I am a relative newcomer to Martha’s Vineyard generally and to Edgartown specifically, arriving on the Island 20 years ago and in the village 15 years ago.
I am a relative newcomer to Martha’s Vineyard gen erally and to Edgartown specifically, arriving on the Island 20 years ago and in the village 15 years ago. I say this at the outset simply as an acknowledgment that my opinions are inherently limited by my own experience.
That said, I’m deeply saddened to see Edgartown being overwhelmed by an acceleration of profit-driven development conveniently disguised in a narrative of faux historic stewardship.
I know this trap because I fell into it. Here’s how it works. You visit Edgartown and in a year, or two, or three, you fall for the place and decide you’d like to own a home here. Suddenly, the real estate industrial complex gears up and you’re not only being sold a piece of property or a historic home, but also a promise of all the things you have a “right” to do to it. You can tear down this property and double the square footage. You can lift this house and add a movie theatre. You can cut down those trees and build a pool within walking distance of the ocean. Or you can subdivide the property, sell off your side yard, and turn open space into yet another 5,000 square-foot cookie cutter creation.
And as if that’s not bad enough, increasingly what’s being built aren’t even homes because no one really lives in them. Instead, they’re short-term rental “hotels” with make-believe historic backstories. Edgartown doesn’t need architects to create faux history because Edgartown has actual history — nearly 400 years of it. And the village doesn’t need make-believe historic architecture because it’s filled with 100-year-old homes and properties rich with character whose authenticity should be protected rather than plowed under.
Recently, we have witnessed a slew of classic Vineyard homes being lifted, or shifted, or stripped, or simply disposed of. These are sold to folks like me, who frequently arrive with little appreciation for the full character of the place and whose natural sense of entitlement is fueled, rather than restrained, by the whispers of architects and others in the real estate industrial complex.
By contrast, consider the legendary Vineyard Gazette editor Henry Beetle Hough who, in 1958, having just sold the magazine rights to his latest book, used those funds not to build a pool but rather to buy 10 acres that included Sheriff’s Meadow. In so doing, he protected the meadow, the Eel Pond and John Butler’s Mudhole from development. That’s stewardship.
This recent push of unbridled development, often for vanity or profit, reminds me of a story about Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller. They were together at a party on Shelter Island given by a billionaire hedge fund manager, and Vonnegut needled Heller, observing that their host made more money in a single day than Heller earned from his classic novel Catch-22 over its entire history.
Heller responded, “That may be true, but I have something he will never have.”
“What’s that?” asked Vonnegut.
“Enough,” Heller responded.
What we need today in Edgartown is real estate agents, architects, builders, town leaders and homeowners willing to follow in the footsteps of Henry Beetle Hough and Joseph Heller. People willing to draw a line against profit-fueled development. People willing to be stewards of the true character of historic Edgartown and historic Martha’s Vineyard. People who see the power of communal responsibility and recognize that sometimes in life . . . less is more.
Christopher Celeste lives in Edgartown. He is the co-owner of Rosewater Market and Dairy Queen, and was involved in the recent restoration of the Yellow House in partnership with the town of Edgartown.
Comments
Ironic that the letter writer
Marty MVIronic that the letter writer was involved in the “restoration” changes made to the Yellow House at the very center of Edgartown. Sounds like a case of ‘I have mine, now let’s say enough” I don’t see the letter writer striving to undo the massive changes to the Yellow House. Perhaps he should first put his money where his mouth is, or accept that Edgartown has sold out any historic integrity years ago. It is a Disney World imagining of an old whaling town, pretty much nothing remains of the actual old town. It is plain to see.
Thanks for the comment Marty.
Christopher Celeste EdgartownThanks for the comment Marty. And yes, guilty as charged. The very point of my piece is to acknowledge that there are things I've done which I regret. That said, my involvement in the Yellow House is not one of them. I'm proud to have responded to the Town's request for help in taking a beautiful old structure that had been left to rot, and working with a talented team to breathe new life into it - including the creation of three year-round apartments, and an engaged year-round retail partner. To be clear, I'm not opposed to development or progress, I just think when its primary aim is profit or vanity perhaps we've lost touch with some fundamental values - and a sense of balance. I'm definitely calling myself out in this piece.
