Penfield Reef Lighthouse auction attracts few bids

A federal auction to sell the decommissioned Penfield Reef Lighthouse off the Fairfield County coastline has gotten off to a rather slow start.

The U.S. General Services Administration launched its auction on June 21 of the structure, which contains a 51-foot-tall octagonal light house and a two-story 1,568-square-foot residence.

Penfield Reef Lighthouse, which is one mile from the mouth of Black Rock Harbor in Bridgeport, was built in 1874 and renovated in 2015, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One week into the auction, the GSA received only two bids: an opening bid on June 22 that matched the launch level of $100,000 and a second bid for $110,000; the auction mandates bid increments of $10,000.

The GSA previously put the lighthouse up for sale in 2016, but withdrew it from the market when no buyers could be procured. The new auction does not have a scheduled closing date.