Iconic Newburyport Pink House Set for Demolition After Preservation Efforts Fail

NEWBURYPORT, Mass. — The Pink House, an iconic structure in Newburyport, is set to be demolished in the coming weeks after Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced that efforts to find an alternative for its preservation were unsuccessful.

Last fall, Healey initiated discussions to preserve the landmark before it could be torn down. However, on Friday, she confirmed that negotiations with the house’s owners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, did not yield a suitable solution. “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 stated.

Community advocates, including State Senator Bruce Tarr and State Representative Kristen Kassner, along with the nonprofit Support The Pink House, rallied public support to save the structure. “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,” said Sen. Minority Leader Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, “I am deeply appreciative to everyone who worked tirelessly to achieve the common goal of preserving this structure.”

Built in 1925, the Pink House stands isolated along Plum Island’s marshes, adjacent to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. In 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired the house and more than nine acres of surrounding land, including salt marsh and tidal creek habitats.

A 2014 environmental survey revealed significant health risks, finding over 3,000 square feet of asbestos within the structure. The house, purchased by the Fish and Wildlife Service in a state of disrepair, has continued to deteriorate over the years. Despite its crumbling condition, the Pink House had remained a beloved symbol and a source of inspiration for local artists.

<p“Support The Pink House did everything in our power to make this work,” said Alison Odle, President of Support The Pink House, whose mission was to restore the landmark indefinitely. “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 added.