Plum Island’s pink house is safe—for the winter, at least
A small pink house that sits on Plum Island’s Great Marsh is unlivable, riddled with asbestos, lead paint, and radon. While some think it poses a public safety hazard, others who love the iconic landmark hope it can be saved from demolition, though its fate is uncertain, Kate Bolick wrote in a first-person piece for The New York Times.
The pink house was built in 1925 as a parting “gift’’ from a man divorcing his wife, according to the Times. She asked for an exact replica of their home, which he delivered — isolated from everything in town and without running water — out of spite.
Today, the house still stands. It was purchased in 2012 by the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, an organization that protects migratory birds, but is far less concerned with old houses, the Times reported. Still, local artists and lovers of the home have joined together, meeting with the refuge’s manager and asking for the home to be spared from demolition.
For the winter, the pink house will continue to stand, as specialists evaluate the workload necessary to preserve it, according to the Times. The house’s fate beyond that is unknown, but many hope the local landmark will be protected as an iconic piece of the community.
Read Bolick’s piece, “Plum Island’s Pink House Inspires a Real Estate Fantasy,’’ at The New York Times.
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