Project Overview

THE EDWIN DEVRIES VANDERHOOP HOMESTEAD at the Gay Head Cliffs is a joint purchase of the Town of Aquinnah and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, in partnership with Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation.

Background : The Edwin Vanderhoop Homestead was built during the 1890’s, and has a long and storied history in the life of Gay Head / Aquinnah. This simple and elegant home is situated on 6.25 acres of windblown grasslands, and surveys the length of Aquinnah’s southern shoreline from the heights of its famous clay cliffs. In a cooperative venture, the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank purchased the undeveloped 5½ acre portion of the property, with the Town acquiring the Homestead structure and the ¾ acres of land beneath it at an affordable price.

Total budget : The Town’s purchase price for the Vanderhoop Homestead was $218,000. Initial estimates for the full restoration of the Homestead total are currently budgeted at $300,000, though generous offers have already been received for discounts and in-kind support. Funding for the purchase of the Homestead was drawn from the Town’s Community Preservation Act Historic Preservation Fund. Funding for restoration of the Homestead is being raised through private donations, as well as through grantwriting directed at both private and public foundations.

Context : Town purchase of the homestead completes Town ownership of the southerly portion of the Aquinnah Circle, while the Land Bank purchase of the remaining acreage completes conservation ownership of the headlands from the Aquinnah Circle to Moshup Beach. The Land Bank will utilize the Homestead as the focal point for it’s public trails, as well as the conservation management of its extensive holdings along the Gay Head Cliffs.

Building condition : A top to bottom inspection by Beacon Home inspections showed the house to be in remarkably good condition. Immediate needs identified were the repair and repainting of all trim, replacement of roofing, repointing of the chimneys, and complete sidewall reshingling. The reshingling of the upper roofs, repainting of the roof trim, and repair of the chimneys was completed in fall of 2004. The remainder of the exterior work is scheduled to take place in spring of 2005. Structurally, the house is in excellent condition with only two sills that need replacement. The building restoration will retain the Homestead as an un-insulated building to maintain its historical integrity.

Building use : The Vanderhoop Homestead will serve to bring back the old Gay Head Museum, which existed in the old Not-A-Way Inn until the early ‘60’s. Under this proposal, the Aquinnah Cultural Center (a private non-profit organization) will lease and maintain the building, as well as provide input for the building restoration. Town voters approved this proposal in November of 2003. The ACC will lease the building beginning the Summer of 2006 when restorations are scheduled for completion. The Selectmen and the Community Preservation Committee have recommended that the lease fee cover mortgage, maintenance, and utilities costs, but be maintained at a reasonable amount until the Museum is well established, as it is in everyone’s interest that the Museum succeed.

Property use : The Vanderhoop Homestead and its surrounds will serve as a place for community ceremonies and celebrations, such as weddings, community picnics, educational events, and the return of the old Gay Head museum. The land around the house will be managed by the Town of Aquinnah, and will be available for Town-sponsored and Museum-sponsored cultural events, as well as rented for weddings, theater events, concert events, etc. These rentals will make the project a sustainable cultural resource for Town residents and visitors alike. The focal point of the building exterior will be the replacement of the existing wooden deck with a stone terrace crafted from antique foundation stone, This terrace, with one of the most beautiful views in Aquinnah, will be accessible to the Community year-round.

Building restoration : The Aquinnah Community Preservation Committee (CPC), at the request of the Aquinnah Selectmen, will oversee the restoration of the Homestead. (The CPC is a nine member board made up of 6 representatives from major Town boards, as well as 3 at-large members appointed by the Selectmen.) A Building Committee has been established, currently made up of one member of the CPC, one member of the ACC, one Selectman, and two at-large members. The Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society has agreed to advise the committee on Historically Appropriate methods of restoration, and to assist in the process as needed. A dedicated account has been established by the

Town of Aquinnah exclusively to receive donations for the restoration of the Vanderhoop Homestead. This fund is managed by the Community Preservation Committee, under the supervision of the Board of Selectmen. All donations are tax deductible, and can be sent to: Vanderhoop Homestead Restoration Fund, 65 State Road, Aquinnah MA 02535.

Community fundraising : Following our first summer of fundraising for the Homestead, we have been overwhelmed by the positive support coming from the Town and Island communities. We have received private donations ranging from $10 to $15,000, as well as several foundation grants, including $2,000 from the Permanent Endowment Fund, $5,000 from the Samuel Rubin Foundation, $6,000 from the Community Preservation Fund, and $27,000 from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Along with these donation of much needed funds, we have also received generous in-kind donations of work, including brushcutting and pruning of overgrown areas of the site by Crosswater Landscape, re-painting of exterior roof trim by WampWorx, re-wiring of the entire house by Mickler Electrical, and interior deleading by the Natural Resources department of the Wampanoag Tribe. The highlight of the work soon to be done will be the replacement of the old wooden deck with an earthen terrace to be retained by some spectacular antique foundation stone purchased through a targeted donation. In the Gay Head tradition of barn-raising, we are also organizing several community work days during the month of June for projects such as the re-shingling of the building’s sidewalls, construction of a new stage in the natural amphitheater area, etc.

Community activities: During the summer of 2005, the Homestead will begin to come alive once again with cultural and fundraising activities, this time with the new terrace and amphitheater stage in place, and with construction on the exterior of the house well underway. We are currently developing our website (www.VanderhoopHomestead.org) which will list information and events related to the Homestead, and are (of course) continuing with our fundraising requests. We greatly appreciate your consideration of support for this effort, whose purpose is not only to restore one of our most significant historic buildings, or to bring back our Town’s museum, but above all, to be an example of our communities coming together and working together to maintain our history, protect our heritage, and build our future.