Top bidder offers $78K for New England's tallest lighthouse; US government must approve deal

New England's tallest lighthouse has attracted a top bid of $78,000, but the federal government must still approve the sale.

The U.S. General Services Administration closed the auction Sunday for Boon Island Light Station.

More than a dozen bidders were vying for the lighthouse built in 1855 on a tiny rocky island 6 miles off Maine's coast

The administration has up to 30 days to evaluate the high bid and close the deal. At that time, the buyer will be identified.

The lighthouse off York includes a 133-foot tower. Federal documents say it replaced an earlier lighthouse that weather destroyed in 1831.

Bidding was originally set to end around noon on Aug. 12, but the government extended it.