A Texas bank has filed foreclosure action against the Connecticut lighthouse claiming that no payments have been made since August on the $500,000 loan.
The Sheffield Island Light which is also called the Norwalk Light was discontinued by the United States Lighthouse Service in 1914. It was sold to a private owner who used it as a summer home until the family sold the lighthouse in 1986 to the Norwalk Seaport Association for $700,000.
The Norwalk Seaport Association received a $100,000 interest free 100 year loan from the town which was used as part of the down payment.
Seaport officials have stated that they simply have not had the money, citing a 17 per cent attendance drop in its major fund raising effort the Norwalk Oyster Festival.
If you would like to help the Association save its lighthouse from a Texas bank you can send donations to Norwalk Seaport Association, 132 Water Street, South Norwalk, CT 06854.
This story appeared in the
May 1996 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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