A 24-acre peninsula and a unique stone home listed on the National Register of Historic Places is on the market for the first time in 174 years.
The $1.7 million Vinalhaven property spans nearly a half-mile of shorefront and includes four structures with commanding views of Winter Harbor: an antique barn, a cottage, a bungalow and the historic “Murch House.” It is the only stone dwelling left on the island, built around 1850 by a family of subsistence farmers and fishermen using granite from nearby land.
“It is [rare] to find a property like this, even on an island where every property is unique,” listing agent Kristine Davidson of Davidson Realty said.
Because it includes more than 20 acres of land that needs tending and four structures that require extensive renovations, she said the property owners will only sell to someone conservation-minded.
Each of the property’s structures need both cosmetic and infrastructure upgrades. Only one of the buildings, the stone Murch House, has been used as a year-round residence, though it hasn’t been lived in since 2012.
Two other residences, an electrified camp and a bungalow located a short walk away from the main, homesteading area were used seasonally. The bungalow was enjoyed by generations in the summers using only gas lights at night and water from a hand-dug well.
“It’s really charming and, like the rest of the property, a step back in time,” Davidson said.
The property’s unique features include antique furnishings and woodwork throughout its buildings, apple trees, a freshwater pond, expansive views of neighboring conserved islands and a circular walking path connecting all the buildings around the peninsula. There’s also the potential to add a deepwater dock off the property’s granite shoreline, Davidson said.
It would be an ideal property for a family compound, or a preservationist interested in restoring a historic home and sister buildings, Davidson said. It’s a unique find in Vinalhaven, Maine’s largest coastal offshore island. The desirable town is home to a large lobster fishery, only accessible by a ferry from Rockland and rarely has such expansive oceanfront for sale.
“While some infrastructure is needed, this property is one of the few remaining largely untouched homesteading properties on [Vinalhaven],” Davidson, herself a seventh generation islander, said.
