Margaret Knight>
508-627-8894
Capt. Bob Gilkes has arranged for another osprey pole to be put up on Chappaquiddick. This one will be up on the flat top of the Gardner property, just up from the ferry overlooking the inner harbor. The conservation commission has given the go ahead — it’s their land — and Gus BenDavid and NStar will raise the pole, hopefully in time for the return of the osprey about the end of March.
Evidently the selectmen weren’t sure at first about allowing anything, even an osprey pole, on this property. Perhaps they remembered how Chappaquiddickers put up a great fight when the town was negotiating to buy the Gardner property back in 1960 for use as a marina.
According to a 1960 Chappaquiddick Island Association report to members written by D. S. Plumb, president at the time, the town wanted to construct a public marina with possibly up to fifty small piers to be rented out, after deepening the harbor. In the report, Mr. Plumb mentions the problems of pollution with all the boats along the shore, congestion on the ferry of people needing to get to their boats, and the probability of more commercial enterprises at the Point — “hot-dog stands or what have you.” It’s comical to think of hot dog stands at the ferry now, but the marina was a serious threat at the time. Luckily, enough people helped the selectmen to change their minds.
Back then the land was basically a flat sandy stretch covered with beach grass. When the harbor was dredged and the spoils deposited there, it became a high plateau blocking views of the water from the road, on which nothing grew for many years. Now it’s a high plateau with small trees and bushes, and pleasant paths and views of the harbor and, hopefully, a home for osprey.
The CIA report was in a record book my father started keeping when our family built a summer home on a bluff overlooking Cape Pogue Pond back in 1959. It’s a treasure trove of hints about life back then — family life and life on the island.
My father drew up plans about three weeks before he, a couple of friends and relatives, and I and my siblings started building. My older sister and I were only nine and 11, but my older brothers, who all went into the building trades later, helped more. Meticulous records were kept of the hours each of us worked. My mother got credit for cooking for the workers — she was also taking care of our one-and-a-half-year old sister.
One week before the bulldozer came to dig footings for the crawl space my father went to the town hall to see about a building permit — none was needed. The bulldozer cost $8.50 an hour, and the whole job of digging and putting in footings cost $112. A later bill after cesspool installation credits “one hour dozer labor and one hour truck and man, for sand dumped in wrong place” for a total $13 credit. An earlier letter from Ralph Grant of Grant Brothers apologized for dumping the fill where my father didn’t want it, and offered to move it the next time he was on Chappy. I have a feeling the apology was not enough for my father, hence the credit. About the same time a long letter from electrician Brooks Carter, in response to a letter from my father, says, “You must realize there is not something for each man to do every minute...” but later credits $82 off a bill of $779, the total for the complete installation of wiring in the house, with a note offering to go over the issue further at my father’s convenience.
That particular electrician is no longer in business, but back then I think there was generally a gentler approach to commerce. When I built my house in 1973, I used Tilton Lumber, as had my father. By then they had moved their business from the Vineyard Haven waterfront, where we now line up for the big ferry, to a Beach Road location. When I needed some zinc for flashing, they told me to take the roll and bring back what I didn’t use. (Actually, neither Tilton’s nor Grant Brothers is in business anymore.) In 1961 LaBell Plumbing, which still is in business, charged $5.50 to turn off the water for the winter, for the kitchen and two bathrooms. Ferry charges for truck and two men were $1.65.
Amazingly, in a little over three weeks, our summer cottage was up, with the roof shingled, the windows and doors installed, and the walls ready for shingling. My father always preferred a vacation doing a building project rather than lying on the beach. A family friend stayed on into September to button the house up for winter. The next summer, work continued on the interior and, after that, at least some of us summered there from 1961 until 2009. Then the house became part of the trend toward un-development that began in 1998 with the removal of the Francis’ house on the beach across from Caleb’s Pond. I remember someone said at the time, “One down, 400 to go.” Now, where our house was, there is a very nice view out over Cape Pogue Pond, thanks to the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank and their efforts to open things up.
The potluck at the community center on Wednesday, March 2 at 6 p.m. will be hosted by Daryl and Dick Knight. Bring a main course dish or dessert to share. Following the potluck Luanne Johnson will give a presentation about her otter research on Chappy and other areas. Her presentations are always interesting, so it’s worth coming out even if you don’t want to come to the potluck. The talk will start about 7:30 p.m.
No one has responded to the question of where Sampson’s Hill got it’s name, so Peter’s next question is: How many graveyards are on the island (or separate gravestones) and where are they?
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