The structure – three stories high, white paint peeling off the distressed brick – can look imposing. But inside, the station once served as a vacation home for family gatherings, getaways with friends, and spur-of-the-moment getaways.
“It can be very peaceful,” said Dave McNally, the lighthouse’s owner, 73. “On a good day, you can hear the dolphins’ holes.”
Now after nearly two decades, McNally has put the lighthouse on the market for $450,000.
“It’s an episode in my life,” McNally said. “But I’m ready for the next chapter.”
A lighthouse of its own
McNally bought the lighthouse in 2005, one of the first people to take advantage of a new provision in the National Historic Seed Preservation Act that allowed the seeds — which were federally owned — to be purchased by private citizens. As part of the agreement, the Coast Guard can still maintain the light bulb on top of the house to aid navigation.
According to the General Services Administration, the law affected more than 151 lighthouses – 82 of which were transferred to public entities, such as non-profit organizations, at no cost. About 70 lighthouses, including Smith Point, have been auctioned off to the public.
At the time, McNally lived near the Mississippi River in Winona, Minn. He said he had been a self-proclaimed “river rat” for years, and according to a Washington Post story, he had always loved lighthouses. When he thought of buying Smith Point, he had never seen the lighthouse or set foot in Virginia. His wife didn’t think he was serious until he started passing out pictures at the dinner table.
McNally snapped it up for about $170,000.
When McNally bought the dilapidated house, she had torn down ceilings and graffiti-covered walls. Built in 1897, the house was once a major landmark for those traveling up the Potomac River, according to the Chesapeake chapter of the US Lighthouse Society. It was last renovated in the early 1990s.
“Everybody today thinks of Baltimore, but when you go back to the 1800s, Washington, D.C. was actually one of the major ports,” said Greg Krawczyk, vice president of the Chesapeake chapter of the US Lighthouse Society. “If you were coming in from the outside or the south, you’re looking for Smith Point.”
On his first trip inside, McNally found a crowbar hovering over a banister and an empty beer can on a shelf. A fog horn in the house sounded every 17 seconds, for every minute of every day, although McNally said the cord on the horn had snapped several years ago and had not been replaced.
Slowly but surely, the owner gave Smith Point the comforts of home: electricity, hot water, a flush toilet. The kitchen is even equipped with a portable dishwasher and ice maker.
“I can’t tell you how many boat trips I went back and forth pulling things out and removing rotten wood,” McNally said.
McNally considered selling the lighthouse about eight years ago and headed out into the bay for one last adventure – a solo trip. The water was so calm, he said. For a week, McNally would sit and watch the boats go by on cloudless days. He didn’t drag himself onto dry land until he reached the last bottle of water and red licorice.
“I had so much fun that I decided not to sell it,” he said.
McNally said he hoped to keep Smith Point in the family, but no one wants to take over. As he got older, it became harder for him to care for the structure. It was time to finally let Smith Point go.
“A lighthouse is not for the ancients, and I’m getting to that point,” he said.
Saving seeds can be a daunting task, both physically and financially, says Krawczyk of the US Lighthouse Society. Smith Point is particularly difficult because it is not as close to the ground as the other stations. But for the right person, perhaps someone with a maritime background, he said it’s a great piece of history to call our own.
“We’re excited to see a lighthouse that’s actually held up in pretty good shape through the sales process,” Krawczyk said. “We hope the new owner continues to do a good job because there are a lot of them out there where the owner ends up doing nothing.”
Beth Groner, real estate agent for lighthouse, said her goal was not necessarily to gather a large pool of applicants for Smith Point, but to discover a potential buyer who is ready to take the reins. The listing went up in late April and there have not yet been any offers, McNally said.
“It’s certainly a challenge,” Groner said. “But just imagine the sunset from all the way up.”
McNally said he might be ready to climb the old stairs for one last hoorah, but he hasn’t made any concrete plans to travel abroad. Seeing the lighthouse can make it harder to get a clean break, he said. Still, owning Smith Point has been one of McNally’s favorite adventures.
“I think it was probably the most exciting thing I’ve ever done,” he said.