SPRING/SUMMER NEWS

JULY 2024

photo © EJH 2024

IN THIS ISSUE

Leander Gould House Interview ~ Summer Reading ~ Monomoy and Half House

The Fundamentals Still Apply ~ Remembering Don Aikman

FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to the summer issue, which is filled to capacity thanks to our generous contributors and special guests! We have so much for you to read and savor - a chat about preservation challenges and opportunities presented in the recent, award-winning Leander Gould House project, a peek into John Whelan's peerless Chatham "library", Liz Stryjewski's recent research on Monomoy and Old Village characters, a memoir and invitation from Carol Pacun, as well as words in honor of Don Aikman, an understated champion of the Old Village, whose contributions can hardly be overstated. Joan Horrocks' photographs eloquently convey the plain-spoken elegance and charm of our historic architectural setting.

Best wishes for a wonderful Old Village summer,

Jennifer Longworth

newsletter@oldvillagechatham.org

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Greetings Villagers,

We are looking forward to a wonderfully busy summer, and have effected some improvements in our neighborhood. The Eldredge Garage has been replaced by a new building featuring bathrooms, EV chargers, a small visitors center, and plenty of parking. Residents with dump/beach stickers are entitled to free parking. Other improvements include a new crosswalk at Main Street and School Street as well as a much needed “Do Not Enter" sign at School Street and Hallett Lane. Please contact us if you have further suggestions to improve neighborhood safety.

We will return to the Avis Chase Porches for “Wine, Cheese, and Conversation” on July 23rd. Lisa Edge has generously offered to host a second social on August 20th on her beautiful lawn on Andrew Harding Lane. We encourage you to join your old and new neighbors for these convivial gatherings.

Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for August 12th at the Chatham Beach and Tennis Club at 5:00pm. At 5:30 Fred Ecker will speak about the mission of Protect Our Past and present their short film Life Rings. The business meeting will follow his presentation.

We hope to see you in Chatham soon and wish you a wonderful summer season.

Warmly,

Winnie Lear, President

directors@oldvillagechatham.org

The Leander Gould House Rises Again:

A conversation with owner and builder

~ Jennifer Longworth

The Leander Gould House, at the corner of School and Water Streets, was recognized this spring with a Chatham Preservation Award. The home was purchased in 2019 by Lisa and Tom Leahy, who oversaw a dramatic restoration effort enabled by Tim Smith of Minglewood Homes, Inc. and Zibrat & McCarthy LLC architects. We had the opportunity to talk with Tim Smith and Lisa Leahy about the experience. Photos courtesy of Minglewood Homes and the Leahys, except where noted.

How did you become interested in preservation?

TS - I started in preservation when I was in high school, working on the Ivy Cottage in the Old Village.



LL - Well, I suppose it’s a love of history, and of old things in general. When we started looking around in the Old Village, we learned very quickly that the houses available at the time all needed extensive renovations. A big part of the reason we chose our house is because I have a fascination with the history of Chatham, and I’d learned a bit about the history of the Avis Chase cottages. Their connection to Philadelphia, where we’re from, was a draw, and the way they are used for women from Philadelphia was also something that appealed to us. In fact, we built the guest house on our property, which we call The Barn, to be used similarly to the way the Chase cottages are used, for friends and family who could use a vacation and a soft place to land for a bit. So I’d say it was the particular history and location of the house on 57 Water St. that made us more interested in preservation. 

We were grateful to meet Tim Smith, of Minglewood Homes, who was on the Historic Committee at the time. We knew right away he would know how to do the restoration in a way that would honor the past of the home and work with the Historic Committee.

What year was the house built, and do you know anything about its original owner?

LL - The house was built by Captain Leander Gould in 1834 and remained in the Gould family for almost 100 years. Leander married Hannah Phillips and they had 6 children, one of whom was Mary Augusta, the mother of Avis Chase. Leander and Hannah's son Josiah was a well-known sea captain who skippered many schooners in coastal trade between ports in New York, Connecticut and Chatham. Josiah married Mary Bassett in 1865 and they had a daughter, Hattie. When Leander died in 1893 Josiah inherited the house. Josiah passed in 1928 and left the house to Hattie. In 1938 Hattie sold the house to C. Law and Marie Watkins. In 1963 Marie Watkins gave the property by quitclaim to her daughters Gladys Watkins Giese and Elizabeth L. Watkins. Tom and I purchased the home from the Watkins Giese trust.

