After several years on the market, a historic house in Chilmark thought to have been a British headquarters during Grey’s Raid in 1778 may soon be torn down.
The town historical commission plans to hold a public hearing at the Chilmark town hall on March 31 at 5 p.m. to address the demolition request submitted by Catherine Fuller, whose family has owned the house since the 1960s. The home is often called the Great House, or the Benjamin Lambert-Robinson house, after its likely builder and later inhabitants.
Martha Smith, an Island broker with Jane Brown Real Estate, had the listing from around 2008 to 2012, before handing it off to another broker. She said the house was in bad shape even then and would need extensive work and a dedicated buyer.
“It’s not a restoration, it’s a complete rebuild,” Ms. Smith told the Gazette this week.
The house is no longer on the market, but was assessed this year at $627,700, about half its assessed value in 2011, according to the multiple listing real estate website LINK. Ms. Smith said she had listed the house for just under $1 million prior to 2012.
The two-story antique colonial at 51 State Road dates to around 1735, and is said to have been used as a headquarters while British troops confiscatedfirearms, sheep and other materials from up-Island in 1778. Moses Lambert, whose father Benjamin reportedly built the house, recalled seeing hundreds of sheep driven from Squibnocket during the raid. According to an eyewitness account held in the Dukes County archives, Mr. Lambert and fellow Chilmarker Jonathan Allen watched as the sheep went by, and schemed to take some back, assuming that some were theirs to begin with.
By the 1930s, the house belonged to Edward Robinson, and it remained in his family until being sold to John Fuller in 1965. The house “is rich in revolutionary history, and tradition, most of which is buried with the people who made it,” according to a notice in the Gazette at the time. “The Fullers are planning to restore some of its lost charm.”
The house has undergone a number of changes over the years, including the replacement of a central chimney with one at each end, and the addition of a rear ell. Two large bay windows with divided panes look out through a full-length porch toward the road. A smaller house was built on the property in 2003 and is assessed at $137,900.
The historical commission has yet to discuss the proposed demolition, but chairman Jane Slater said this week that it would likely be delayed by six months so the commission could advertise the house to prospective buyers who could restore it or move it to a new location. But there were few other options to save the house.
“There aren’t many rules and regulations on the book about what to do when an old house is too old,” Mrs. Slater said, adding that several historic houses in Chilmark have been demolished in recent years. The commission does not have the authority to deny such a request, she said.
Many old houses in Chilmark have been preserved by their owners, but some inevitably fall through the cracks. “There is hope, but not for all of them,” Mrs. Slater said.
The Great House will be put up for sale following the hearing.
An earlier version of this story reported that the public hearing before the historical commission was Wednesday, March 30. The correct date is Thursday, March 31. The hearing begins at 5 p.m.
This article appears in March 25, 2016.
How about the town buys it? Keep such a historic building from being demolished? How many houses that age survive on the island. Would seem short sighted not preserve such a place. Perhaps the owners would take less if the town bought and renovated. Would be a crime to tear it down.
why not postpone the hearing till the rich summer people are here? or would that make too much sense.
rich summer people buy in the off season
if this were a historical house for African American heritage, the town would buy it and that makes sense in this case as well
That’s not accurate. Edgartown did not buy the Captain William A. Martin House on Chappaquiddick and Oak Bluffs did not buy the Bradley Chapel. Nor should they be obligated to unless taxpayers found it worthy of a vote.
I don’t remember seeing this house actively marketed. It would be a real shame for the island to lose this. It’s certainly worth the effort to spread the word more broadly to see if someone who has the resources and desire to preserve a historical home would take an interest in the property.
Hey, it’s standing. It’s supporting a second story…things can’t be beyond salvation.
Please, please don’t allow it to be destroyed.
It’s been standing proud for 375 years. Would it hurt to wait until the right buyer comes along? What’s a few more years?
I agree!
Completely agree. It WAS advertised when we went looking, but just needed more than we can do realistically. I also really hope it goes to someone with a historic preservation bent.
Demonstrated that it’s losing value / so the harm to the owner is significant. How about you buy it and lose the money so that the owner doesn’t have to ?
If only I could ! I would restore it to it’s original state then give it to the town.
But then, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride
281, not 375
Please, please, please find a way to keep this Island treasure. It has to be one of the oldest homes on the Vineyard. After leaving the island in 2004 I myself purchased a saltbox built in 1734, that makes my home 282 years old. They are a lot of work, but think of the hard labor and love that went into the original construction. It must be saved for generations to come to learn and love the unique history.
That’s a shame that they let this wonderful house go like that. Edward was my great grandfather. I have a pic of 5 year old me sliding down the bannister in that house. Wish I could buy it.
Might the Town contact This Old House? Those folks would love getting their teeth into this project.
