His name's Dave Waller, and he's the guy who bought the Graves Lighthouse (plus surroundings) for $933,888.
The amount is by far the most ever paid for a lighthouse in the United States, and came via a summer auction overseen by the federal General Services Administration. Waller stayed in the bidding war for the 10-acre Graves Island 9 miles off the coast of Boston because he loves old things (he, his wife and their three kids live in a converted firehouse!) and remembers sailing by the site with his dad. An Emerson alum and Lynn native, Waller lives in Malden; co-owns a video special-effects firm headquartered on Newbury Street; and just seems like a really cool guy.
Like, for instance, here's what he plans to do with Graves Island and its 113-foot, 110-year-old lighthouse, per Joseph P. Kahn in The Globe: "Waller, 50, and his wife, Lynn, a graphic designer, also intend to open Graves Island to the public, possibly as an offshore inn, so all can appreciate its unique beauty and location. ... Throughout the auction, the Wallers viewed the lighthouse not as a collector's trophy but as a potential vacation home, albeit a highly unusual one, or an investment that could pay off handsomely someday, though not necessarily in dollars."
Awesome.
· Businessman Bullish About Graves Island Lighthouse's Potential [Globe]
· Our Graves Island bidding coverage [Curbed Boston]
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