The original kitchen and mudroom had to be cut off from the part of the house that was being lifted. There was already a foundation under that area.

The rotting subfloor discovered when the house was lifted.

Was it solely a home or was there a business on site? 

LL - As far as I know it was only ever a summer home. There was no insulation in the walls and the furnace was in the living room and only heated that room. 

What shape was the property in when you took it on? 

LL - The house was in tough shape, to put it mildly. It had belonged to a sibling group and used as a rental income property for many years. Tim told us once that it was about a year from being condemned. 

Can you tell us a bit about what the project scope involved? 

LL - The first thing that needed to be done was to lift the house and put a basement foundation under it. When the house was lifted, we learned that the downstairs floorboards were rotted, and that someone could have fallen through at any moment! Once the foundation was there, the house got a new roof, windows, clapboard and shingles. Tim made the house tight to the weather so that it looked decent on the outside for the neighbors while the work began on the inside. We tried to keep most of the rooms in their original places, but made a few changes and added some bathrooms. The house got new electrical, new plumbing and insulation was sprayed in. Once the drywall was up, the fun part of choosing finishes and decorating began. We are really grateful to Jen Runnels from Minglewood for helping us with all of that.

There's substantial evidence and recognition that preserving and adapting old structures is an efficient way to use and conserve resources. Were there aspects of the project, “green” or otherwise, that stand out for you as being especially successful in this regard? 

TS – The house was originally built very well, and old growth wood is better and longer lasting than new growth wood. The insulation is green – foam insulation increases energy efficiency, along with the new heating system and heat pumps. They could put solar in later if they want. We’ve brought the house up to energy-efficiency.

What were some of the biggest challenges? 

TS – Covid set in on us! The flooring system was completely compromised with powder post beetles, termites and dry rot. This meant we had to move the house up from the second floor.

LL - One of the biggest challenges was lifting the house. For us it felt like a spectacle on the corner of School and Water Streets and we couldn’t wait for the house to be back down on its foundation! And we hated inconveniencing our neighbors with the noise of the construction at times. Another challenge for Tom and I was not being able to be present in Chatham as much as we wanted to for the renovation. We were caring for our elderly parents and just couldn’t leave them to be in Chatham at the time the construction was happening. Tom’s dad has since passed.

A luggage tag attached to an old trunk left by the previous owners in the attic. It says, “Josiah A. Gould, Chatham via Boston.” 

A small second floor bedroom fireplace. It was unusable, but lovely to imagine it’s warmth and comfort in the 1800’s in an uninsulated house.

Old wall paper found under the drywall in the mudroom. It may have been used as

decorative insulation.

What were some of the highlights? 

TS - Just seeing how it was built, it was nice to see the way it was done. I think it may have been a kind of kit home.

LL - I suppose every phase had something to celebrate. A firm foundation, insulation, central heating and air, airtight windows, a good solid roof. Pretty landscaping, seeing the kitchen we designed come together. I think the best part is knowing that the house looks as it should, and is solid and will hopefully last another few hundred years.

Were there any non-negotiables for you?

LL - Probably the biggest non-negotiable for us was not wanting to make the inside of the house look like a modern beach house. We wanted the inside to match the outside and have a more traditional feel. That wasn’t easy because there wasn’t much on the inside that we were able to save. There were three crumbling fireplaces that had to go, but we were able to keep some ceiling beams exposed in one of the bedrooms. So we tried to create a more traditional feel with older wood furniture and antiques. 



What tools/systems did you use to assess viability? 

TS – Gauging the work through many years of doing it – you know what to look for. The big trick is to find what is wrong with the undercarriage – trim up top that’s sagging is a clue that something’s going on underneath. Someone did try to take a look in the crawlspace before the purchase, though it was hard to see much until we lifted the house.

Did you discover anything surprising during your work?

