The Pink House is an iconic landmark, not just to New Englanders but to visitors far and wide. Located in Newbury, MA, on the road leading to Plum Island bordering Newburyport, she sits as the only structure in the marshland stretching to the horizon under an endless sky. Highlighting the beauty of her natural setting, the Pink House intrigues and inspires all who see her.
Acquired by The Parker River Wildlife Refuge in September 2011 to be used as a bunk house for visiting rangers and interns, by 2014, the Newburyport Daily News reported the PRWR was thinking of demolishing it – and public outcry began. Support the Pink House arose as a grass roots movement borne of that concern, working tirelessly first to stay her demolition, and now to find a purposeful owner.
Stories of The Pink House and the effort to save her has been well covered by the NY Times, the Boston Globe, North Shore magazine (cover story), WCVB-TV’s Chronicle and on the radio to name a few. STPH has collected several thousand signatures and hundreds of testimonies reflecting what The Pink House means to the community. Her status as an iconic landmark continually grows with each passing month.
In answer to the public desire to find a solution, STPH, the Essex County Greenbelt, The US Fish and Wildlife Service/PRWR, and all the local, state and federal elected officials came together, under expert guidance from Minority Leader Senator Bruce Tarr along with Support The Pink House to create a path for making TPH and her land available to other ownership, and with it, a vision to have the house serve some purpose for the community, if possible.
What is "Save/Support The Pink House"?
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Acquired by The Parker River Wildlife Refuge in September 2011 to be used as a bunk house for visiting rangers and interns, by 2014, the Newburyport Daily News reported the PRWR was thinking of demolishing it – and public outcry began. Support the Pink House arose as a grass roots movement borne of that concern, working tirelessly first to stay her demolition, and now to find a purposeful owner.
Stories of The Pink House and the effort to save her has been well covered by the NY Times, the Boston Globe, North Shore magazine (cover story), WCVB-TV’s Chronicle and on the radio to name a few. STPH has collected several thousand signatures and hundreds of testimonies reflecting what The Pink House means to the community. Her status as an iconic landmark continually grows with each passing month.
In answer to the public desire to find a solution, STPH, the Essex County Greenbelt, The US Fish and Wildlife Service/PRWR, and all the local, state and federal elected officials came together, under expert guidance from Minority Leader Senator Bruce Tarr along with Support The Pink House to create a path for making TPH and her land available to other ownership, and with it, a vision to have the house serve some purpose for the community, if possible.
What is "Save/Support The Pink House"?
- Support the Pink House's immediate goal is to save the Pink House, located on the Plum Island Turnpike in Newbury MA, from demolition. The house is a icon to residents and vacationers, and an inspiration to local and visiting artists. Having succeeded at keeping the house in the community in August 2016, STPH is now pursuing ways to free the land from Federal ownership and find a new owner.
- The Pink House was built in 1922. In 2011, after being on the market for a number of years, the Stott family sold the 9.29 acre property for $375,000 to the USFWS Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
- Use of the building no longer not fits with the US Fish & Wildlife Service's mission, and they do not have any interest in nor resources to maintain the structure.
- The Pink House is NOT in terrible shape! A member of our steering committee completed a walk-through with the PRNWR manager and a trusted, HIC/CSL local builder who deemed the house to be structurally sound. STPH got the Refuge to cut plant growth about 3' from the house to allow it to breath and to let sunshine get to all of it. The windows were properly sealed from weather. Any windows seen from the street were covered in plexiglass to preserve the look of the house. Inside, she was swept of cursory debris. It was a start. The roof has no leaks, there are no cracks in the fountain, her full basement does not flood, even when all of the PI Pike may be covered in water during Nor'Easters. She could use paint, a little patching and a new roof, no doubt, but let it be known that the Pink House is far from ramshackle.
- Unfortunately, the PRNWR cannot sell the property; they can only swap it for a similarly valued parcel of land. And any land that can be swapped may need to undergo a long and expensive survey and appraisal process. The parcel lines TPH sits on may be re-created as well. In the mean time, a new owner must be found who has the funds to take the house on. If such a swap succeeds, the Fish and Wildlife Service does want to reclaim roughly what it purchased the Pink House and it's attendant parcels for. SPTH is in regular communication with the refuge manager, and several local, state and federal elected officials, and organizations and are working diligently behind the scenes each week on solutions.
- STPH is now working with local, state and federal officials and organizations toward a path to free the house from Federal ownership so she can have a new owner. And we are looking first into how the house can serve a purpose by those owners, though she can simply be refurbished and remain as an icon (like Motif #1 in Rockport). At that point, committees, large-scale fundraisers, etc. will come as a group effort.
- We are thrilled with your enthusiasm! However - please remember that the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is federal property, and is off limits to the public. The house must be enjoyed from the boundary of the Plum Island Turnpike, and it is imperative that we respect the refuge and its policies during this process. So we hope you enjoy painting, photographing, writing about, and otherwise appreciating this beautiful icon, from the shoulder of the road but PLEASE DO NOT TRESPASS!
Didn't find what you were looking for? Please email us and we'll be happy to help!