Maura Healey

Iconic Newburyport ‘Pink House’ to be demolished

The move comes after Gov. Maura Healey failed to find an alternative solution.

The iconic Pink House on the causeway to Plum Island. The building is owned by US Fish and Wildlife, and they've announced they are tearing it down. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

By Beth Treffeisen

February 28, 2025

2 minutes to read

The beloved Newburyport ‘Pink House’ will be demolished in the coming weeks after Gov. Maura Healey failed to find an alternative to save the iconic structure.

Last fall, Gov. Maura Healey stepped in to figure out a way to preserve the landmark before it hit the demolition blocks. But, on Friday, Healey announced that a solution with the house’s owners, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, was not met.

“Though the house will be removed, we remain committed to working together to evaluate additional steps we can take to ensure that the legacy of the Pink House will endure,” Healey said in a statement.

Advocacy from State Sen. Bruce Tarr, State Rep. Kristen Kassner, the nonprofit Support The Pink House, and the community has helped bring this topic to the forefront, but to no avail to save it so far.

“While I am both frustrated and disappointed that we couldn’t find a way to save this iconic structure that is important in so many ways, I am deeply appreciative to everyone who worked tirelessly to achieve the common goal of preserving this structure,” said Sen. Minority Leader Bruce Tarr of Gloucester.

The Pink House, built in 1925, stands alone along Plum Island’s vast marshes in Newbury. It is near the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 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.

Despite its declining state, the house has remained a favorite for artists and a symbol of the region.

“Support The Pink House did everything in our power to make this work,” said Support The Pink House’s President Alison Odle.

The nonprofit’s mission is to facilitate a solution to save and restore The Pink House in place in perpetuity. But that mission will not come to pass.

“After considering even a last-ditch effort of moving the house within the vista, we join all who will be completely devastated by the imminent loss of this treasured landmark and what it could have become,” Odle said.