The fate of the "Pink House," a unique and long-standing landmark in Newbury, has been sealed following an unsuccessful auction that drew no bids. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which purchased the property in 2011 for $375,000, opened the auction with a starting bid of $3,000, but no buyers were willing to take on the significant challenges associated with the structure.
According to The Boston Globe, despite the initial plans to refurbish the nearly century-old house into a dormitory, concerns over asbestos and other contaminants shifted the focus towards demolition. There were, efforts by community members and organizations like Support the Pink House to preserve the structure. They argued that the house’s distinctive presence brought economic benefits by attracting visitors and artisans to the area. However, the strict criteria for potential swaps of the land and the additional costs of moving the troubled house, which comes without the land, proved to be insurmountable obstacles.
CBS News Boston reported that the legend of the Pink House, which stands at 60 Plum Island Turnpike, has been a focal point for photographers and artists, purportedly originating as a "spite house" from a divorce settlement. This backstory contributed to its local appeal, but folklore was insufficient to save it from the risks posed by environmental and health hazards. The structure, noted for its pink exterior, sits on 9 acres of marsh and tidal creek, subjected to floods and the natural elements that have compromised its integrity.
The auction's failure to draw interest was perhaps influenced by the significant costs and logistic obstacles associated with relocating the house, which rests in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. "To maintain the house in perpetuity would strain the refuge’s limited resources at the expense of wildlife conservation and other visitor needs," the agency said in a statement obtained by MassLive. With two flooding incidents occurring in 2024 alone, the refuge's decision seems to acknowledge the economic impracticality of preservation versus the priorities of ecological conservation.
The demolition plans include the removal of hazardous materials, which is slated to take place outside of nesting and migration seasons to minimize the impact on local wildlife. Despite its century-long vigil overlooking the marshlands of Newbury, the "Pink House" now faces the end of its tenure, leaving behind a legacy caught between cultural attachment and environmental practicality.
