Four Beautiful Lighthouses in the US Are Available at No Cost

The General Services Administration, or GSA, says the United States Coast Guard has decided¹ it no longer needs four of the nation's most beautiful lighthouses. And it is inviting² certain types of organizations to take them over at no cost.

The GSA is the business and accounting³ agency of the U.S. federal government. Among other jobs, it manages all federally-owned buildings.

The GSA has been letting go many of the lighthouses it no longer uses. It is releasing Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown, Rhode Island. The lighthouse is America's third oldest, and it was present during the American Revolutionary War.

The other available lighthouses are Watch Hill Lighthouse, Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse, and Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Lighthouse. Watch Hill Lighthouse is in Westerly, Rhode Island, near the beachside house of American pop star Taylor Swift.

The Cleveland Harbor lighthouse is in Ohio, and Duluth Harbor Lighthouse is in Minnesota.

There is a condition. The government said it will make the historic lighthouses and their outbuildings available for free to certain groups.

They include federal, state and local government agencies. Additionally, nonprofit organizations or educational and community development agencies may take the buildings. Groups which work with parks, outdoor enjoyment⁴, culture or historic preservation⁵ may take them as well.

Paul Hughes is a spokesperson for GSA. He said the U.S. Coast Guard decided that they no longer needed Beavertail Lighthouse. The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

Beavertail Lighthouse has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. The National Register of Historic Places works to protect historic places and buildings.

Beavertail Lighthouse is a 19.5-meter-high stone lighthouse that faces south where Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound meet. It offers beautiful views of the ocean.

Only the base of the original lighthouse remains⁶. It was built in 1759. It was then burned down by British soldiers leaving the Newport area in 1779 during the American Revolution. The current lighthouse was built in 1856 with six additional structures, totaling 480 square meters.

Hughes said the government wants groups to express their interest in the next 60 days. The National Park Service will review the applications.

Watch Hill Lighthouse is a three-story stone block tower with an iron and glass light on top. It is surrounded by water on three sides. It is attached to a two-story building built in 1935. The outbuildings include an oil house built in 1855 to 1856.

The Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse was built in 1911 to guide ships near the Port of Cleveland. It housed a Coast Guard Station until 1976.

It is best known for its yearly change into a beautiful ice tower when winter temperatures freeze lake water onto the building. A sister lighthouse, Cleveland Harbor East Pierhead Lighthouse, was sold a few years ago for $10,000.

Duluth Harbor North Pierhead Lighthouse was built in 1910. It is located on the westernmost tip of Lake Superior. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Words in This Story

lighthouse – n. a tower with a powerful light that is built on or near the shore to guide ships away from danger

view – n. the things that can be seen from a particular place

preservation – n. the act of keeping something in its original state or in good condition

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

3 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

4 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

5 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。