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Supporters gather at vigil to say goodbye to the Pink House
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will demolish the iconic Newbury house in the coming weeks.
As the sun set on the horizon, the wind was biting, and the temperature was falling, but supporters donning pink hats were still gathering outside to say one final goodbye.
The moment — captured by Rochelle Joseph, a member of the board of Support The Pink House, in a Facebook live post — depicted people capturing their last photographs of the house and cars going by honking in support.
“The outpouring of grief has been so profound that we felt like we needed to do something to bring people together,” Joseph said in the video.
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After many efforts to save the iconic Pink House failed, including the governor’s intervention, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will demolish the structure in the coming weeks.
The Pink House, built in 1925, stands alone along Plum Island’s vast marshes. It is near the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, which U.S. Fish and Wildlife manages.
In 2011, the federal agency purchased the Pink House and more than nine acres of upland, salt marsh, and tidal creek habitat. A 2014 environmental survey found that the building contained over 3,000 square feet of asbestos, a severe human health risk. The house, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bought in disrepair, continued deteriorating.
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Despite its declining state, the house has remained a favorite for artists and a symbol of the region.
After the news came out of the house’s fate, the nonprofit Support The Pink House hosted the vigil on Sunday, allowing community members to say their final goodbyes.
They held the gathering across the street at Bob Lobster’s, and a few people crossed the street at a time to take their final pictures and videos and view the house.
People took to social media to post pictures and express their sadness that this house will no longer be a part of their everyday lives.
“I’m glad I got to stop by (one) more time,” wrote one person on Facebook on the Save the Pink House Discussion Group. “I remember being a child 30 years ago and admiring this house from the backseat of my family’s car.”
Another said he looked forward to seeing the house daily on his commute.
“To me there was always something so comforting after a long day of work coming and driving by it at sunset,” he wrote.
A driver said she took a video documenting the experience, “so my boys can show their future children what it was like to drive past her on the way to the beach. Goodbye, old friend.”
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