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Captain Morse House Luxury - In Town, Walk to Waterfront, Beach, Pets, 5 stars

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The Captain Morse House
The Captain Morse House looking towards town
The Captain Morse House looking towards town
Back Pation
Large Lawn suitable for events

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
12 bedrooms7 bathroomsSleeps 28

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Washer
  • Air conditioning
  • Barbecue grill

Rooms & beds

12 bedrooms (sleeps 28)

Bedroom #1 Primary - The John O Morse Room

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom #2 The Cat Room

2 Twin Beds

Bedroom #3 The dressing room

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom #4 The Middle Room

1 King Bed

Bedroom #5 The Green Room

1 King Bed

Bedroom #6 - The Garden Room

1 Twin Bed

Bedroom #7 The Secret Garden Room

1 Double Bed

Bedroom #8 The William Martin Room

1 Twin Bed

Bedroom #9 The Sara Brown Room

1 Twin Bed

Bedroom #10 The Sail Loft

2 Twin Beds and 1 Queen Bed

Bedroom #11 - The Joanna Pease Room

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom #12 ensuite with bathroom #1 - The Mary Smith Room

1 Double Sofa Bed

7 bathrooms

Bath #1 Front of the house 1st Floor

Toilet · Shower only

Bath #2 Back of the House 1st Floor

Toilet · Shower only

Bath #3 Front of the house 2nd Floor

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bath #4 2nd from the front of the house 2nd Floor

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bath #5 3rd from the front of the house 2nd Floor

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bath #6 4th from the front of the house 2nd Floor

Toilet · Shower only

Bath #7 3rd Floor

Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Office
Balcony
Separate dining area
Garden

About this property

Captain Morse House Luxury - In Town, Walk to Waterfront, Beach, Pets, 5 stars

The Captain Morse House is located on the iconic North Water Street in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. It was built by the island's most successful whaling Captain in 1840. The Captain Morse House has a superb location on the waterfront and two blocks from Edgartown's shopping and beaches. At the foot of Morse Street lies the North Wharf, where Captain Morse used to keep his whaling ships. This is a public wharf that you are free to use.

The home features 26 rooms with 12 bedrooms, seven baths, two full kitchens, two dining rooms, and two living rooms. The house can be rented in its entirety (this listing) or as the East or West Wings, which are also listed on Airbnb.

Outside the house
Two spacious porches overlook North Water Street with views of Edgartown Harbor. The large backyard and garden offer a private oasis from the bustle of a Vineyard summer. The yard is graced by three towering Linden trees. Edgartown's North Wharf lies below the house at the end of Morse Street. It is a great place to go and enjoy the waterfront or perhaps some fishing. Our backyard is one of the most spacious and safe in town and features a bricked patio with seating for 20 with two excellent barbecue stations. The tool shed holds complimentary bicycles, beach chairs, and lawn games.

About the Interior
The home is spread 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 an elevator and dual access to the front porch. Next to it is the front entranceway 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. The formal dining room offers seating for up to 14.
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 modern kitchen with an island. There is dining seating for fourteen. This is a great informal space for more casual gatherings.

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 five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

On the third floor, there are an additional four bedrooms. This is the most straightforward part of the house and was where the servants used to live. Back in the 1800s, 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. Here there are 4 bedrooms and a bathroom.

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 repeat tenants tend to be smaller families of 6 or so. They then invite friends to come and visit. In my youth, I lived in the house with my family. It seems unusual now but back then we just took it for granted and helped our father with the maintenance and lawn work.


Events:
Parties and events are not allowed on the Airbnb Booking platform due to their global ban on events over 16 people. Events are allowed only with the express written consent of the Host. Please request more information.

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 on our website. Just search for captainmorsehouse.

EXPECTATIONS
This is where, in the interest of transparency, we divulge all of the things that you ought to know about the house
This may repeat what is on Airbnb

PARKING
The fewer cars you bring to the island the better. That said....
We have space for up to 4 cars in our single-lane driveway.
We also have rented guaranteed available additional parking one block away for another two cars and possibly more.
When the Wings are both rented the East Wing gets the driveway and the West Wing gets the two spots down the street. This way no one gets blocked in.

