On the Market: A Floating Lighthouse Home Docked on Boston’s Waterfront
Not only is the Nantucket Lightship a unique piece of history, but with two levels, six bedrooms, and 4,000 square feet, the houseboat is a veritable single-family.
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Nantucket Lightship, Boston Waterfront
Price: $4,950,000
Size: 4,000 square feet
Bedrooms: 6
Baths: 6.5
Looking for a change of scenery? Why go through all the trouble of packing all of your belongings into boxes and hauling them off to a new destination when you can simply get a house that moves itself? This gigantic red houseboat has space for a full family and over the years has docked off the coast of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York City, and multiple spots on the Boston waterfront, where it’s currently brightening up the harbor.
This isn’t the first time the recognizable Nantucket Lightship has been on the market in recent history—early last year Boston wrote about its rich history of welcoming immigrants to the U.S. as a floating lighthouse. It wasn’t until 2000 that it began its transition into housing, when former Massachusetts senator Bill Golden purchased the vessel on eBay, rescuing it from a fate of a pile of scrap metal. The Goldens spent the next two years redesigning the ship to transform it into a luxurious home fit for living and entertaining.
Below the ship’s deck, two levels encompass 4,000 square feet of living space. A large kitchen, den, and dining room with wooden paneling and porthole windows occupy the main level, as do two bedrooms and a master suite, each with their own ensuite bath. On the floor below are three more bedrooms and their respective bathrooms, and a spacious entertainment area complete with an original captain’s poker table. The sleeping quarters contain elements that date back to the seafaring days, too: One bedroom features the bunk beds first used by the Nantucket Lightship crew. Another holds custom bunks outfitted with a trundle bed, and yet another is outfitted with built-in beds modeled after the design of the Pullman train sleeper cars.
As the only fully powered and operational lightship in the states, the Nantucket Lightship is a unique piece of history. But it’s more than a neat relic—rather than hindering your jet-setting dreams, this rare piece of real estate actually enables them. And thanks to its bright red hull and still-functioning foghorn, if you decide to take to the water and move towns, your new port will certainly see you coming.
For information, contact Josie McKenzie, Douglas Elliman, elliman.com.
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
Photo via Douglass Elliman
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