendation is made, the GSA will
complete the conveyance to the eligible applicant with a Quitclaim Deed. For more information on the NHLPA, please see the
National Park Service’s Maritime Heritage Program web site at http://www.nps.gov/history/
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