Preservation Society becomes new owner of Greens Ledge Lighthouse

May 18, 2017

GSA continues to preserve the past of our maritime treasures and the latest structure to be saved is the Greens Ledge Lighthouse in Connecticut.

On May 17, GSA executed the deed for the lighthouse, giving ownership to the Greens Light Preservation Society Inc., a local nonprofit formed specifically to preserve the light. The deed was transferred after the new owner received a State Submerged Lands Lease from Connecticut DEEP.

The historic lighthouse will now undergo major renovations before becoming available to the public, giving people a chance to visit the lighthouse and take in the history of the structure.

It was originally put up for public auction and sold to the highest bidder for $150,000 in September 2016.

Tim Pettee, a Connecticut resident who acquired the lighthouse at auction, donated it to the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society, where he serves as president. The society was founded by Brendan McGee in 2015. McGee serves as the Executive Director of the society.

Constructed in 1901-1902, Greens Ledge Lighthouse includes a 52-foot-tall cast iron tower with four interiors stories, a brick basement and cistern. Greens Ledge is located on a submerged ledge in Long Island Sound, west of Norwalk Harbor and a mile south of the entrance to Five Mile River at Rowayton, Conn.

Since 2000, under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NLHPA), GSA has been administering the historic lights program with its partners the National Park Service and the United States Coast Guard. So far, 133 lights have been conveyed out of federal ownership: 78 stewardship transfers and 55 public sales.