The Story of our 1789 Rockport, MA. Home

After 24 years in the making, our Rockport, Massachusetts home became reality on September 17, 2010 (our closing date). Ever since we first set eyes on Rockport in 1987, we knew that someday we would live there.

Why Rockport?

Our first experience in Rockport was our first vacation staying at the Linden Tree Inn on King Street, that is when we meet the innkeepers Penny and Larry Olson. The first time we meet Penny, she made us feel welcomed and at home in Rockport. Our stays at the Linden Tree set the foundation for what we feel for Rockport and the people of our new town. The town of  Rockport is a picturesque postcard of what you would want in a small New England seaside village. The town is an artist’s haven, and is evident in all the galleries and shops located on Main Street and Bearskin Neck. The Motif #1 and Rockport Harbor continue to be the most photographer in all of New England. The quaint shops on Bearskin Neck along with Front Beach and Old Garden Beach offer everything you would want to complete a great day at the sea. After Penny and Larry retired, they sold the Inn to Jon and Dawn Cunningham. Jon and Dawn extended to us the same feeling we got from Penny and Larry, that this is the town that we eventually would like to move and retire to.

When Jon and Dawn sold the Inn, we thought that Rockport might not be the same for us. We stayed with the new owners, Toby and John, but the magic was no longer there at the inn for Jodi and I. So, the following year we stayed with Gary at the Eagle House Motel. Our stay at the Eagle House rekindled the feeling that we felt before, but we were looking for a smaller more intimate place to stay that resembled what we had experienced at the Linden Tree when Penny and Larry, and later Jon and Dawn offered to us.

After a family get together in Boston and a Red Sox game, which included my cousin Paul from Toronto, Jodi found the Inn on Cove Hill for us to stay after the Red Sox game for the weekend. Since Jodi did not go to the game, she rode the metro from North Station in Boston to Rockport the next morning to check us in and spend the day at the beach. After meeting Betsy and Frank for the first time, they made us feel the same way as the first time we visited Rockport in 1987. After our stay, we continued to go back to the Inn on Cove Hill, sometimes two or three times in the same summer. Betsy and Frank became like family and encouraged us to buy the “Sally Webster Inn” from Kathy and Fitz. Purchasing and running a Bed and Breakfast was the original plan for our retirement to Rockport. But the inn was not ment to be and we continued our search for our dream home.

Our real estate agent was Jon Cunningham from Beaton Realty, yes this is the same Jon who we stayed with when they owned the Linden Tree Inn. This just shows how you can cross paths with people, and then meet again later in life, that bring things full circle in your life.

Our dream home was found in our second year of house searching on August 4, 2010. On our last full day of vacation, our second trip to Rockport that summer, Jon had called Jodi to tell her he wanted us to look at one more home before we left. While I was at the beach soaking-up the last of the sun and sea breeze before we would come back again next year, Jodi called and said that we had an appointment at 5PM to see the house. A thunder-storm passed just 30 minutes before Jon picked us up for our appointment. With Jodi in a cast and navigating around with crutches from a prior accident, we made our appointment. Once we entered the house we could see this was the house for us. Since the ground was wet from the rain, Jodi fell flat on her face in the house due to the hardwood floors and wet crutches. Jon our real estate agent and Kim Lorden, the owners real estate agent were horrified that she hurt herself, but I just picked her up and said I think she just fell head over heals for the place… and rest was history, this would be our home. The home we bought, just happened to be the home of national recording artist Paula Cole, who Jodi and I credit in making the home what it is today.

About the Homes History

The home according to all records and deed searches indicated that the home was built prior to 1789, but the oldest deed transaction took place on August 15, 1789, when Samuel Tarr purchased the home for 28 pounds. The home was sold to Jacob Storey on April 30, 1799 for $400., John Turner on July 22, 1813 for $380., John Pool on September 5, 1814 for $520., Thomas Tarr on February 17, 1832 for $550., John Rowe on April 23, 1861 for $600., Cyrus Fellows on June 16, 1874 for $2,500., Clarissa and George Grover on January 24, 1895 for $1,200., Loring Grimes on May 5, 1908 for $1., Jennie Grover on December 1, 1914 for $200., I. Percy Fears on March 17, 1917 for $0., Rufus and Catherine Remick on April 3, 1934 for $0., Albert and Muriel Remick on August 11, 1948 for $0., Everett Shores on August 26, 1977 for $40,000. Grammy award-winning recording artist Paula Cole had purchased the home in 2004 and sold the home to Jodi and I on September 17, 2010.

The home is located in the historic district of Rockport on Main Street and is walking distance from Front Beach (3 minutes), Shalin Liu Performance Center (4 minutes), Metro Train Station to Boston’s North Station (4 minutes), Bearskin Neck with all the quaint shops (5 minutes), IGA Market and ACE True Value Hardware store (4 minutes). Rockport is on the Boston Commuter Train Line and is located on Cape Ann 40 miles north of Downton Boston.

Rockport is a very dog friendly town (also know as dogtown) and dogs are welcome in most stores and business with their owners while they shop, pay bills or do their banking. Lucca, our golden retriever is a regular visitor at the ACE True Value Hardware, Rockport National Bank, Town Hall, Animal Krackers Pet Store and the Cumberland Farms where he gets treats at every visit.

Since our relocation to Rockport, several of our family and friends have made the trip to visit us.

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