East of Main Street, South of Crocker Ave., North of Owen Park
This map is derived from part of a December 1914 map of Vineyard Haven made by the Sanborn Map Company of New York.
Numbers and KEY added by Stan Lair, c. 1980.
KEY.
Numbered, bold quotes are from a brown looseleaf notebook titled -1914- Buildings in Vineyard Haven by Number By Stan Lair which accompanies these annotated maps.
Non-bold quotes are from the audio tape From Martha's Vineyard National Bank to Around West Chop by Stan Lair, 1979.
Bracketed notes were compiled from a variety of sources by C. Baer.
40. "Isaac Chase"
"The Joe Chase house. It's present owner is Robert Douglas."["Beachside, owned by Isaac and Joseph Chase was built in 1802 by Squire Thomas Dunham, who for many years was master of a merchantman in the foreign trade.
At one time the house was kept as a tavern; from a post swung a sign upon which the rising sun was painted. This tavern frequented mostly by sea-faring men and a store on the south side of the house was attended by his attractive daughter Sally. Squire Dunham was prominent in town affairs and held several town offices, one of which was town clerk. It is said that at one time he decided to have a clearing out and cleaning up of the accumulation of papers, and many of the old town records were destroyed.
He was a pilot also and during the war of 1812, he unwillingly climbed out of bed to pilot some English vessel over the shoals.
He married three times: the first wife was Polly Holmes, the second, Deborah Norton of Edgartown, and the third, Pauline Hodgdon of Maine, who survived him. After her death, Beachside became the property of Thomas Dunham of New York, a son by the second wife, and a prosperous ship-merchant who owned at one time more ships than any other New York merchant.
He expended $10,000 on the property and made it his summer home, At the death of his widow, it was willed to Mrs. Fish and Mrs. Lewin, her sisters, who sold it at auction; and Mrs. Joseph Chase, the granddaughter of Squire Dunham, became the purchaser." - from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Beachside, owned by Captain Robert S. Douglas. Built in 1802, by Squire Thomas Dunham. Squire Dunham was master of a merchantman in the foreign trade. He was prominent in town affairs and held several town offices. He was also a pilot, and kept here a tavern for sailors, known as the Rising Sun. The south-cast room was a store, chiefly for the sailors, kept by his daughter Sally. After the deaths of Squire Dunham's son and his widow, Beachside was sold at auction and was bought by Mrs. Joseph Chase who was the squire's granddaughter. It was the home of two more generations of Chases before Captain Douglas acquired it."- from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.]
41. "Isaac Chase Summer House"
"The Captain's House, so-called, under Mrs. Stiles Winslow for a long time, and before that it was the Isaac Chase property."["Beachside land originally extended to Main Street. The upper part is now - since 1955 - owned by Mrs. Marianna Winslow. As the Captain's House it is widely known for gracious hospitality. This house was built, about 1915, Isaac Chase, who converted it from the Beachside barn which he moved from its original site directly cast of Mrs. Swift's property. It was seriously damaged by fire in the 1930's, but restored. Many of the original timbers are still there in attics and cellars." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830.]
42. "Mrs. S. Perry Lee -- (Janet Swift)"
"A small house occupied by Donald and Janet Swift for a number of years. That house was moved to that spot by water, and then pulled up the hill by oxen, and to its present location. It came from the Indian Hill area, by the Lily Pond. And that is quite an old house. Janet told me that she and Donald at one time uncovered one of the posts there, and chalked on it was something in the 1700's. That was quite an old house.""(Dr. Silas West) ... formerly Janet Swift's Real Estate." [from Stan Lair's Reference to Sketches.]
["The house now owned by the heirs of Mrs. S. P. Lee. This house was also moved from Lamberts Cove, and its low quaintness tells its age. In 1821 it was owned by Dr. Silas West who about that time sold to Elijah Smith, then it became the property of Mrs. Sophronia Wade, his daughter, of whom we all think with deep affection and pleasant memories. Colonel S. P. Lee, a civil war veteran with a proud record, was the next owner. He made some additions but the house retains its quaint appearance and is a pleasant summer home."- from Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris.]
["Owned and occupied by Mrs. Janet Swift. This is a very old house, probably prior to 1800. It was built in Lamberts Cove and brought to Vineyard Haven in 1809, by water, dragged up from the beach by oxen. Modernized enough for today's living, the old plan nor architecture has been materially changed, although an additional bedroom has been built in recent years on the water side." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830.]
[For more information on Dr. Silas West see The Descendants of Dr. Silas West.]
