Hooper Island Lighthouse: Sold at Federal Auction for $192,000

Questions about Hooper Island

Has Hooper Island been sold?

Yes, Hooper Island Lighthouse has been sold. It sold at a federal GSA online auction on September 22, 2022 for $192,000. The auction opened on August 8, 2022 at $15,000, and five bidders drove the price up. It is now privately owned.

How much is Hooper Island?

Hooper Island sold for $192,000 against a $15,000 opening bid, about 13 times the starting price. The auction opened on August 8, 2022, and five bidders pushed the price up by the close on September 22.

Where is Hooper Island and how do you get there?

The lighthouse stands west of Middle Hooper Island in the Chesapeake Bay and has no docking facility. It lies in a Navy danger zone, and overnight occupation is prohibited under the agreement between GSA and the Navy.

What comes with Hooper Island?

The tower only, with no water, sewage, electricity or gas. The buyer takes on Coast Guard aid-to-navigation duties and National Register preservation standards, and signs a memorandum of agreement with the Navy about access.

What is the sale history of Hooper Island?

The light was built in 1901 with a watch room, the only one on a Maryland sparkplug light. GSA opened an online auction on August 8, 2022 at $15,000. Five bidders pushed it to $192,000 by September 22.

1. 1901

   Built after a delay over late iron delivery

   The foundation was sunk by the pneumatic process, and the tower has a watch room, which is unique among Maryland's sparkplug lights.

   Source
2. Aug 8, 2022

   GSA opens an online auction $15,000

   Opening bid $15,000. The GSA spokesperson named the challenges: no dock, no utilities, preservation rules.

   Source
3. Sep 22, 2022

   Sold at auction $192,000

   Five bidders took the price from $15,000 to $192,000.

   Source

What did Hooper Island teach buyers?

A raw caisson with no dock, no utilities and a Navy access agreement still drew five bidders and a price 13 times the opening bid. Restrictions did not scare buyers away; they priced them in. For anyone valuing a bay light, it is one data point for an untouched tower.

Compare it with Middle Ground, which sold fully finished, and read the sold lighthouses table for the rest.

Can you still buy Hooper Island?

No, you cannot still buy Hooper Island, because it has sold and nothing is on offer. Lighthouse Dream is not the broker. See the lighthouses for sale now.