Lighthouse for sale

The Historic Preservation people are on a bit of a roll with lighthouses lately. They sent out a historic properties for sale email today, showcasing historic properties in all parts of the country that are for sale. They included Butler Flats in the list. There is only one image on the gallery tab, but it is a really great picture.

The City of New Bedford, caretakers of Butler Flats, Palmer Island, and Clark's Point, (and formerly the Lightship New Bedford, which was so neglected that it ending up sinking along the State Pier and had to be sold for scrap), has let their lighthouses deteriorate so much that a daylight picture may not be so flattering. This photo is a way to showcase the lighthouse without showing too much of the rust, etc. on the exterior, (a closer inspection of the photo will reveal some of it!).

That is so sad. Hopefully it will end up with an owner that will put in a little TLC for the light and get it looking nice. This is at least a caisson light that isn't too far out there so someone could hopefully get to it without too much trouble.

Butler Flats is very accessible. Right in the middle of the Acushnet River, which is the main harbor for New Bedford. Easily reached from the New Bedford docks or the marinas on the Fairhaven side of the river. One can only hope that a buyer can put in the TLC and bring it back to life, similar to what Nick Korstad has done for Borden Flats Lighthouse in nearby Fall River.
http://www.bordenflats.com/

The have done a wonderful job restoring the light and making it look nice. The interior is really fancy, lot more than you would expect. Even starting to let folks overnight - little pricey, but what an opportunity. Just hope the fog signal doesn't go off!

Also like the new paint scheme. Presume they got the CG to OK the new daymark. It really does make the light stand out nicely.

Good to see someone who has done what was expected when they were allowed to purchase. Something they can be proud of, and so can the community. Job well done.

I'm in contact on a regular basis with Nick. The foghorn has been shut off permanently, not sure if the USCG will replace it. Might be a little pricey, but he's spent a TON of money restoring the place, not to mention the cost of upkeep. He's just happy to be part of the lighthouse community and able to share this part of local history with others.