LL - I was hoping for some treasures to be found in the walls or in digging the foundation but there really wasn’t much. We did find two very old steamer trunks in the attic. One had a tag on it written in a beautiful script that said: Josiah A Gould, Chatham via Boston, Mass. The trunks were not salvageable, but I did frame the tag. We also found a few samples of some wallpaper that had been hung on the walls underneath the old drywall. I saved some swatches.

The late Mark Zibrat was a noted local preservation architect, and the architect for this project. How did you collaborate to arrive at the best preservation solutions? Are there particular elements of the project that embody his sensibilities and legacy?

TS - Mark was excellent at preservation. He could see an old house and how it looked and how to make it work for the client, and put it in the context of the Old Village.

LL - We only met Mark once, when he came to the house with Tim. He was very warm and kind, and extremely knowledgeable. He gave us about eight different drawings to start and that felt overwhelming!  Once we narrowed in on keeping the place a bit more traditional, he seemed to quickly understand what we wanted to do, and he engaged a lot with Tom about what that should look like. We really appreciated Mark’s patience and professionalism.

Is the house better functioning for you thanks to this restoration?

TS - It was an unheated, uninsulated house when they bought it. Now they can live it in the wintertime!

LL - I chuckle at this question because I remember the first time we walked through the back door after settling on the house. It was a cold April evening, dark and raining and we’d just pulled in from a long drive from Philly. I unlocked the door and pulled it to open it and it came right off the hinges and almost fell on top of me. We had several space heaters set up in addition to the furnace in the living room. When I turned on my hair blower it blew a fuse. We had inherited summer renters from the previous owner, and we'd come to fix the place up for them for the summer. I went to wash a dirty window and the pane just fell right out because the wood around the window was so rotted. The house had been overrun with rodents all winter and when I opened drawers there was mouse urine and droppings on everything in the drawers, and there was mildew on the sheer curtains.

So yes! The house is better functioning now, thanks to a foundation that keeps critters out, central heat and air, good insulation, updated electrical and plumbing and all the rest. It’s now a year round home and about as solid as a home can be. We are very thankful to have gotten the chance to restore 57 Water St. and to bring it back to some of its former glory, knowing that it will stand another 100 years and maybe more.

The Old Village Historic District acts as an accessible, open air museum – its properties include a variety of architectural styles dating back to the 1700s. Your house has always been a standout in the community, and post-restoration I think people would be hard pressed to identify the “new parts”.  What reactions to the completed restoration have you come across from neighbors and visitors to the Old Village?

TS - Everybody likes that we kept the character of the way it originally was – we kept additions, wings and bump outs. This house involved a lot less structural change than others in the Old Village. Don Aikman made sure we kept dentils and gingerbread elements which add so much to the overall effect. 

LL - We did feel a weight of responsibility in choosing to restore such a visible home in the heart of the Old Village.  Most people have been very gracious and complimentary about the work that was done. When we sit on the front porch reading or chatting, neighbors or visitors walking by often comment on how beautiful the house looks now. We’ve met some lovely people that way. I know some of our neighbors who are committed to preserving the Old Village watched the work that was being done very closely. I think they are satisfied. 

Why do you think it’s important to protect homes like this for future generations?

TS - In protecting these homes, we preserve history and the charm of the neighborhood. A square box would never fit. Every person does their job and makes it better for others.

LL - The history and character of Chatham and the Cape is captured in older homes like the ones in our Old Village, and they point us to a much longer progression of history and life. They show us how people lived and worked. Tom and I love that sense of connection. I fell in love with Chatham because of its

Tim Smith of Minglewood Homes at the Leander Gould house. photo © EJH 2024

history, and when I walk around the Mill Pond or through the streets of the Old Village, that sense of connection to the past way of life is very vivid because the homes and the streets still look very similar to what they were in the 1700 and 1800’s. And I think when you feel very connected to history and your sense of place, you also feel protective of it. At least that’s how it is for us, and we’re just a pair of washashores.

Summer Reading

~ John Whelan

Recently, I was looking through my collection of books about Chatham and Cape Cod and wondered how many of these of my friends and neighbors were familiar with. So my intent is to point out some of the best books you might choose to read. I’ve always believed that a knowledge of the history of a place makes living there more enjoyable. For long-term Village residents, this list may not contain any surprises. For newcomers, perhaps a book or two from my list will help you learn a bit more about Chatham. 

