An 11th-hour rescue comes to the iconic Pink House in Newbury

An anonymous donor has pledged up to $1 million to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contingent on halting plans to demolish the historic Pink House—a move scheduled for next week.

The nonprofit Support the Pink House Inc. announcement is a last-minute effort to save the iconic structure.

“This incredibly generous donation is a game changer,” said Rochelle Joseph, the president of Support The Pink House, in a statement. 

But, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, it might not be enough.

After extensive grassroots efforts failed to relocate, salvage, or negotiate a land exchange for the Pink House, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to demolish the structure by the end of the year. 

The house comes with some unique challenges. Federal law prohibits the sale of national wildlife refuge lands.

In the last eight years, the agency has taken other approaches, including searching for another property to exchange for the Pink House property. The Pink House’s land can only be exchanged with land equal to its monetary value and of higher ecological value than its acres. 

“Despite years of searching for willing landowners with properties that meet these criteria, no suitable exchange properties have been found,” the U.S. Fish and Wildlife said in a statement on Friday.

Secondly, the agency conducted a public auction of the house over the summer so that a private donor could purchase and relocate it. No bids were received.

“We appreciate this week’s offer of a $1 million donation to maintain the Pink House and are reviewing the details of the offer,” the agency said in a statement. “However, it is unclear how that donation would affect either of the two possible solutions — identification of suitable land for an exchange or identification of an organization or individual to acquire and move the Pink House.”

However, by delaying the demolition, the nonprofit hopes more opportunities will arise to trade for the property. 

The donor told the nonprofit that, “as thousands do,” he feels demolishing the iconic building would be an “unnecessary tragedy.” 

The nonprofit said remediation work, which includes disposing of hazardous materials such as lead and asbestos, as outlined in the agency’s environmental assessment plan, is nearly complete. 

The good news is that the nonprofit said that the remediation work is its first step in restoring the property.

A small portion of the donation could also be used to shore up and maintain the house and to cover any safety and security expenses as a solution is found. 

The Pink House stands alone along Plum Island’s vast marshes in Newbury, near the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It has become a beloved landmark, attracting tourists, locals, business owners, and artists visiting the site off of Plum Island Turnpike.

The nonprofit would like to see the house and land preserved in time to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2025. 

“I hope they do the right thing,” Joseph said of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife in a phone call with Boston.com. “Why not?”

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Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.

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