11th hour rescue arrives at Newbury’s iconic Pink House

Local news

An anonymous donor donated $1 million as a last-ditch effort to save the house from demolition.

An anonymous donor has pledged to donate up to $1 million to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the condition that plans to demolish the historic Pink House are stopped; This move is planned to be made next week.

Non-profit Support the Pink House Inc. The announcement is a last-minute effort to save the iconic structure.

“This incredibly generous donation will be a game changer,” Rochelle Joseph, president of Support The Pink House, said in a statement.

But that may not be enough, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

Afterwards comprehensive grassroots efforts After failing to relocate, save, or negotiate a land swap for the Pink House, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to demolish the structure by the end of the year.

Home comes with some unique challenges. Federal law prohibits the sale of national wildlife refuges.

Over the past eight years, the agency has taken other approaches, including seeking another property to swap for the Pink House property. The Pink House’s land can only be exchanged for land equal to its monetary value and with ecological value higher than the acreage.

“Despite years of searching for willing landowners with properties that meet these criteria, no suitable exchange property has been found,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife said in a statement Friday.

Second, the agency conducted a study. auction Renting the house for the summer so a private donor can purchase it and relocate it. No offers were received.

“We appreciate this week’s offer of a $1 million donation for the maintenance of the Pink House and are reviewing the details of the offer,” the agency said in a statement. “However, it is unclear how this donation would impact either of two possible solutions: identifying land suitable for exchange or identifying an organization or individual to purchase and move the Pink House.”

But the nonprofit hopes that by postponing demolition, more opportunities for property trading will emerge.

The donor told the nonprofit he felt it would be “an unnecessary tragedy” if the iconic building was torn down “as thousands of others have done.”

The nonprofit organization shall carry out such remediation work, which includes the removal of hazardous materials such as lead and asbestos, as specified in the agency’s instructions. environmental assessment planalmost completed.

The good news is that the remediation work is the first step in repairing the property, the nonprofit said.

If a solution is found, a small portion of the donation can also be used to support and maintain the house and cover all safety and security expenses.

The Pink House stands alone along the vast marshes of Newbury’s Plum Island, near the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It has become a beloved landmark that attracts tourists, locals, business owners and artists who visit the area off the Plum Island Turnpike.

The nonprofit organization wants the house and grounds preserved in time to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2025.

“I hope they do the right thing,” Joseph said of U.S. Fish and Wildlife in a phone interview with Boston.com. “From where?”

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Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime and business in the New England area.

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