My first choice is a terrific book written in 1988 by Joshua Atkins Nickerson, 2nd. Josh Nickerson was the principal owner of Nickerson Lumber, Chatham’s lumberyard for many years. He grew up in Chatham and his book “Days to Remember” (Chatham pub, 1988) was made up of a series of essays he wrote to pass down his experiences to his grandson, Peter. Josh was born in 1901 and during his lifetime experienced tremendous changes in Chatham and the world. He was a good storyteller in print and in person. I tried to sit and talk with him about Chatham whenever there was a chance. He had known my grandparents and recognized that I was interested in Chatham history. I remember those conversations and how much I enjoyed learning from Josh. 

My second choice is somewhat different: the six booklets of old homes published by the Research Committee of the Chatham Historical Society. These were written about 60 years ago, and listed historic homes and pertinent information, and I believe they are archived at the Atwood House. Many of the old homes are named after the original residents and a good number are in the Old Village. Information about the old homes has always fascinated me, and I feel it is important that we preserve that history and the old homes.

Next choice: The Old Village … Step by Step (Old Village Association Inc). Carol Pacun created a walking tour of the Old Village, and this small book takes a visitor through the Old Village or “Scrabbletown” as it was sometimes called. You will enjoy the walk and learn so much about our beloved village.

Arcadia Publishing has published a number of small books about Cape Cod and Chatham is the subject of quite a few. Chatham and Chatham Through Time (America Through Time, 2017) by Janet M. Daly have a lot of history and some great old photographs. If you like old postcards, I suggest Chatham -The Postcard History (Arcadia Publishing, 1999) by Robert M. Zaremba and Danielle R. Jeanloz. The postcards are fun, and you’ll see what Chatham looked like in the past.

The following two books are by Cape Cod author Debra Lawless, a fine writer. Chatham in the Jazz Age and Chatham…From the Second World War to the Age of Aquarius (The History Press, 2009 and 2010) are easy reads. Maybe you will find they are good beach books. There are so many more, ranging from the novels of Joseph Lincoln to small pamphlets about specific subjects. I’ve made a hobby of collecting Chatham and Cape Cod books and material. I counted my books on Chatham and the total is just about 100. A casual reader certainly doesn’t have to read even a fraction of them. 

My final suggestion is quite different. Robert Lewis Taylor wrote a novel based in Chatham in 1954. The Bright Sands (Doubleday, 1954) is dated and a bit quirky, but I found it enjoyable to read. Copies are available at the Eldredge Public Library. Summer is upon us, and I hope you enjoy reading about Chatham. The town is wonderful, and a little light reading can expose you to so much Chatham history.

Inquire at Yellow Umbrella Books about these books and they’ll be glad to help you!

Monomoy Story

~ text and photographs by Elizabeth Stryjewski

Monomoy is now a haven for wildlife with terns nesting, oyster catchers combing the

sand, and seals basking in the sun on its protected shores. But once it harbored the

human variety of wildlife, the type of creature that looked for a refuge far from its

cohorts, where they could live their lives unfettered by societal pressures. About halfway down the island was a small community of people who enjoyed Monomoy’s stillness and beauty. They built camps out of whatever they could find on the beach, wood from ships that had foundered in a nor'easter ten or maybe even one hundred years earlier. Perhaps a flight of stairs or planks from decking or even an old outhouse made its way to Monomoy and those stalwart creatures that lived there would bring their finds back to their camps and add a bunkhouse or a porch. In his book Cape Cod Lucky Dana Eldridge describes the time he spent on his beloved Monomoy as well as some of the characters that lived nearby. One eighty five year old neighbor, “Daisy”, knocked on the Eldridge’s door one afternoon wanting to borrow a ladder. Some of the shingles on her roof needed fixing. Seventeen year old Dana offered to take care of the situation, but “No!” Daisy proclaimed. A seventeen-year-old boy could get hurt on that roof! Better she take care of it herself.

During the 1920s and 1930s Willie Gould had a camp on Monomoy to which he regularly took summer day trippers and autumn duck hunters in his boat, Red Wing. Later, he shared interest in this camp with Daniel C. Harding, a man a much “a tart” as Willie himself. As time went on, scheduling conflicts arose and arguments ensued. The more the argument, the more they balked until they were so consumed with argument they forgot all they were about down at the camp.