I love that you put in year
Marty MVI love that you put in year round apartments. Thank you for that. I have no objection to the Lululemon store either. It seems like it fits in with the folks who visit in summer and weekends. I am however appalled at the aesthetic eyesore that is the horribly proportioned hanging pediment over the door on Main Street. It calls to mind the high end strip mall "architecture" seldom seen in historic downtown areas. If that is your vision of progress and you have the long term leasehold, it is your privilege to build it, historically appropriate or not. It is too bad about the charming and tiny retail store tucked in on the side street. While once it was an authentic older shed, it is now another bizarre imagining of a building with no reference to the location that I can see.
Bravo Mr.Celeste. To hear
Amy Upton West TisburyBravo Mr.Celeste. To hear this from the so called horses mouth is the only possibility that people will listen. Thanks for speaking up. Some of us are listening and appreciate your efforts.
Thank you, to The Gazette for
Lucy Dahl EdgartownThank you, to The Gazette for publishing Christopher Celeste's humble and accurate explanation of the horrendous problem we are facing here in Edgartown.
My mother bought our house on South Water Street over 40 years ago. The island was simple then. Shoes did not exist in our daily life. The Chappy Ferry only ran two boats during the peak afternoon hours, to avoid any line forming.
The Scrimshaw Gallery, Sundog, The Post Office, Edgartown Deli & The Hardware Store were all part of Main Street.
Remember spending the day at the Gay Head Cliffs, baking our bodies in the clay?
Remember dancing at the Hot Tin Roof?
The sweat lodges in West Tisbury?
Then, sprinkled throughout the outskirts of Edgartown, were little dumpy houses where all my friends lived...
The Skidmore House, The Yale house, Harvard, Brown, and Middlebury, Boston College, Boston University, Suffolk. Houses, all filled with happy, energetic college kids who came to work from May to September as painters, waiters, deckhands and shopkeepers.
Remember The Fireman's Ball?
Bonfires on South Beach and who needed a car? Not us! We hitchhiked everywhere. Everyone did.
All is gone...
Shoes are mandatory everywhere, beach bonfires are banned, there are no more college kids waiting tables, painting houses, no more happy hour at The Colonial, No more Scrimshaw Gallery, no more salty fishermen and The Old Boys of Edgartown outside Dock Street Coffee Shop at 6am, smoking pipes and talking about things that made them laugh.
Where did they go?
I think I know.
The instigator of the fall of Edgartown, as we knew it, was the influx of people who came to build their investment portfolios. They bought up the ramshackle college houses, knocked them down and built big rental properties for people who didn't care about us, just themselves and their public persona. They built a club just for themselves, The Field Club - become a member form$250,000. And they did.
They drove out the very people who made this town and our island the reason they came here in the first place.
They hired cheap labor, running out generations of islanders, who could no longer afford to live here.
And now...
Well now, please reread Christopher Celeste's beautiful interpretation.
Celeste means, "clarity of the entire ecosphere, fed from the heavens".
Thank you Christopher for having the courage to speak out.
Lucy Dahl
Yes!!! 40 some years ago I
Libby EdgartownYes!!! 40 some years ago I was a salty little kid getting onto the chappy ferry in my swimsuit. Later on, a hitchhiking teen! I miss what life was like in town. I suppose life is all about change, but change is often not for the best. Sometimes I think I’ll move our headquarters elsewhere, but mostly I just cling to memories and feel gratitude for others who are careful about the stewardship of this precious town.
I enjoyed reading this!
Elizabeth Bradley EdgartownI enjoyed reading this!
ummmm... didn't YOU buy a
Abigail R Edgummmm... didn't YOU buy a property in edg, subdivide it and then sell it to an LLC developer for twice the price you bought it?
your words
"What we need today in Edgartown is... people willing to draw a line against profit-fueled development. People willing to be stewards of the true character of historic Edgartown and historic Martha’s Vineyard. People who see the power of communal responsibility and recognize that sometimes in life . . . less is more."