There is free parking on the street during the day for up to two hours in the season and all day off-season.
There is no parking overnight from 2:00 am to 7:00 am.
There are two town parking lots with overnight parking at the foot of Main Street and at nearby Mayhew Lane.
There is another lot up at the Triangle called the Dark Woods Lot.

WATER
You are 200 feet from Edgartown Harbor. Walk out of the house and down Morse Street to Edgartown's North Wharf. This is a public wharf and also houses the harbormaster and a marine store. We have a Boston Whaler that is docked here and available as a separate rental. We mention this because some may consider that a hazard.

STAIRS & RAILING
This house was built in 1840 before modern building standards. There are steep stairs from the West Wing of the 1st floor to the 3rd floor and from the East Wing's 2nd floor to the 3rd floor. There are also low railings on the porches and at the West Wing 2nd-floor landing. Small children will need supervision. People with mobility issues should stay on the 1st floor or use the elevator in the East Wing.

CAMERAS
Two exterior cameras and three doorbell cameras cover entrances and patio. The interior camera can be turned towards the wall when you come in.
These are for your protection only.

NOISE
You are three blocks away from Main Street. This is an "in-town" location with all the advantages of walking to pretty much anything you want. The disadvantage is that traffic will be sometimes heard at the corner of Morse Street and North Water Street. The other Wings Guests can sometimes be heard.

TERMS AND RATES:

All pricing, availability, and terms are subject to change without notice. We use dynamic pricing that adjusts to market demand and other factors.
A booking is confirmed only when we receive a payment and a signed lease.
All rentals are subject to our lease, manual, and house rules whether you have expressly signed a lease or not.
Each guest making a booking must sign our lease and provide your personal email, cell phone, legal mailing address (no PO Boxes), picture of a valid government ID, and a selfie showing the ID next to your face.
We reserve the right to cancel any booking where we feel the rates are inaccurate or when the guest fails to adhere to our house rules.

Unauthorized Late Check-Out or Early Check-Ins seriously disrupt our existing guests, cleaners, and caretakers. The fee for these is $100 per quarter hour

REV: 2024-12
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

Add dates for prices

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About the neighborhood

Edgartown

Located in Edgartown, this vacation home is on the waterfront. Vincent House Museum and Cottage Museum are cultural highlights, and travelers looking to shop may want to visit Circuit Avenue and Main Street. Featherstone Center for the Arts and Flying Horses Carousel are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and scuba diving nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with horse riding and mountain biking.
Map
Edgartown, MA

What's nearby

  • Lighthouse Beach - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Vincent House Museum - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Old Whaling Church - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Edgartown Public Library - 16 min walk - 1.4 km
  • Edgartown Beach - 6 min drive - 3.9 km

Getting around

  • Vineyard Haven, MA (MVY-Martha's Vineyard) - 11 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Backyard Taco - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Bad Martha Farmer's Brewery - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪The Wharf Pub & Restaurant - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Rosewater Market - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Détente - ‬4 min walk

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labeled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 68 out of 70 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 70 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 70 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Felecia H.

Lovely house with everything you may need

Beautiful, clean, spacious with all the amenities you can think of. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Laurie D.

Beautiful home for a wonderful family reunion!

Incredible home and the best location in Edgartown! Plenty of space for my family members and we created beautiful memories talking and playing games on the porch, spending time at lighthouse beach, boating , shopping! Truly an amazing home and vacation! Great service and assistance with catering and dining suggestions!
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Donnie (D.A.) H.

Our stay was wonderful.