Finally one day Willie, in a fit of rage, chalked a line up one side of the camp, over the roof and down the other, and set to chopping the camp in two. Dan Harding “flaked” (disassembled) his half and brought it back to the mainland. He set it up on his hillside overlooking the Mill Pond just south of the great sweep of land down from The Porches. For years he used it as a shanty. He seeded the Mill Pond bottom just below with quahogs and harvested considerable from this productive spot … Dan Harding’s half shanty, now a small cottage, still stands where he re-erected it. Willie’s half, left on Monomoy, was claimed by the sea.

The Half House is visible from Mill Pond, standing as a testament to the Cape Cod characters that once thrived on Monomoy.

The Fundamentals Still Apply

~ Carol Pacun

My first visit to the Old Village was during World War II when my mother's best friend drove us from Woods Hole to Chatham. The only clear memory I have of that trip was how it felt to sit on a rock near the lighthouse and gaze out at what had to be the most beautiful view I had ever seen. Decades later, when my husband asked if I'd like to spend our vacation in Chatham, guess my response!

Somehow, we found a tiny but almost perfect rental at the Mill Pond Boatyard off Eliphamets Lane. We were greeted with smiles as we strolled through the neighborhood with its lovely old houses, glimpses of the ocean and finally Andrew Hardings Lane beach where our small children could safely splash about. Later, as we settled in for that first night an unknown visitor knocked on our door and asked my husband to help him unload a truck load of sailboats which had just arrived. A surprising request, but Norm gladly went out into the night. This event seemed to be yet another proof that the Old Village was more than a tourist playground but a true neighborhood where people with very different backgrounds - old timers, retirees, fishermen, businessmen and academics - cared about one another and welcomed newcomers, even washashores who needed a lot of help with basic skills like operating a tiny boat and fishing for oysters.

After several summers (I don't think we missed any), we finally retired and moved full time into our Old Village home. Perhaps ironically, during the years that followed, Chatham seemed to gain in popularity as a tourist spot with a real estate boom, sometimes resulting in the demolition of Old Village historic properties. Helping control some of these changes was not exactly hauling boats at midnight, but it did require neighborhood support. Thankfully, Old Village homeowners who had helped one another for years and to be honest, tolerated multiple minor historic disagreements, knew how to get together to do the right thing. First, neighbors created an Old Village Association with a clear goal: protect their very special neighborhood while encouraging all interested Old Village residents to play a part, even if they had moved away decades ago. From the start, we who had volunteered to help had our hands full. The effort to solve the problems of overdevelopment brought about drastic government solutions (some even from Boston) involving widening streets, cutting down trees and reducing front yards to narrow strips of sand. We rejected all these, which left very few choices.

The Association voted to join in with the Chatham Historical Commission to apply for Old Village membership on the National Register District of Historic Places which featured review powers for historic structures. Sensible idea but not easy! The requirements were long and difficult, requiring hours of work and debate. Finally the application was complete. The 2001 final vote of all Old Village homeowners to limit inappropriate changes to historic homes was overwhelmingly positive - and is still in effect today.

In the long run, does working together make a difference? Certainly it did in 1987, when Chatham faced a devastating hurricane which destroyed Andrew Harding Lane beach and six adjacent houses.

© EJH 2024

The rapid response from the Old Village confirms without a doubt that neighbors who know how to work together can get things done: OVA representatives offered a deal with the selectmen to provide fifty percent of the beach's reconstruction costs providing that in the future it remain a public beach for everyone, free of charge. The time it took for neighbors to raise $20,000? Two weeks.

Over the past several years, the OVA has faced up to other important issues, including new construction, traffic, crowded streets and parking (work in progress!). Many of the Old Village crosswalks are the result of OVA's safety concerns. But issues seldom go away on their own. Protecting our Old Village takes time, effort and cooperation. A rising sea, spurts of heavy traffic, uncontrolled parking, soaring real estate prices and unexpected results from possible climate change cannot be ignored if we want the Old Village to remain as a neighborhood for us, our own children and, yes, the small children from elsewhere who have never seen the ocean or played in the sand.

