Pink House in Newbury spared from demolition for now, governor says
NEWBURY - The iconic "Pink House" in Massachusetts has been spared from a planned demolition this week, Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday.
Healey stepped in after community members rallied to save the landmark located off the Plum Island Turnpike and said a donor had pledged up to $1 million to preserve the century-old home.
"The Pink House is a beloved local landmark that makes valuable contributions to the North Shore economy by attracting tourists and artists from across the country," Healey said. "We look forward to continued conversations with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to chart the best path forward for The Pink House, the community and the environment."
"Puts us on the map"
"When you come to Plum Island the Pink House puts us on the map," said State Representative Kristin Kassner. "This is really a conversation to explore all options."
The house is the work of myth and lore. The narrative tells that the home was a spite house that was built from a divorce, but those are just stories.
"The Pink House is part of the fabric of the community. You can find Pink House art in every doctor's office and business office," said Rochelle Joseph, President of Support the Pink House Inc. "Many, many artists supplement their living from this. It brings people to the area, and then those people shop, drink and stay here."
Pink House was set to be demolished
Nobody has lived inside the three-bedroom Pink House for decades. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service bought the Pink House and the nine acres of marsh it sits on in 2011 for $375,000.
"The intention at the time of the purchase was to use it, interestingly enough, as somewhat of a dormitory to house workers here at the refuge," said State Senator Bruce Tarr.
The agency decided the two-story house would have to be removed after a 2014 survey found it contained more than 3,000 square feet of asbestos that could threaten the surrounding environment.
No one bid for the Pink House at an auction this summer, but there were many complications to deter potential buyers. Anyone who bought the house would have had to move it to a new location. Fish & Wildlife says it faces legal limitations when it comes to selling or donating land it owns, and by law can only accept an "equal-value land exchange" for the property.
Activists protested the potential demolition this summer, with the Support The Pink House organization calling the building "an asset of the United States."
Senator Tarr and Representative Kassner have been working with Support the Pink House to save the property. Remediation was done on the building, and part of the demo has already begun, however Governor Healey's order halted the progress.
"One of the things that is important here is the house can only be exchanged for a piece of land," said Senator Tarr. "We have donors who are willing to purchase a piece of land to give to the refuge, that will enhance the refuge, in exchange for that piece of land. We would get the Pink House and maintain its proper stewardship going forward."
US Fish & Wildlife responds
A spokesperson for U.S. Fish & Wildlife said it will be "engaging in discussions with the governor and the state in the next several days and will share details when we know more." But the agency also said "the decision we made to remove the structure is in the best interest of our conservation mission."
"While we appreciate the recent generous monetary offer to help maintain the Pink House, we do not believe it affects the current course of action," the agency said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife called the house a safety hazard, yet supporters are adamant it's structurally sound and remediated.
"Just a few days ago, we were all gathered here at sunset thinking it might be the last sunset we would witness the Pink House on the landscape," said Senator Tarr. "All of the pieces are there for an incredibly positive win-win solution. We just have to stitch them all together, and do it in a timely way, before the curtain comes down on the existence of this house."
The legend behind the Pink House
The home built in 1925 became famous as a supposed "spite house." An urban legend about the house says that a woman divorcing her husband demanded an exact replica of their Newburyport house, but didn't say where it had to be built. So, her husband built the house on a marsh with saltwater plumbing.
"The Pink House is an identifier of our state, as much as the Motif #1, the Gloucester Fisherman and the Citgo sign," said Support The Pink House president Rochelle Joseph in a statement. "We have always worked with the dual goal of seeing the US Fish and Wildlife Service acquire new land to conserve or put to use, while keeping this cultural asset of the commonwealth in its iconic location on behalf of the many North Shore's businesses, visitors, artists, and constituents."