Daggett House begins journey to new location

Posted April 24, 2007 2:30pm

The historic Seth Daggett House owned by Ralph Packer Jr. and built in 1801 was moved slowly to the sea early Tuesday morning between 3 am and 5 am to avoid disrupting traffic.

Hayden Building Movers, specialists in this type of project, used large dollies to transport the house from its location on South Main Street across from the Vineyard Haven post office and through the Five Corners intersection to the end of Beach Street extension near the Black Dog Tavern and the beach.

The move kept crews from NSTAR, ComCast and Verizon busy as they temporarily removed utility and power lines so the house could pass. The house will remain where it is until a barge arrives to ferry it across to the Packer Company property on Beach Road at the end of the week. The Daggett House, home to five of seven generations of Mr. Packer’s family, will be renovated and turned into waterfront office space.