What we all can do: to solve these problems (and whatever else might come up) Old Village owners must continue to work together as a neighborhood. OVA neighbors need to know each other and talk about the future. Many of you are in Chatham only for a few weeks and would like to have a real vacation. But here's an idea: The Old Village Association is hosting three summer events - please come, introduce yourself, enjoy a bit of wine, tell us where we're wrong (hopefully not often) and/or learn about what happens once you leave (hopefully not too much). Back to the beginning - we are indeed a tourist attraction but, to save our neighborhood, we need everyone to get together and talk things over, barring requests involving unloading trucks or hauling sailboats of course.

Tributes and Memories

The Old Village Board of Directors and friends remember Don Aikman

Don was a longtime advocate for the Old Village, dependable through thick or thin, and always a gentleman.  The OVA and the Historical Commission have lost a friend and a supporter. He was very special - honest, loyal, understanding and, of course an exceptional supporter with the bridge even when the road got rough. 

- Carol Pacun

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Don was a steady and encouraging presence in our community. His light but firm hand at the tiller of local historic preservation efforts will have a lasting effect on the beauty and history of our special neighborhood.

- Jennifer Longworth

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Don was a life-long supporter of conservation, and made a positive impact in the town of Chatham.

- John Whelan

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I never knew Don except at a distance, nor did I ever work with him. Nevertheless I keenly watched him in action from the sidelines. Don’s was a quiet, reasoned, yet highly effective voice for local preservation and conservation. It will, along with those of many others of his era, be greatly missed as the priorities of Chatham continue to evolve.

- David MacAdam

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Don contributed so much to the historical preservation efforts that are important to all of us. He was also a good friend.

- Bill Horrocks

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Don was a loving family man who enjoyed planning, shopping and cooking meals every day. When any or all of their four children and families visited, he was in the kitchen. He looked on holidays with great joy as a chance to be with family and to present an extra special meal.  He loved to prepare any fish that he or his family had caught. 

Don was my first cousin, and he and I grew up coming to the Hawes House in Chatham for our two-week family vacation. It was there we each met the loves of our lives and found a way to continue enjoying town. Before Don married Debbie, he, Bill and I drove down to Chatham every weekend and slowly built our two-bedroom cottage on School Street. Later, he and Debbie bought their vacation home here. In a short time Don began to become interested in preserving the qualities that made the Old Village area so appealing. Don quietly but decidedly became active with groups that supported his beliefs. His work at the Chatham Railroad Museum and on the Chatham Historic Commission were just two of his worthwhile interests. He worked with Norm Pacun to ensure the Mitchell River Bridge would be rebuilt appropriately. He was always committed to keeping Chatham the fine town that it is. We will all miss him so much.

- Nancy Koerner

In The Old Village

Tuesday, July 23, 4-6pm - Wine, Cheese and Conversation at the Porches, end of Water Street overlooking Mill Pond. Please bring a chair if you like. Rain date the following day.

Tuesday, August 20, 4-6pm, Garden Party at the home of Lisa Edge, 180 Main Street at Andrew Hardings Lane. Please bring a chair if you like. Rain date the following day.

Event information: Lisa Edge 856-795-3285, and Lisa Green 617-680-1166

Old Village Association Annual Meeting

Monday, Aug 12th at the Chatham Beach and Tennis Club

5:30 PM Refreshments and Conversation

6:15 PM Program and Business Meeting

PROGRAM

Speaker: Fred Ecker, noted historic preservationist

     Mr. Ecker will present and discuss the Protect Our Past film “Life Rings”

BUSINESS

In accordance with the Old Village Association, Inc. by-laws, the Nominating Committee voted to place in nomination the following officers and directors.

OFFICERS (one year terms):

 President, Winifred Lear; Vice President, Deborah Aikman Treasurer, Nancy Koerner; Clerk, Lisa Green

DIRECTORS: Three year term ending 2027: Winnie Lear, Carol Pacun, Bill Horrocks

Two year term ending 2027: Cynthia Hutchinson

Chatham Historic House Signs - houses 100 years old and over are eligible for signs that highlight the building's early history, as in the example below. Learn more and apply here.

OLD VILLAGE ASSOCIATION

P.O.BOX 188

CHATHAM, MA 02633