The Daniel Fisher House, a highly regarded historic Federal house on Main street in Edgartown, will undergo significant renovations in the coming weeks. 

 

In addition to the roof being re-shingled with thick red cedar shingles, the chimney tops will be taken down and rebuilt. New ornamental woodwork that hasn’t been seen on the building for years will be installed. The ornamental trim that ran around the eaves of the roof and dates back to the house’s origin already was removed by crane last month. 

 

The trustees of the two-year-old Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Society have begun a campaign - low-key, by mail - for funds and something besides.

 

“At the moment we are preparing a federal tax exemption application requesting tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service,” says a letter signed by trustees Paul R. Anderson and C. Stuart Avery. “In making this request we are anxious to show the Internal Revenue Service that what started out as an interest of a group of people does have public support and is likely to continue to do  so.”

 

The columns on the Dr. Daniel Fisher house in Edgartown could not be called fakes, because they certainly have done their job of holding up the portico for over 130 years. They are better called copies, for originally they were designed for the Tower of Winds built in Athens from 100 to 35 B. C., and they come highly recommended by Asher Benjamin, who was the godfather of this period of American architecture.

 

An agreement to sell Edgartown’s handsome Dr. Daniel Fisher house on Main street, built in 1840 for that great whaling era figure, has been reached between Island Properties, who president is Dr. Alvin M. Strock, its owner for the past seven years, and a newly formed nonprofit corporation, the Daniel Fisher Corporation.