63. "Jennie + Louise Strahn"
"The old Strahn house, where Jenny and Louise Strahn lived."64. "Vineyard Haven Sanitarium later Havenside Also"
"The building that was called "Havenside Also" by the Strahn sisters who ran it. Havenside is around the corner. This building was a sanitarium. It was run by Dr. Samuel T. Davis. That building was demolished and the new development there is apartments for older people, called the Romarlo Foundation I believe."65. "Dr. Charles E. Banks -- Historian -- Surgeon at U. S. Marine Hospital"
"The McQuarrie house. That would be Janet Swift's parents. They lived there for a long time, then they bought the house from Rudolphus Crocker. Then it was later owned by the Wortmans, and a few other owners there. Dr. Banks who wrote The History of Martha's Vineyard also lived at this house."66. "General George W. Goethals - Engineer Panama Canal"
"General George Goethall's house, which was later moved to West Chop.... In the spot where it was is now, or was, tennis courts, and I believe later on it was turned into a garden."67. "Havenside Hotel -- Jennie + Louise Strahn Owners"
"Havenside Hotel. That was operated by the Strahns. Mr. Strahn owned the Martha's Vineyard Herald at one time."81. "Benjamin H. Clough --- Sarah Crocker"
"The Benjamin Clough house, still in the Clough family today.""Owned by the Clough family. Built about 1810 by Captain Charles West. Originally of the familiar colonial type, it was practically made over by a later owner, Mr. Wendell Crocker, about 1870. He greatly enlarged it, raised it a full story, added bracketed eaves, 'mill work', a balcony and a veranda. The present owners are Mr. Crocker's daughter's descendants." - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 by the Tercentenary Committee.
82. "Edward C. Lord -- Marine Reporter and Ship Chandler"
"The Lothrop Merry house, occupied by Edward Lord at one time, Mrs. Charles Earl, and its present owner, Douglas Cabral, who rents rooms and calls it the Lothrop Merry house."[Edward Clifton Lord (1858 - 1934) was the son of Jeremiah R. Lord and Sarah E. Allen. His obituary states he came "to the Vineyard at the age of 20 from Manchester, Mass., his native town. At that time he entered the employ of the late Howes Norris Sr., whose place of business was at Eastville, and later became identified with the ship chandelry business which he carried on at Vineyard Haven for many years. He supplied the great fleet of coastwise vessels with all supplies and stores and owned several vessels himself. In connection with this business he was Associated Press correspondent for nearly fifty years. Always interested in public matters, he was three times elected to the board of selectmen of Tisbury, once to fill an unexpired term and twice for the full term. The gradual decline of coastwise shipping caused him to dispose of his waterfront business and for a number of years he has conducted a shoe store, where the older captains of his acquaintance visited him whenever in port." His first wife's obituary adds that "Mr. Lord later became a reporter, and for years has been connected with the port, not only as a reporter, but as port officer." His second wife's obituary calls him the "proprietor of Vineyard Shoe Store." Stan Lair recalled that he had his shoe store on the corner of Main and Church streets, and was a selectman in 1930.]
[He was listed in the 1880 Cottage City census living with Howes and Martha Norris, and was listed as a Cottage City "marine reporter in 1885. Subsequent records list him in Vineyard Haven as a "ship chandler" (1897), "grocer" (1900), "marine reporter and ship chandler" (1907), "retail merchant / ship chandlery" (1910), "ship chandler" (1915), "Associated Press reporter" (1920), and "merchant" (1934). Ed Lord's chandlery was on the shore at the end of Grove Street. After the death of his first wife Eliza, he married Emma Downs Clough (daughter of Benjamin Clough and Octavia Crocker.) For more information see The Captain's Daughters of Martha's Vineyard edited by Eliot Eldridge Macy, and The Descendants of Deborah (West) Smith.]
[Edward's first wife, Eliza Coffin Smith (1855-1924) was the daughter of boat builder and lumber dealer David Smith (1811-1878) and his wife Amanda Merry (1815-1883). David and Amanda presumably owned this home which originally belonged to Amanda's father Lothrop Merry , and later inherited by their daughter Eliza (Smith) Lord. Mrs. Howes Norris remarked, "The home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Lord...formerly stood a little north of the Gould house at the Neck. It was moved to the village on wheels and drawn by 40 yoke of oxen. Barzilla Luce had the contract and farmers from all over the Island came to assist. This house was the property of Mr. Lothrop Merry, the grandfather of Mrs. Lord, and has always remained in the family." See Sketches of Old Homes in Our Village by Mrs. Howes Norris. For more information on Ed Lord, Eliza Smith Lord, David Smith, and Amanda Merry, see The Descendants of Deborah (West) Smith.]
["Owned by Mrs. Charles M. Earle. This house was built down the neck, and was moved to the village on wheels, drawn by forty yoke of oxen. Barzilla Luce had the contract and farmers from all over the island came to assist. Porches were added, probably in the mid-nineteenth century, but there is little change inside."] - from Old Houses in Vineyard Haven 1712-1830 .
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