The property was nice with lots of charm. It was well maintained, convenient for shopping, eating, and all attractions. Platt was welcoming, responsive, and he made sure everything was right. It was another memorable vacation at the Vineyard.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Joanne S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Property was amazing and very well stocked with anything you could think of. Our host was very attentive to our needs. Location is simply perfect. Would come back again without hesitation. A
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Erica P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great first visit to Martha’s Vineyard

Our family (20 of us) had a lovely week on Martha’s Vineyard staying at the Captain Morse House. The house was excellent, in a great location and fit our family’s needs perfectly. We highly recommend staying there.
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Holly M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family summer getaway

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! The home is huge and well stocked with everything one could need. It feels like a step back in time and yet has all the modern necessities. We loved exploring the many bedrooms on 3 levels! We enjoyed family dinners indoors and out and evening game nights in the front living room. We could walk to the beach and restaurants easily. It was a perfect week!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Bob H.

Whaling Captain's House

Great location. Charming house. Owner was very helpful in ensuring our needs were met
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Carin M.

Beautiful in an amazing location

The Captain Morse House's location made out stay last year worth it! Not only is it walking distance from all the amazing restaurants and shops but it is also large enough to house a full troop of people while still feeling as if you have enough space and not on top of each other. Norm was an amazing host so helpful and very gracious on check in and check out. We truly had the best experience here and would recommend it to anyone!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

John R.

Great experience

The Captain Morse House was an excellent experience for our group. There was plenty of space, it had everything we needed and it was close to downtown Edgartown. I would highly recommend this property.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 30, 2020
It was great having you at the house. We would love to have you come back.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

William & Sherry T.

Wonderful house for large family vacation!

This house has everything you could possibly need from stemware to bicycles and all in between. A fantastic family vacation house especially over the 4th of July as right on the parade route. We definitely recommend and hope to be back many more times!! Owner extremely easy to contact and very helpful throughput our stay.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Joan L.

The Capt. Morse House exceeded our high expectations

We invited a group of old friends from all over the country for a family celebration. They loved the prime location in the historic district and the charming and spacious common areas and private bedrooms, but most of all our guests loved the instant pleasure of such a welcoming environment that encouraged gathering together, camaraderie, and new and renewed special friendships. We would not hesitate to rent again, and our guests mentioned at our family celebration in the House’s beautiful backyard that they were already thinking about hosting a similar event at the Capt. Morse House soon.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jim B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic experience!

The Captain Morse House is a beautiful, historic home that couldn’t be more conveniently located to downtown Edgartown and the Lighthouse beach. The house has tons of character and lots of rooms to accommodate a large group. Beautiful yard with room for kids to play. Can’t wait to return!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 30, 2020
The Bunns were excellent guests and took great care of the house. We would love to have them back again.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

candy b.

Fantastic Family Reunion

We had 3 generations of our family staying in the house over an Oct. holiday weekend- 14 adults/9 children and it was absolutely perfect! The location is superb, the spaces inside were great for small gatherings and conversations, and the children loved playing hide and seek in this grand old house. The host was most accommodating and we could not have asked for a better stay! HIGHLY recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

William & Sherry T.

Fabulous family fourth!

We spent 2 wonderful weeks at this amazing historical home. Platt, the owner, is so easy to get in touch with and so helpful The house was unbelievably well equipped with everything you could possibly need from the basics to bicycles and everything in between. There was absolutely itching we needed for our two week family stay that wasn’t there!! We’d highly recommend it for any type of event and hope to return again and again!
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Edgartown's Finest

I can’t imagine a more perfect setting for extended family to stay for a Martha’s Vineyard wedding. The location is ideal-- only a few minutes walk to all the Edgartown shops and restaurants and the waterfront. The historic house is lovingly maintained, full of charm and easily handled our crowd of sixteen. The bikes were a nice plus and we got good use out of them. Other members of the wedding party who were regular visitors to the Vineyard were eager to come over and get a tour —it is that kind of a house!!!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Patricia A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

70th Birthday Party

We hosted a 70th Birthday Party. We invited friends and family to spend the weekend with us to celebrate this milestone. Everyone loved the property. It had everything we needed; plenty of places to gather, eat and walking distance to downtown Edgartown. It was March so it was cold and windy. The house has so much character, history and lovely little extras you have to experience. A wonderful experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 14, 2024
Thank you so much for your kind words. We appreciate our winter guests who take the time to explore the island in an uncrowded and special time of year. Ever since Covid, we have offered the house for winter getaways and the response has been wonderful. Have a great spring and we hope to see you again sometime.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Michelle L.

