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"?
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 house and about an acre of her upland from Federal ownership and find a new owner.
- The Pink House was built in 1925. 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.
- The Refuge no longer has a use for the house therefore do not want 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 Bill Barrett, a trusted, HIC/CSL local builder who deemed the house to be structurally sound. 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. STPH requested that the Refuge to cut plant growth about 3' from the house to allow it to breath and let sunshine reach all of it. The windows were properly sealed from weather, and any seen from the street were covered in plexiglass to preserve the look of the house. Inside, she was swept of cursory debris. 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 outright sell the property. They can swap it for a similarly valued parcel of land, among other options. And any suitable land to swap may need to undergo an extensive survey and appraisal process. The parcel lines TPH sits on may be re-created as well. A new owner must be found who has the funds to take the house on and restore her. There are many attendant costs for all these.
- STPH is working daily with local, state and federal elected officials and organizations to free the house from federal possession so she can have a new owner. It requires cooperation with the USFWS and area organizations to accomplish this for the good of community, whom they serve. We are concurrently looking for those owners, whether a non-profit/educational/research institution, a consortium of stewards who might keep her as an iconic landmark, similar to the Motif #1 in Rockport or the Nubble Lighthouse in York, ME, or a private citizen. Depending on the owners we find, our public meetings, committees and large-scale fundraising could ramp up again as a community-wide group effort.
- Once STPH succeeded in keeping the TPH from being demolished, due to the assistance of Minority Leader and State Senator Bruce Tarr, Congressman Moulton and Senators Markey and Warrens offices and former State Senator Kathleen O'Connor Ives, STPH called a meeting with all who had the power to help. The goal was to identify a few solid, viable solutions. The first meeting was held February 14, 2017, and we have all met several times since, as STPH systematically follows each option until one succeeds. This process has been extraordinarily complex and time consuming, so STPH decided to devote everything we had to it, in lieu of holding meetings, fundraisers for operating costs and awareness campaigns. Once a solution is found, we look forward to resurfacing!
- 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 only. It's imperative to 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!