Generous Edgartonians help furnish Morgan Woods

By Nelson Sigelman - November 1, 2007

A number of the new tenants of Morgan Woods, Edgartown's affordable rental housing complex, were short on home furnishings. Several Edgartown renovation projects were about to begin or were already underway.

Fred "Ted" Morgan, indefatigable octogenarian and former chairman of Edgartown's affordable housing committee, saw the possibilities.

"A lot of these people moving in really didn't have anything," Mr. Morgan told The Times. "And so we went to work."

In characteristic fashion, Mr. Morgan downplayed his efforts and credited others. But it was Mr. Morgan who picked up the telephone.

He called realtor and developer Gary Conover, who recently bought the Chadwick Inn and is in the process of renovating the former Navigator Restaurant. Mr. Conover provided dishes and silverware from the Navigator and beds, lamps and dressers.

Mr. Conover also introduced Mr. Morgan to the Zollos, who recently renovated a large house and had a warehouse full of furnishings that included a load of single beds still wrapped in plastic.

But the biggest bonanza came in conjunction with the $77 million multi-year renovation of the Harbor View Hotel by new owners, Scout Real Estate Capital. This winter the hotel plans to convert 21 small hotel rooms into 13 larger luxury suites.

The hotel had furniture to sell. Mr. Morgan called and asked if the hotel had a few things it could sell or give the people at Morgan Woods.

John Murray, Harbor View director of engineering, relayed the request to hotel owner Alan Worden, Scout chief executive officer, and the management team. "He told me go ahead, give them whatever they need, and if there is anything left, have a yard sale," said Mr. Murray.

On Saturday the Harbor View laid out a treasure trove of furniture free for the taking by tenants of Morgan Woods, as well as new Habitat for Humanity homeowner Chris Rasmussen.

Mr. Murray told The Times that Saturday was memorable for 16 families and for the Harbor View. "It was a day when the Harbor View Hotel opened up 32 rooms with almost perfect furniture to the families to take what they needed for their homes."

Mr. Murray said that Mr. Morgan arrived in his red truck and filled it with furniture for Tia Macleod, who was there with her five-year-old baby. She received beds, a pullout sleep sofa, lamps, nightstands, mirrors, end tables, a microwave, artwork, drapes, and 2 armoires.

Chris Rasmussen, the mother of three children, was offered anything that the Harbor View could give her. She received kitchen cabinets, a full size refrigerator, a microwave oven, a butcher-block table, beds, a TV, and almost everything that she would need for the new house now under construction by Habitat.

"One woman had tears in her eyes," said Mr. Murray. "She gave me a big hug, and said thank you."

The Harbor View really came through," said Mr. Morgan. "They had a parking lot full of just about anything and everything. Beautiful furniture, armoires, end tables, chairs. You name it, they had it."

On Monday, Mr. Murray and a Harbor View crew went one step more. They delivered a load of furnishings to a disabled veteran who lives in Morgan Woods.

"It worked out very well and we got a lot of happy people because of it," said Mr. Morgan. "Again, it is people helping people. Teamwork."

And a few telephone calls from Mr. Morgan.