What Does The Back of The Pink House Look Like?

"When you see that silhouette, you know were you are"  has become a popular tagline for The Pink House. All these years, our work on behalf of the community has been focused on preserving that iconic silhouette, so that it is never built into a mansion, torn down or made into another structure.  The front three sides seen from the street as well as the roofline and cupola all define that silhouette, but no one sees the back!

​There are hints when driving the Plum Island turnpike of what once was a wood deck on the west corner. With all the vegetation, it's more difficult to make out much on the east corner, but it is a long shed, that once served as place for a single car. Between them is a laundry/mudroom that has a door out to the car shed. 

While drone footage is prohibited, a pilot flying over snapped this photo and sent it to us. What an incredible shot of the area. So many forget that there are many houses nestled into the marsh and farmland nearby. The Pink House is so special, because it appears to be the only one on that side. 

Photo by Tim Campbell

Restoration of The Pink House, as written into our MHC approved perpetual Preservation Restriction, would include clearing the T-shaped shed on the East side, and the wood deck which has been overcome by brambles on the west, both now pretty much unusable for any future occupant.

The perpetual Preservation Restriction we have been working to put in place will preserve the exterior of The Pink House as we all know and see it from the front and two sides. But even our preservation consultants agree that to keep the integrity of the house, the back area needs to be cleaned up in the form of a neat, squared off back would allow approximately the same square footage to become useful space, and built as soundly as the rest of the house.  

The architectural drawings and elevations needed to create the Preservation Restriction, which include the plan to neaten up the back and repurpose the square footage, were also approved by the Newbury Conservation Comission.  It is nice to know what the work we all have put in has been assessed and cleared by key state and municipal agencies.  

As we approach The Pink House's 100th birthday in 2025, we hope that our work in agreement with the owners, the US Fish and Wildlife, will lead to a successful restoration.