Thank you for the comment
Christopher Celeste EdgartownThank you for the comment Abigail. Yes, you are correct - my family bought a property at 87 West Tisbury Rd with a small white cottage on it. Originally it was home to our daughter - she was married in that cottage and brought our first grandchild home there. Eventually, it became clear her longtime home would be elsewhere. At that point, we sub-divided the property into three lots and spent time working with the Island Housing Trust trying to develop a plan for affordable housing. When that fell through we sold the property to the owner of the Harbor View who committed to using it for staff housing. We never knocked that little cottage down to replace it (which is exactly what happened to a house directly across the street). Again, I don't claim to have gotten every move right - in fact, the point of my piece is to first call myself out. I'm just saying we've hit a tipping point and need to all look in the mirror - myself included.
Here's the truth, written
Jamie Alley NorwoodHere's the truth, written down and printed for all to see. The sense of heritage for families who have lived and worked on the island for generations is being destroyed, along with big money eliminating just about any hope of finding an affordable home. The faux architecture is turning the island into a suburb of nowhere in particular, destroying the historic feel that creates character here that is uniquely ours. I've often joked that there was a time you could "afford" to live "poor" here, but now I see that it is really about how less can be enough.
I do not often agree with
Bob EdgartownI do not often agree with Christopher since he came here and so happy he is coming around to old island thinking. A nice timely article and pray it does get some to stop and think. Greed is another word that could be used by the new wave of people. Let’s hope we all have enough now.
Deep gratitude to you for
Susan Desmarais Oak BluffsDeep gratitude to you for learning, realizing then voicing your journey. We desperately more people like you and I submit this article should become the guiding light for the entire island.
Agreed!
Caroline Reily MetairieAgreed!
Thank you so much, Chris, for
Sylvia Courtney EdgartownThank you so much, Chris, for writing this letter to the Gazette. You have been a great steward of our town. Like you, we are relative newcomers (23 years) to Edgartown. This winter we have received calls offering to buy our home in the Village and we are pretty sure it is from a company interested in hoteling the house. One of the great gifts of living in a small town is the sense of community from knowing your neighbors and that alone is something we must fight for.
Chris
Steve Berger EdgartownChris
I could not agree more.
Thanks for putting pen to paper,
Steve
The notion that these huge
Rational Person Oak BluffsThe notion that these huge homes built over a century ago along North and South Water streets were built by "sea captains" after their long voyages seeking whales has got to go. These "historic" homes were mostly built as summer homes for factory owners and others who were who were being made fabulously rich during the Industrial Revolution. "This recent push of unbridled development, often for vanity or profit" has been happening in downtown Edgartown since the late 1800's. The main difference we now have zoning laws, the Historic Commission and the MVC. None of this development is happening outside the zoning agreed to by Edgartown residents at town meetings over the last 4 or 5 decades. Edgartown residents have decided that this type of development is acceptable.
Hello Rational Person. Thanks
Christopher Celeste EdgartownHello Rational Person. Thanks for the comment, and I couldn't agree more. I'm not saying this hasn't happened before or that anyone is "breaking the rules" just that we seem to be crossing some new lines that require reflection. In fact, I'd argue that perhaps all of us, including those with a financial interest in unbridled growth (ie me), should revisit both the legal guardrails (zoning, historic standards, planning guidelines) and our own moral compass to determine whether perhaps we want a different trajectory for our communities.
