Alison Boylston Piazza House B&B
Read More![Welcome to The Alison Boylston Piazza House, in the heart of historic downtown Edgartown. From here, every amenity - shops, beaches, harbor, and cafes - is accessible by foot or bicycle. The house was built in the early 1800s, about two miles out of town, by Captain Alexander Palmer Weeks. It was moved to its in-town location in the mid 1830s by a team of forty yoke of oxen.<br />
Here is the story of the house move:<br />
<br />
May Snowstorm That Took an Unkind Turn [from a 1948 edition of the Vineyard Gazette].<br />
<br />
The cold May storm, a proverbial part of the Vineyard spring, took an especially unkind turn about a century ago, on May 26th, the date being recalled because it coincided with moving day for an old house which found a haven on Main Street, Edgartown.<br />
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The house, then owned by Capt. Alexander Weeks, once stood at Ocean Heights, but yielding to that irresistible urge which seemed to overtake both houses and their owners in the olden days, it was decreed that it should become a town dweller. Propelled by forty yoke of oxen and a large force of men, the house made its slow and stately way over the sandy roads until it reached its present site, on the corner of Green Lane, where it is now the home of Mrs. Herbert M. Boylston.<br />
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"The usual barrel of New England liquid refreshments as was the custom in those halcyon days," the Gazette recalled wistfully a quarter of a century ago, "flowed freely and when spirits rose to the point that when the new location was reached it was decided to hold a dance then and there. A fiddler was procured, fair ladies recruited, and the evening passed all too swiftly, the home-going guests finding to their surprise that a heavy snow had fallen while they were celebrating and that many of the weary and hungry oxen had dispersed, leading to a chilly chase on the night of the great snow, before the beasts were stabled and their masters housed."<br />
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(More information about Captain Alexander Palmer Weeks, from my mother's files, includes the facts that he was born on May 18, 1804 and died on August 29 or 30, 1856, lost at sea in a hurricane, and that in 1835 Captain Weeks was skipper of the ship Leader whose home port was New Bedford. I have also learned - from the National Maritime Digital Library - that Leader, a whaling bark, with Captain Weeks listed as its master, departed New Bedford for the Pacific Ocean in May of 1835, and returned in April of 1838, reporting 480 sperm, and 138 whale. Leader is listed as having been built in 1815 in Fairhaven, and that she broke up in 1851.) <br />
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If you're wondering about the Irish flag - I fly this flag because we play a lot of Irish traditional music here - keeping the tradition of fiddle playing going, as was established on Day One.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Places/The-Alison-Boylston-Piazza/Alison-Boylston-Piazza-House-B/i-B3sVZNS/0/c5e4c608/M/_MG_8850-M.jpg)
Welcome to The Alison Boylston Piazza House, in the heart of historic downtown Edgartown. From here, every amenity - shops, beaches, harbor, and cafes - is accessible by foot or bicycle. The house was built in the early 1800s, about two miles out of town, by Captain Alexander Palmer Weeks. It was moved to its in-town location in the mid 1830s by a team of forty yoke of oxen.
Here is the story of the house move:
May Snowstorm That Took an Unkind Turn [from a 1948 edition of the Vineyard Gazette].
The cold May storm, a proverbial part of the Vineyard spring, took an especially unkind turn about a century ago, on May 26th, the date being recalled because it coincided with moving day for an old house which found a haven on Main Street, Edgartown.
The house, then owned by Capt. Alexander Weeks, once stood at Ocean Heights, but yielding to that irresistible urge which seemed to overtake both houses and their owners in the olden days, it was decreed that it should become a town dweller. Propelled by forty yoke of oxen and a large force of men, the house made its slow and stately way over the sandy roads until it reached its present site, on the corner of Green Lane, where it is now the home of Mrs. Herbert M. Boylston.
"The usual barrel of New England liquid refreshments as was the custom in those halcyon days," the Gazette recalled wistfully a quarter of a century ago, "flowed freely and when spirits rose to the point that when the new location was reached it was decided to hold a dance then and there. A fiddler was procured, fair ladies recruited, and the evening passed all too swiftly, the home-going guests finding to their surprise that a heavy snow had fallen while they were celebrating and that many of the weary and hungry oxen had dispersed, leading to a chilly chase on the night of the great snow, before the beasts were stabled and their masters housed."
(More information about Captain Alexander Palmer Weeks, from my mother's files, includes the facts that he was born on May 18, 1804 and died on August 29 or 30, 1856, lost at sea in a hurricane, and that in 1835 Captain Weeks was skipper of the ship Leader whose home port was New Bedford. I have also learned - from the National Maritime Digital Library - that Leader, a whaling bark, with Captain Weeks listed as its master, departed New Bedford for the Pacific Ocean in May of 1835, and returned in April of 1838, reporting 480 sperm, and 138 whale. Leader is listed as having been built in 1815 in Fairhaven, and that she broke up in 1851.)
If you're wondering about the Irish flag - I fly this flag because we play a lot of Irish traditional music here - keeping the tradition of fiddle playing going, as was established on Day One.
This house is my childhood home, to which I returned to live full time in 2012. I have spent the past four years lovingly restoring this old house - painting and repairing every room with my own hands.
Failte means welcome in Irish.
The porch overlooks Main Street and is a fine place to sit and watch the world go by.
Sometimes we play music on the porch (our annual 4th of July Irish session).
The front hall/main entry way. The door to the gallery is on the left; the main entrance to the living room is straight ahead.
My photo gallery. During the off-season, the gallery is perfect for house concerts and music sessions around the fire place.
The living room.
The living room - still set up from a recent song session. The door to a small single room is on the left, the door to the front hall is in the middle, and the door on the right leads to the gallery.
The living room, with the gallery door to the left and the door to the Gold guest room to the right. My grandmother's hand-needlepointed (by her) Queen Anne's chairs flank the book shelf.
I grew up with lots of music in this house and I am thrilled to be continuing the tradition with friends, neighbors, and family.
Welcome to my Gold guest room.
My Gold guest room, Cozy and quiet, even for Main Street. Double occupancy with a/c. $150/night includes continental breakfast. If you're traveling with children, please ask about my overflow options.
The (mostly private) bathroom - is under renovation at this writing.
Dining room, where continental breakfast (homemade muffins, juice, and coffee) is served.
View from the kitchen.
My back yard - large for downtown Edgartown and features a vegetable/flower garden and lots of play space for my four young grandchildren.
My back yard, looking towards the rear. My back yard is a bit of a haven - still in the thick of things, but set back far enough to offer a quieter setting.
Looking towards Main Street with my small vegetable and flower garden on the left.