Wayne, that is a great idea!
Fantastic!
Give them a call !
I put a new roof on this house in the mid 70’s and had known the Fuller family fondly since the days they began occupancy. That doesn’t give me any more standing than any other interested parties, but I can tell you this, the rafters that supported the roof I replaced were cut right out of the groves under the lee of the hills surrounding the place. I’ve work, like many carpenters my age, on lots of old places around the up-island area with reverence. I have always known it as the oldest place up island and I hope the Fullers, who lived amidst the history of this house for the last 40 years, can get adequately compensated by a community minded group who can let future vineyarders and touring public see what I saw when I opened up that roof .. ..a surviving edifice of the craftsmanship of those who scratched a subsistence living amidst the roads, parcels and vistas we wander through today. A house built from a fortitude we all need to preserve if only for the little kids that can walk there from the Chilmark School so that they might see the names of old Gay Headers and Chilmarkers scribed on the boards amongst the structure who had done the similar work of refurbishment to this old beauty, 80 years before me.
It’s great to have your perspective. Hope someone with deep pockets can come in and help preserve this piece of island history.
Mr Taylor has hit the nail on the head and opined why this house is a moment in time and must be preserved until it can be moved.
In that vein, a modest proposal. Allow the current owners all the allowable zoning area and space as though the house was not there.
Donate the house to a non-profit and allow the owners the tax credit. Have that non-profit (Land Bank, Sheriffs Meadow, Conservancy or all the good institutions) hold the house for resale (a nice return) for relocation and repurposing.
It would make a significant impact if it were located among affordable or senior housing which is lacking up island.
A little imagination and a community based hiatus will save this house.
A comment to those that feel resentment about “rich off-island” people and them and us. When I bought a small house on Meeting House Way in Edgartown in 1982, it took every penny that I had.
My family and I enjoyed it for 20 years. I introduced my sister to the island and Pat and John Hayes are now 15 year residents. I introduced friends who bought and purchased small houses and built palaces. Countless friends visit the island multiple times a year. They are not rich. They have the taste and sense to recognize a special place. Appreciate them, they are your neighbors and your children’s future. I usually put my location in these posts as “always on island”.
It saddened me in 1998 to sell my piece of heaven and leave a piece of my heart on the Vineyard. I simply was not rich enough, like many of us “off-islanders”
Maybe a fund raiser of some sort?
Let’s all try!
Well said and nice story Hugh,I agree.
Beautifully put, Hugh. Thanks for adding that perspective.
Please find a good buyer, and save this house: U.S. History! Get in touch with the
Historical Societies. I would think there would be a real interest in this house!
It is rare.
Please save it.
love to you all on the Island,
Anne
Everyone can make phone calls, and write letters.
Let’s not wait for the “other” guy to do it .
What a shame. This house is of historical significance. Should not have to wait for “rich summer people” to save this beautiful house.
It would be a tragedy to lose this treasure. Isn’t there some way it can be placed on the historic home registry that would protect it. What a great opportunity for the Preservation Trust to turn this into a museum that would teach kids and vacationers about the pre revolutionary times.
I remember when Adam Yarmalinsky and his family rented this house back in 1957. I was a mothers helper living with Alan and Andy Rabinowitz family in the Paint Box in Menemsha. One night Brook Zern and I were driving home from a Beach party on Lobsterville and spotted a gentleman stranded in the sand. Since it was before cell phones Adam was really stranded. So we drove him to this wonderful house and despite my later than sanctioned arrival back at the Paint Box my employers were grateful that I was out late and able to pick up their friend. He was out walking on the beach deciding what to do next with his life. That night he decided to join the JFK administration and Brook and I embarked on our 59 year relationship and marriage. This house is strangely personally important to us. Please figure out a way to prevent this historic home from being destroyed. .
I hope it can be saved . I was brought home from the hospital to that house when I was born in 1952 , my grandparents owned it at that time .
Maybe the National Trust for Historic Preservation can assist. This house is our history and heritage.
This lovely, historical house deserves to survive! Ms. Fuller should respect the original builders and restore it. Demolishing this home and replacing it with a new McMansion would be a crime.
Of course the owner has respect for the house…what she lacks is the millions it will take to make it a viable structure. Hopefully this article will appeal to someone who has much deeper pockets than she has.
…or respect Ms.Fuller and finance the restoration you so nobly demand.
