Borden Flats Lighthouse is for Sale
UPDATE: 12:51AM 26 JULY 2008: I provided a link to the story below the quote. However, the owner of the site would like to be more obviously credited for the story and the text. They are New England Lighthouse Treasures. The link to them is here. The author’s name is Debbie Dolphin.
Borden Flats Lighthouse Online Auction
On July 7th, the federal real estate agents aka the General Services Administration (GSA) opened a online auction for Lighthouse Dreamers with deep pockets able to bid on Borden Flats Lighthouse, 50-foot high white conical cast iron Tower located in the mouth of the Taunton River, Massachusetts.Any Lighthouse Dreamer can place a $10,000 opening online bid at the GSA auction of Borden Flats Lighthouse web site. The Notice of Online Auction for Borden Flats Lighthouse outlines the terms of sale, bid instructions, and a Bid Registration Form. Bidders must allow access to the Coast Guard to maintain their Light and Fog Signal and to the National Oceanic and Atmosperic Administration (NOAA) for monitoring and maintaining their antennae.
For legal occupancy of the submerged land beneath the Lighthouse, the winning Bidder needs to obtain a Chapter 91 license from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. The Lighthouse must be restored and maintained in accordance to federal and state regulations
Lighthouse Background:
In 1881, Borden Flats Light was built to replace a stone Daymark that marked a dangerous shoal and reef known as Borden Flats in the mouth of the Taunton River to protect the increased shipping traffic to one of the textile capitals in the nation.
Borden Flats was named after the Borden family, a prominent Fall River family who founded the city with Col. Church in 1803. Fall River is renowned as the home town of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted of the notorious ax murders of her father, Andrew and stepmother, Abby Borden on August 4, 1892. The Victorian Greek Revival home of Lizzie Borden is currently a Bed & Breakfast with a Museum.
Borden Flats Light was automated in 1963. The Fourth-order Fresnel Lens was replaced by a modern 250 mm plastic lens in 1977 and the Fog Bell was replaced by a modern electronic fog horn in 1983.
The Lighthouse, located near the Braga Bridge (I-195) over the Taunton River, is an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. A distant view of Borden Flats Light can be seen from Battleship Cove, the home port of Battleship Massachusetts and The Marine Museum at Fall River.
In September 2006, the Lighthouse became available for adoption by any local group able to preserve the Borden Flats Light according to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
Wanna own the Fourteen Foot Bank Lighthouse off Delaware?
