The historic 17th century Barn House in Chilmark, famously home to an avant-garde communal colony of Vineyard artists, writers and intellectuals, is being considered by the Massachusetts Historical Commission for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.
The old house is one of those places you drive by — nearly every day if you live up-Island and frequently if you live anywhere else on the Vineyard and come through West Tisbury on State Road. Probably you take it for granted, and that’s the way it is with the old houses and barns of the Vineyard that are so much a part of its architectural and living character and history.
The West Tisbury historic district commission agreed this week that it will not allow the demolition of the Old Parsonage house in West Tisbury.
Owners Tara and Daniel Whiting have made a preliminary request to tear down the house which dates to the 1600s and overlooks Parsonage Pond on State Road.
In a meeting on Monday members of the commission urged Ms. Whiting to withdraw her application for a certificate of hardship, intended to buttress the need to raze the house.
Tara and Daniel Whiting have withdrawn their application to the West Tisbury historic district commission to demolish the Old Parsonage house.
On Wednesday historic district commission chairman Sean Conley said his board had received an e-mail from the Whitings earlier in the week effectively ending their pursuit of a demolition permit.
“It looks like Tara is pursuing something else besides demolition, which is great,” Mr. Conley said.
The owners of the Old Parsonage house in West Tisbury have requested permission from the town historic district commission to demolish the 17th century home that sits on State Road overlooking Parsonage Pond.
The historic 17th century Barn House in Chilmark, home to an avant-garde communal colony of Vineyard artists, writers and intellectuals, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the Massachusetts Historical Commission has announced. The compound is the first location in Chilmark to be named to the national historic register, and joins other Vineyard landmarks such as the Gay Head Cliffs, the village of Edgartown, the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs and the five Island lighthouses.
