A Valentine For The Pink House

Sunrise on February 14th at The Pink House revealed something hanging on the chain drawn across its gravel driveway.  Closer inspection revealed it was this wonderful Valentine!

Pink House valentine photo by Kelly Page

Someone had taken the time to make this by hand, and brave temps below freezing to bring it as a surprise for all to see.  A result, we have learned, of a program The Newburyport Preservation Trust began a program for young preservationists in 2019.  We learned that this valentine was made by a third grader, likely from the Francis T. Bresnahan Elementary School in Newburyport.

Each year, The Newburyport Daily News has covered this wonderful appreciation event that teaches kids to care about history and preservation! As they grow, none of them will look at what makes New England special the same way again. Some may go on to become preservationists. It's very similar to animal conservation. Once you have close encounters and make a connection, you develop an interest and respect for the animal (or houses) and if they're not cared for properly, you'll notice, and often speak up or pitch in to protect them.  

Shadow love photographed by Sandy Tilton

New Englanders are lucky. There are so many historic homes the region -- and others that are just very special, for all sorts of reasons. They may have interesting architecture, or their occupants may have played an interesting role in the town or the trades.  They may inspire artists, or have a story behind them.

​In The Pink House's case, there's the urban legend that it is a spite house. It has certainly brought global attention to the house, but our researchers did a very deep dive into all the records and photos that exist, along with many conversations with old timers or their families. By constructing the evidence based on facts, we came up with a very different scenario! The house has in fact been lived in and loved by many families. It's pretty interesting, so please visit our history page to learn what we  discovered! 

Whatever the reason, all the homes bring charm to a place, and make people want to visit, live, or stay here. And that is a great reason to show them some love on Valentines Day—and celebrate year round!

If you'd like to learn about the periods of houses and how to identify them based on their architectural features, you might really enjoy reading THIS page on the Newburyport Preservation Trust's website. It goes through each home's period, complete with a photo of each example of it, starting with the First Period (1625), up to the Victorian Period, which runs till 1900. It's a fascinating and fun read.  You may want to print it out to use and plan to walk or drive around to spot homes and figure out what period they belong to!
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FUN FACT: A house must be over 75 years old to be considered for historic recognition in MA. Built in 1925, The Pink House will be 100 years old in 2025!

Written by Rochelle Joseph