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.
Who owns the pink house?
  • 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.
Why do they want to tear it down?  It's not hurting anything, just let it stand!
  • 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.  
Isn't the house rundown and rotting inside?
  • 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.
How much will it cost to buy the house?
  • 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. 
What do you want to do with the house?
  • 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.
I want to go see the house!
  • We are thrilled with your enthusiasm!  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, but PLEASE DO NOT TRESPASS!

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