Martha's Vineyard Cottage Partially Demolished
By Laryssa Wirstiuk | Online Only | Nov. 12, 2008
Neighbors are upset about the partial illegal demolition of this cottage on Martha's Vineyard.
One of 312 Victorian cottages on the grounds of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association in Oak Bluffs, Mass., was partially demolished this fall. In mid-September, the island's Oak Bluffs Historical Commission responded to allegations that the cottage was torn down; today only its facade remains.
"A lot of people are upset about it. Most of the houses are from the late 1800s, and they are beautiful Victorian cottages. These people wanted to do some work on the house and instead decided to demolish it," says neighbor Brian Kirkpatrick. "The minute I saw what was going on, I blew the whistle on the whole thing. They were going to tear the down the whole house."
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, the 34-acre neighborhood was once a venue for the early 19th-century "campmeeting" movement. Founded by the Methodists, the Campmeeting Association was a place for families to gather for religious retreats.
When campmeetings first started in the 1830s, families leased small lots, where they pitched tents. In the 1860s and 1870s, the tents were replaced with permanent wooden cottages. These pop-up cottages lacked traditional foundations, so many now have rotted floorboards.
In June, Deborah Harmon, the owner of 5 Pease Avenue, began construction on the cottage to remove the back portion and rebuild an addition. When the crew removed part of the structure, they discovered that many of the floorboards and part of the support system were rotted. The building official allegedly gave the crew permission to demolish most of the structure.
"When an emergency demolition is issued, the historical commission is supposed to be notified, but we were not notified. What we have, in effect, is an illegal demolition," says Renee Balter, chairman of the Oak Bluffs Historical Commission. "I don't think it was done with malicious intent, but the procedure as prescribed by the bylaw was not followed."
The demolition delay bylaw protects buildings more than 100 years old. A Massachusetts Historical Commission Building Survey form from 1978 states that the cottage is a two-story "seasonal private dwelling" built in 1916, shingled with a small covered porch and "very plain." The original owner was J.H. Coffin. However, according to the tax assessor's card, the cottage was constructed in the late 1870s.
The Campmeeting Association's architectural review committee is currently making plans for the reconstruction of the cottage. Once the proposal is complete, the Oak Bluffs Historical Commission will hold a public hearing. After the hearing, the historical commission will determine whether to accept or amend the proposed plans. Either way, Harmon will have to follow the recommendations.
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