The government is about to give away the Sparkplug, the historic lighthouse in the Lubec Channel. It's free to the taker, but there are a few catches: you have to be an "eligible entity" (such as a governmental unit or a nonprofit corporation) and you'll have to use the structure for "educational, park, recreational, cultural or historic preservation purposes."

     If you think you qualify, submit your application by September 19 to the Department of the Interior and you may be selected as the new steward for the property. You'll own a landmark, 40-foot, cast-iron, brick-lined structure, built in 1890, sitting on a submerged ledge and reachable only by motorboat. The light and the foghorn won't be yours, though -- they'll continue to be the "personal property" of the U.S. Coast Guard, who will probably visit you from time to time to service and update their ATON (Aid to Navigation) equipment.
Meta Cushing is a realty specialist in the Boston office of the General Services Administration, the agency that disposes of surplus government property. She says she has sent out some 60 letters to various state and municipal units, historical societies, educational institutions and similar groups, alerting them to the offering. One local group that has already replied with a letter of interest is the West Quoddy Head Light Keepers Association Inc., a nonprofit organization that maintains the lighthouse in South Lubec.

     President Ron Pesha says the association has spoken to Cushing about the application process and expects to receive the formal application materials soon from her office. She will also arrange a visit to the structure for the group and any other eligible applicants who may submit letters of interest.

     Contacted at the Lubec town office, Sandy Kammerer says Lubec selectmen have also received notice of the lighthouse's availability, and the matter is on the agenda for discussion at their August 10 meeting.

     Tim Harrison of the American Lighthouse Foundation, based in Wells, says his group gave careful thought to taking on the Sparkplug, but finally decided to pass on the project. The organization is already maintaining 23 lighthouses, including Little River at Cutler, the only one owned by the foundation. Harrison says the foundation, numbering about 4,800 members nationwide, is simply "tapped out" as a source of donations. Their volunteer workers, mainly retired persons, are also "stretched thin" just keeping up the hours of labor required to renovate and maintain the structures to which the group has already committed.
Harrison says he hopes another organization will step forward with a plan to preserve the lighthouse, possibly one that would involve the use of modern technology to move the iron caisson to an onshore site. "If a spot could be found for it in Lubec, it would be a great tourist attraction for the town," he says, citing a half dozen instances where Atlantic coast lighthouses have been moved in recent years for preservation purposes. He notes that onshore it would be easier to maintain, more accessible to visitors, and open to many more possible uses. Although the foundation is fully involved in their current projects, he says he would be open to sharing advice and experience and even engage in joint fundraising efforts with any organization that acquired the property.

     So, if you think you're eligible, and you always wanted to be a light housekeeper -- oops, make that a lighthouse keeper -- check out the website at <http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/nhlpa/Lubec2006.pdf> for detailed application information.