A parcel with a dilapidated 19th century home situated across the street from the Tisbury School may be where temporary classrooms are located, when and if a $55 million addition, renovation, and temporary relocation project is approved by voters. The home on that property was ordered razed.
Tisbury select board chair Jim Rogers told The Times negotiations with the owners of the EduComp building on State Road have stalled, and the focus is now on the West William Street property for pupil relocation. Rogers said the town requested permission to send an engineer into the EduComp Building to assess its condition, and the owners won’t allow that without an offer first. That’s something the town isn’t interested in doing, he said. He confirmed the 55 West William St. property would be leveled.
Previously that home was considered architecturally significant by former Tisbury building inspector Ken Barwick, who argued against its demolition in 2017. At that time the property was under consideration by Island Housing Trust for an affordable housing site. That never came to pass, and Tisbury acquired the property.
Tisbury Historic Commission chair Harold Chapdeliane, who also serves as the chair of the school building committee, said the commission authorized the demolition of the home previously, but only in the context of an affordable housing project. On Oct. 20, Tisbury building commissioner Ross Seavey issued a condemnation and teardown order for the house because part of the roof and some floors inside had collapsed. Seavey said a demolition date hasn’t been set, as money to pay a contractor hasn’t been appropriated yet. He expects something will appear on the annual town meeting warrant.
The price tag won’t be cheap, he surmised, because of asbestos disposal costs. Since the home was never surveyed, he said, the commonwealth will automatically designate all debris as asbestos-bearing material that will require special demolition disposal procedures. Seavey said Tisbury DPW director and facilities manager Kirk Mettel is seeking quotes, and will place a sum on the 2021 warrant. Mettel couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
My siblings and I all went to school at the Tisbury School in the mid 1950’s and on, and we used to walk to and from school, but none of us can remember anyone living in that house back then. It’s definitely time that property is demolished.
Time to “pave paradise..put up a parking lot”
Hi Gayle! The house was bought by Frank and Mary Lopes in the 1920’s or 30’s. They lived there with their 2 sons and 2 daughters. After they died their son Edwin moved back in with his wife. He was the manager at either the old First National or the A&P, maybe both. I don’t remember. Anyway, the sisters, Mary and Alveda, never married and lived in the house with Edwin and his wife. The sisters stayed in the house for many years after Edwin died. I think the sisters sold it in the 1970’s. I remember going in the house as a little girl and being fascinated with the carved wood staircase and a little sunroom that was in the front of the house. It had a red marble floor and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Keep in mind I was only 4 or 5 at the time.
I was at the new museum shortly after it opened and they had an old map of Holmes Hole. The house was on the map marked as the Capt. Smith residence. It must have some sort of historical significance. I know the house is in pretty rough shape at this point but I’d much rather see it fixed up and used for affordable housing. It would probably be cheaper than tearing it down and putting a new building there. It’s not like we have an abundance of housing in this town. And what happens to the building when the children no longer need temporary classrooms? More offices the town doesn’t need? Seems to me there won’t be a need for temporary classrooms if the children are moving off-island because their parents can’t find a place to live. You could fit 4 or more families in that house if it was renovated.