In 2009, Sheila Consaul’s look for a 2nd house took her on a much various journey than the more conventional one she ‘d anticipated. When the 65- year-old interactions expert heard news of the U.S. federal government auctioning off lighthouses, she was instantly interested.
Congress passed the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act in2000 It enables the federal government to auction or distribute “federally-owned historic light stations that have been declared excess to the needs of the responsible agency.”
“I thought a lighthouse would be a great opportunity to combine a summer home and my love of historic preservation,” Consaul informs CNBC Make It.
The Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse lies in Ohio and ignores Lake Erie.
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Consaul had actually formerly brought back a historical house and the concept of handling a lighthouse sounded interesting.
The Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse in Ohio appeared at auction and Consaul began bidding in2009 She landed the winning quote of $71,010 in 2011.
Built in 1925, the lighthouse has 3 bed rooms, 3 restrooms, 3 floorings, and is nearly 3,000 square feet. It was deserted in the late 1940 s and Consaul is the very first individual to reside in the lighthouse ever since.
Consaul resides in the lighthouse from May to October and it sits empty when she’s at her main house beyond Washington D.C.
Consaul resides in the lighthouse from May to October.
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When Consaul acquired the structure that had actually been deserted for over 70 years, it required a great deal of work. All of the windows were broken, plaster was falling off the walls, and it “needed painting, desperately,” she states.
To purchase the lighthouse and to spend for the preliminary restorations, Consaul utilized a house equity loan of $200,000, according to files evaluated by CNBC Make It.
Consaul began remodeling in the summertime of 2012, and over 10 years later on, the task is nearly done. “The renovation process has been long and arduous,” she states.
The residential or commercial property is a half mile from the nearby parking area in Headlands Beach State Park, so huge home appliances like the range and fridge required to be carried by boat and after that provided by crane onto the platform of the lighthouse.
Since purchasing the lighthouse, Consaul approximates she has actually invested over $300,000 remodeling it.
Consaul stated the most fundamental part of her restoration was including a total eat-in kitchen area to the lighthouse.
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Most of that cash went towards including an eat-in kitchen area, advanced water treatment devices, rewiring all of the electrical, pipes, renovating the windows, and reconditioning the wood floorings.
Other than the comprehensive work the lighthouse required, Consaul states her most significant obstacle up until now is that the lighthouse is entirely off the grid. She depends upon her gasoline-powered generator, solar energy, and wind power.
Despite discussing her preliminary $200,000 restoration budget plan, for Consaul the time and effort has actually deserved it. “This was a great challenge, a great opportunity, and I loved every minute of it,” she states.
Consaul remodelled the whole lighthouse, however kept the initial cast iron spiral staircase.
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Though Consaul owns the lighthouse itself, the land it rests on comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which indicates she needed to pay $2,500 for a 25- year lease.
Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse is still a working lighthouse and is utilized as an assistant to navigation, so Consaul has the obligation of dealing with the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Weather Service, and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office when essential.
The lighthouse’s beacon is still kept by the U.S. CoastGuard The light turns on every night at sunset and goes off at dawn.
The Fairport Harbor West Lighthouse is found a half mile from the nearby parking area in Headlands Beach State Park.
Peter Bittner for CNBC Make It
When Consaul purchased the lighthouse, she understood that it was likewise a beacon for her brand-new neighborhood. It’s why she has actually hosted open homes to commemorate the lighthouse’s birthday, June 9, almost every year given that 2012.
“One thing that was very important to me when I bought this lighthouse was that I understood that this was part of this community of Fairport Harbor,” she states.
As long as she owns the lighthouse, Consaul will continue providing personal trips and stated that if she lives out the 25- year lease, she prepares to restore.
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