I am a summer person; unfortunately not a rich one. However,it saddens me to even think of how history in any form can just be reduced to rubble without exploring every possibility for it rescue. Millions, maybe even hundreds of millions in government funding goes untapped. You have a current president who with his family resides in Chilmark every summer; someone should reach out to him to try to find a way to preserve this historical treasure. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
One of the more memorable museums that I visited was one just south of Minneapolis, known then as Murphy’s Farm. Structures from all over the state were moved to this former farm along the Minnesota River and grouped by four periods. The earliest period began with a French fur trappers cabin. There was a sod house which were the first homes of settlers on the prairie where there were few if any trees. When the railroad was completed and they had funds they bought their first house in a kit from Sears Roebuck in Chicago. Several of these are on-site. There is also a single room brick school house which displayed numerals and letters in German. One can read about this history, but seeing and feeling these structures adds a very concrete level to one’s understanding. Someone in Minnesota had a big vision. Massachusetts needs something more than Sturbridge Village.
Everything who has commented should throw down some money and together buy it and then look for historic minded investors and restore it!
This breaks my heart, this was such a great house. Spent many Summer’s in the late 60’s as a mothers helper for the Fullers in this house. It would be such as shame to lose this treasure.
Am I the only one on here that understands that this property might be an extreme financial hardship for its owner? This Island has seen so many, too many of it’s native sons and daughters, its long time washashore year round residents, have to leave because of the current economic trends, forcing the less affluent to leave their family homes behind. Where is the outrage in that? Do you people think Ms. Fuller hasn’t tried desperately for YEARS to keep and save this residence? This isn’t about respecting builders or history, this is about the cold hard facts that your neighbors are all struggling to maintain some kind of normalcy, while the Island is slowly transformed in to an impenetrable fortress for the financially elite. If you don’t like what’s happening to this house, you are free to buy it for fair market value, or shut the hell up.
Thanks Gordon !
No one is saying the home is not a financial burden. Many on the island do not have the resources or knowledge to undertake such a project. It would be possible to set up a non-profit to buy it and restore it.
But, the town of Chilmark, should, as a town buy it. CPA funds could be used to restore it. It is not rocket science to understand that preserving a house built in the 1730’s is a public good and helps promote the island and its culture. You have to protect the past to learn from it.
When you destroy the past you destroy part of our collective soul.
What soul? Where were all these do-gooders, when Catie was alone, busting her ass, trying to make a living and save her home? I have also worked on this property, and the work involved in saving it would be tremendous. Just the structural work required to move it will be a Herculean task(both physically and financially). Everyone is always happy to offer opinions and ideas, safely sitting at their keyboards, not actually having to do anything. At this point my SOUL is more concerned with helping PEOPLE than preserving THINGS. So I guess Abby, if you have all these soulfull resources and knowledge, knock yourself out. Put your money where your mouth is. What we need to LEARN is a little restraint when it comes to spending other peoples money. This is just one more way to rid the Island of all its real heritage, its people. Honestly, I don’t want to see any historic properties demolished, but given the choice, I will choose to help my neighbor first. People are more important than things.. ALWAYS. The funny thing is, if she was one of the summer rich people, she could do whatever the hell she wanted, and just let her lawyers deal with the fallout.
Amen Gordon, when the interest on savings plunged Im barely able to keep my place standing.Last 7 years have been tough. Alot of of us dont have govment pensions to fall back on.
I don’t understand. Who are you scolding?
No one has blamed the current owners..people are talking about a way to purchase and preserve it…Not get it for naught, and leave the owners penniless!!
Shame for your public spanking when it is on called for !!
This house was on the market F O R E V E R .. I’m scolding any of you who weren’t there helping your neighbor, but now want to make a very difficult situation almost impossible. Seriously, If this house is some kind a keepsake of the fight for freedom, the fight against tyranny and oppressive bureaucracy, isn’t it a little ironic that the owner should be required to spend MORE and MORE resources(that she might not have) to appease some romantic notion of historical significance? Did the British win that war? I thought we lived in a free country. There comes a point in every situation where you have to concede your fight to the termites and the weather and the dry rot and all the other things homeowners deal with and just try and move on with your life. This house belongs to a person in this community who has helped COUNTLESS people! All I’m asking is that you take into consideration what she might be going through and what all of this does to her. Some people don’t have the luxury of time and money to discuss endlessly the possibilities of every situation. Some people are just trying to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Please just try to imagine if you had to allow everyone on the Island a voice when you made a difficult personal decision. I’m not some fatcat who wants to tear everything down and build McMansions and strip malls(I HATE THAT STUFF). I understand how important history is, I really do. I just want to remind everyone here, this is your neighbor, and she has feelings. Deeds not words. Rant over.
Again, no scolding necessary!
My guess is, that the vast majority of folks on the Island, had, or have, no idea that this home has been on the market. They more than likely have not even been aware of this house or it’s history before this article was published.
Now that people are aware, they are offering suggestions in the hope of saving it from demolition.
No one is trying to make a situation worse for the owners. In fact,instead, let’s brainstorm for a way to help. Perhaps the town could step in and help. Maybe, tax free to the owners until a sale, or some other financial incentive to hang on until a buyer appears.
