The ‘Pink House,’ a beloved local landmark in Newbury, went up for auction this week, despite efforts from residents to stop the sale.
The online auction is for the house along Plum Island Turnpike, the road that leads to the barrier island, not the land it sits on, which is owned by the federal government. The auction may represent the last hope of saving the house, built in 1925 and now in disrepair, after a protracted dispute between the federal government and a group of residents who have fought to keep the beloved landmark where it is.
“Having the house remain where it is is unfortunately untenable, and that’s why we are here right now, trying to do everything we can to have the community have one last chance to save or salvage the structure for its memory,” said Matt Hillman, manager of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
The dispute over the fate of the abandoned house goes back years. In 2011, the US Fish and Wildlife Service bought the land the house sits on to extend the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, a 4,700-acre sanctuary that includes much of Plum Island. They planned to use the Pink House, which offers a sweeping view of the landscape, as housing for staff, but decided it was not suitable when an environmental survey found asbestos in the wooden building.
The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed demolishing the house, but residents who wanted to save it formed an advocacy group called Support the Pink House and tried to find an alternative.
Complicating the matter was a federal law that prohibited the Fish and Wildlife Service from selling the land. The agency is allowed to exchange the property for land of equal and greater value, but several such deals fell apart over the years. In March 2023, the agency told Support the Pink House and other community members that they would stop searching for exchangeable properties.
“We acknowledge and understand that this is a very difficult issue,” Hillman said of the house, named for its soft pink color. “It’s a highly emotional topic for many in this community.”
Hillman said the winner of the auction would be responsible for the cost of moving the two-story, 1,514-square-foot home. Hillman said the agency does not have the staff or resources to maintain the building, which has stood empty for decades and has lead-based paint, asbestos, and mold that pose an environmental risk.
But those who want the house to continue its watch over the salt marsh say there are other solutions. The land could be declared surplus and sold to the town of Newbury, but the Fish and Wildlife Service say the land is of high ecological value and supports the refuge’s mission.
“This could have been solved,” said Rochelle Joseph, president of Support the Pink House.
While the agency presents the auction as a last-ditch measure to save the house from being destroyed, Support the Pink House remains committed to stopping a sale. They have been writing and calling elected officials, including senators Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Representative Seth Moulton, for more than a year and continue to seek their support.
The group could buy the home and have it moved, but have decided against it in hopes the house can stay put. Members say they don’t believe the Fish and Wildlife Service has the funds to demolish the home, which would cost at least $50,000, but Hillman said there is money already set aside.
If the group decides to buy the house, the minimum bid is $3,000. But moving the home would cost much more.
The group said it has a redevelopment partner who is committed to restoring the home for free, while Hillman notes that pieces of the building could be repurposed into furniture or other keepsakes if a relocation is not possible.
The auction began Wednesday and is slated to remain open for 30 to 60 days, according to the General Services Administration. The auction closing date will depending on bidding activity. With or without a successful bid, the house will be removed by year’s end, the Fish and Wildlife Service said.
While there are currently no bids on the auction website, Hillman said there have been a handful of people who have expressed interest in the home.
Jacqueline Munis can be reached at jacqueline.munis@globe.com. Follow her @MunisJacqueline.