The Captain Morse House is one of Edgartown's premier homes. It was built by Captain John O. Morse in 1840. Morse was one of the eras most successful whaling Captain's. It is a large and grand home built in the Greek Revival style that was in fashion at the time. The Captain Morse House has a superb location close to Edgartown's shopping and a short walk to four beaches and the North Wharf and the town’s busy harbor.
The home features 26 rooms with 11 bedrooms, 7 baths, 2 full kitchens, dining rooms and living rooms. The dual front porches are framed by 10 Doric columns and face the harbor. They create an ideal place to spend the day. The large back yard and garden offer a private oasis from the bustle of a Vineyard summer. The yard is graced by three towering and magnificent Linden trees.
Outside on the North Water Street side of the house there are two spacious porches with views of Edgartown Harbor. Edgartown’s North Wharf lies below the house at the end of Morse Street. It is a great place to go and enjoy the busy waterfront or perhaps some fishing. We have a modest driveway that can hold 4 cars which leads back to the backyard. Our backyard is one of the most spacious and safe in town and features a bricked patio with seating for 20 with a very nice barbecue. The tool shed holds complimentary bicycles, beach chairs and lawn games.
About the Interior
The home is spread out over three floors and offers a variety of public rooms and private bedrooms. The front of the first floor has a large formal living room with dual access portals to the front porch. Next to it is the front entrance way that features a lovely spiral staircase built by local shipwrights. Next comes the media room that doubles as a spare bedroom and then a formal dining room and gourmet kitchen. As you walk by the front kitchen you enter the back of the house with a large living and dining area, a private ensuite bedroom and a full galley style kitchen. This is a great informal space for more casual get togethers.
The second floor again starts with a magnificent front porch that can be accessed from either the master bedroom or the second large bedroom. From here to the back of the house are another 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. These are all laid out in a way that you will not see in other houses built more recently. It is part of the charm of the house.
On the Third floor there are an additional four bedrooms. This is the simplest part of the house and was where the servants used to live. Back in the 1800’s it took a small army to run the house. Not all of them could actually live at the house. Some lived on Chappaquiddick Island and took the ferry operated by Captain Morse’s father Uriah.
As you might be able to guess we specialize in large families, family reunions, weddings, anniversaries and any event where people want to enjoy each other’s company without the distraction of others. Large groups regularly book our home for its charm, comfort and unique character and grace. With that said our long time repeat tenants tend to be smaller families of 6 or so. They then invite friends to come and visit and use the large spaces for entertaining. In my youth I lived in the house with my brother and parents. It seems unusual now but back then we just took it for granted and helped our father with the maintenance and lawn work.
About the Surrounding Area
The Captain Morse House is located at the corner of Morse and North Water Streets. The town of Edgartown is defined principally by its Main Street. To the south is South Water Street which winds by the giant pagoda tree and towards the road to Katama and South Beach. North Water Street runs the opposite way and the Captain Morse House is located about halfway between Main Street and the Harbor View Hotel which looks over the Edgartown Lighthouse and the entrance to the harbor.
Summary
We are committed to doing whatever we can to make your stay in our family home on Martha's Vineyard a special one. We think that our house is the best in town and offers our guests a truly unique experience.
You can see more detailed information on The Captain Morse House at our website. Just search for captain morse house.