Perhaps concerned Islanders will find a way to buy it and preserve it. This is not out of the realm of possibility.
I would think that everyone would agree, that the owners not suffer any financial hardship in the process!
Fund raisers on this Island produce some very generous results. Even in the dead of winter when no “wealthy summer people money” is available.
We can do this !
Well said Gordon…..
There should be some government Department that could help preserve this home
Catie fuller is one of the hardest working people I know and has tried for YEARS to maintain this house … I’m all for preserving history …but I think some of these comments are quite disrespectful to Ms fuller who deserves so much credit !
Thanks Stacey. I am not sure people understand the quandary Catie is in!
Exactly!!! I think people should refrain from judgement …they have no idea regarding the particulars of this situation!
No one has said anything about the person living in the house. What has been said, is look for a way to purchase, and save it. Purchasing involves paying money to the owner. The current owner is obviously burdened and doing the best she can. And should be applauded for that.
Owning ancient houses is difficult especially with maintenance. What has been said, is that a building that old, has excellent bones, has so much island history in it, including a multitude of generations that have lived there and experienced life and death in it. We need to preserve people, but we also need to preserve the past. They are not mutually exclusive.
It takes an island to save a house. It took an island to save a light house. Is this not as significant? Or more so than the Gay Head Light House?
Tourists want to visit places. Experience another period of time. What a great additional draw it would be for Chilmark.
How about a go fund me page to save this historic home and perhaps turn it into a profit making entity like a B&B, a place to host weddings or other events….and maybe enlist volunteers to help restore the building…need to be creative here, lots can be done instead of sitting back and criticizing.
Yes Abby, I’m all for that touristy stuff too. I get it. My point was, the house has been on the market since 2008. Where were all of these “Historians” back then? Also, with all due respect to Mr. Taylor(who is a wonderful person and craftsman, but worked on the house FORTY years ago), unlike most of you, I’ve been INSIDE this house, I have worked to REPAIR this house, My hands are a little dirtier than those of you who drive by and notice that the second floor hasn’t caved in yet and think everything will be ok. Really, my only point with all of this is my frustration, reading all of this, after YEARS and YEARS of doing everything she can to save her home, she now has to deal with the next group of “concerned citizens” who “all of a sudden” have an interest in this property. Even you can understand how I might be frustrated watching a friend suffer at the hands of small town politics. I mean seriously, imagine how you might feel if this was your situation, jumping over hurdle after hurdle for people who don’t really want to help YOU, Who probably don’t even know YOU, but want to have a say in how YOU conduct YOUR business. It’s a damn good thing she’s such a great athlete.
I know some people out there might think I’m just some angry fool ranting about the government and whatnot, but I’m actually just trying to show some support for my friend. I want her to be able make HER property livable, and use it a SHE would like.
Anyone who doesn’t think I can’t respect or understand both sides of this issue, doesn’t know me. I guess I would rather see the millions(yes millions) of dollars that would be needed for this project go to the schools, libraries, community services and other essential services. My personal opinion is that this house has been modified and modernized,(and now has deteriorated) to exclude it from being a viable project. Some of you drive by and see it in all it’s romantic historic significance. I just see it as a pile of boards and nails. No one is going to find an original copy of the “Magna Carta” or Betsy Ross’s pin cushion in there. It was a wonderful old building that MIGHT have housed some British soldiers/Sheep enthusiasts. If you read the above article, you should have noticed 2 things. It is implied, not confirmed that the “historic events” occurred. Also, to quote Mrs. Smith, the real estate broker -“It’s not a restoration, it’s a complete rebuild,”. Which in my opinion, relieves it of its historic significance.
I’m all for finding a workable solution, but I will invite anyone who wants to save this house, to: Move out of your existing home, continue to pay insurance, taxes, mortgages and utilities on said home, then find an affordable, livable year-round rental. Move into the rental(paying rent and utilities) for the next year, or maybe longer depending on what the rest of the Island wants to do, until this issue is resolved.
As an Olive Branch, I will happily provide an evening out for 2 people, dinner and drinks, at your choice of any Island establishment, to the person who comes up with a working solution that will benefit the homeowner and the community. You will receive your prize when the project has been completed and the homeowner is sufficiently satisfied with the result. Thanks for listening. Deeds not words.
Well said, Mr. Healy.
The perfect location for the Town of Chilmark Historical museum or a museum for the 3 upisland towns! Chilmark should buy this property!
has anyone bothered to ask the homeowner if she wants to restore this house, even if the money dropped out of the sky? Its her house. Its a rotten house. Let her tear it down and do what she wants with her property. Just because something is old doesnt magically bestow some mystical value to it.
Perhaps Whale (the restoration organization or someone they may know)might be interested