In Chilmark they take their old houses seriously. And it’s hard to let go of an old house, let alone one with as much history as the Chilmark homestead known as the Great House, the two-story colonial on South Road thought to have been a British headquarters during the Revolutionary War.

But after a mandatory six-month stay, the Chilmark historical commission will allow the Great House to be torn down. It’s the right decision.

Not everyone agrees that demolition should be allowed without more review, including the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. Among other things, a senior staffer at the commission wrote a letter of objection to the historical board and sparred with a member of his own commission who is a Chilmarker on the issue.

That’s all part of the process. But wherever you might come down on the tricky matter of allowing the tear-down, it is clear that the process around the Great House has been deliberate, thoughtful and thorough.

The Great House has been held by the same family since the 1960s, and through the years has undergone many architectural changes and renovations, leaving question marks about how much original historical integrity actually remains. And despite the best efforts of the current owner to keep up with repairs, today the house is a sagging structure that looks as if it could fall down the next time a good northeaster blows in. Owner Catie Fuller has tried to sell the property, but after eight years on the market there was not a single offer, despite the home’s rich history and favorable location facing a bucolic rural road.

Ms. Fuller and her fiance plan to build a new home on the site. Hopefully they can salvage some parts of the historic house to incorporate into their new place. This is a time-honored practice in homebuilding on the Vineyard, a small but meaningful way to keep history alive to hand down to the next generation.