Everyone who comes to the
Brett West TisburyEveryone who comes to the Vineyard, whether it was last summer, in the late '60s, or earlier, all share one thing in common - they want to preserve the Vineyard that they experienced and fell in love with upon their very first visit, and thus defines "their Vineyard". For me, it was as a child in the late '70s spending time with family and friends in this laidback island outpost. Golden memories were made, and the environment shaped my being. Admittedly, that's the vibe I'm always striving to get back to. Guess what folks, it takes money. It's not the responsibility of architects, real estate agents, or anyone else in the "real estate industrial complex". It is the responsibility of folks who love the Vineyard, and want to preserve the island they found and fell in love with, to step up with their money and preserve it. History has proven, across the globe, there's no other way to do it. Money wins. So, next time you're walking by an old Whaling Captain's house in Edgartown village which has been beautifully rebuilt to historical authenticity, and gives you that cool feeling of transporting to a bygone era, simply thank them. Put a note in their mailbox, and thank them for stepping up with their money and investing in that preservation. Look out across Vineyard Haven harbor at all the gorgeous classic wooden sailboats that dot the mooring field and make it an incredibly special piece of this world. Thank those boat owners who invest ridiculous amounts of money to preserve those boats to aesthetic beauty. Engage these folks, tell them you appreciate what they've done, thank them for putting THEIR money where YOUR mouth is. You might learn something. I assure you, these aren't the folks writing opinion pieces for this newspaper, complaining about new money ruining their island. They're spending their time working to make money to invest in preserving what they love, and what many folks love. Unfortunately there's a limited amount of people who are willing to invest in it. You can't regulate wealthy people into submission of your vision. You need to invest in your vision.
Nice article! I had the
gabe b west tisburyNice article! I had the pleasure of working for you on your first house 107 then a few years later on 111, don't be too hard on yourself, times are definitely different then they are now, the island had more resources available then, construction seemed like a never ending gift we would never run out, plus almost everyone working here had a pretty easy time of finding a place to rent/live so there wasn't quite the housing crunch there is now by any means
Edgartown has become a
grayson pelletier EdgartownEdgartown has become a caricature of it self.
Thank you, Chris and Lucy.
Kara ConnorsThank you, Chris and Lucy. Deep appreciation for your capturing the reality of what is taking place in Edgartown and for taking us back in time to what summer was all about on this special island. History matters. We can do better!
FYI It's a loosing battle as
Anonymous Islander EdgartownFYI It's a loosing battle as the motto of the The Edgartown Planning Board is “Maximum Taxable Square Footage.”
While this does seem like a
Amy EdgartownWhile this does seem like a classic, "err now, ask forgiveness later" move on your part Mr Celeste, I do applaud your stepping forward to engage in this dialogue. It's still unclear how a "chain" retail store was allowed at the old site of the yellow house. Also, encouraging to hear that the 2nd story there is slated for "year round rentals". Tricky wording though..I live downtown, year round, walk by there frequently and very rarely see lights on up there...will be curious to see the foot traffic changing there for the summer weeks/ months. Year round lease and year round rental are vastly different things. I do hold hope for real change though, perhaps someone like yourself, using your time and knowledge to help guide this town forward will make a difference. Someone surely needs to stand up to the plague that is largely responsible for the devastation of Edgartown character, namely nepotism.
Edgartown, and the Vineyard,
Jim EdgartownEdgartown, and the Vineyard, have gone. The people who made it interesting to live here can no longer afford it, and those that want to live next to those people have driven up the real estate prices. There will always be a coterie of builders and real estate developers to help make this happen. It's the natural way of things. No sense in complaining about it, or getting nostalgic. Move where the people that made Edgartown, and the Vineyard, interesting, are moving.
I take a completely different
Mark Acker VHI take a completely different view. There is nothing better for the Island than seasonal dwellings. These buildings contribute high taxes that us Islanders all benefit from, and they do not use our services or schools. I think the most dangerous development is affordable housing. They over populate the Island and draw heavily on our resources and schools, and greatly increase our taxes. But yes, it does help with finding a trades person for work. But that can be solved by increased ferry boat traffic bringing workers over.
Wow! What a sad, accurate
Ken Rusczyk OBWow! What a sad, accurate comment on how the island, not just Edgartown, has sold out, killed the goose and we now all get to witness the gold rush firsthand while private jets bring more prospectors with pens....not picks.Enough?....Never!
And thanks to the Gazette for printing Christopher's thoughts.
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