Wonderful! Didn't want to leave.

We had a great time, nobody wanted to leave! Superb location for all things in Edgartown, walking or biking distance to most activities. The yard was great for kids and the property worked very well for large families like ours, who included 24 people. Every amenity was provided that one could hope for. Martha's vineyard is a wonderful vacation destination, there are so many options for every type of interest. We happened to come during the 4th of July, and it was perfect. The parade went right past the house and we could all watch from the spacious front porch, and the fireworks were seen from the second story balcony. Thanks for allowing us to use your beautiful home for our annual vacation.
Response from VrboOwner on Mar 30, 2020
This was a large family that flew in from all around the US. Our home is perfect for large groups like this doing family vacations and our location is perfect, close to town, beaches and the action.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Melissa L.

Beautiful accomodations in a fabulous location.

The Captain Morse House is a lovingly restored home in a fabulous location. The house mixes historic charm with beautifully updated amenities including kitchens & bathrooms. All of the rooms are spacious and comfortable for gathering. The kitchens are fully-equipped including outdoor gas grills. The backyard is beautiful with a lush lawn, flowerbeds and outdoor dining tables. I rented both wings for a large family gathering. The accommodations were so comfortable and in good order that it made the weekend effortless and enjoyable for everyone. Having the house walking distance to town was an added bonus. This was my first time renting on MV and I will definitely return to the Captain Morse House.
Response from VrboOwner on May 8, 2024
It was a pleasure having you and your friends stay at the Captain Morse House. Getting people together is what we like to do.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Stephen T.

Beyond expectations

I stayed at the Captain Morse House Thanksgiving week with my entire family--11 adults and four children. We had very high hopes for a great weekend and they were far exceeded. The CMH is very roomy with plenty of bathrooms. It is in a wonderful location in Edgartown--beach/shops/pubs /restaurants all within easy walking distance. The house is very roomy and has a number of areas to relax or watch TV. Wifi is excellent. The two kitchens are incredibly well supplied. We cooked Thanksgiving dinner without any problem. I can't think of anything that we lacked. On top of it all, Platt was extremely easy to deal with and ultra-responsive to any questions that we had. My family is ready to book CMH again. I recommend without any reservation.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth & Edgar B.

The house is elegant and well appointed and will accommodate a lot of guests.

The ship captain’s house is elegant and welcoming if you appreciate an atmosphere of yesteryear. It is like staying in your grandmother’s house just as she left it, except she fortunately had modern beds and an up to date, well stocked kitchen, actually 2 kitchens. We love that atmosphere and our children do as well, so everyone was happy. We were there in Winter and heating was satisfactory, so we cannot speak to Summer conditions. The house is lovely and charming and the only short coming was parking. The driveway can take 2 cars, one behind the other, which presents an inconvenience so the second car we had parked on the street. Fortunately in 2 weeks in December it never got a parking ticket for overnight parking which the sign says is prohibited. Old New England village not designed to accommodate automobiles. On that subject walking to the commercial center of Edgartown for restaurants and shops is likewise charming day and evening. Our family walked to restaurants, shops and the movie theater. How old fashioned, nice and healthful.
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

Marie C.

Winter on the vineyard

My family and I go to the vineyard every winter, and it’s always a great time. We usually stay at hotels but we really wanted to be together this time. We found the Captain Morse house and I could not be more thankful! Our weekend was everything we’d thought it would be and more. This house extremely homey and comfortable! We never wanted to leave! There were great paths for our annual night walk (yes, we walk in winter 😅) we were in walking distance to some amazing coffee shops and diners, and the kids had a ball during our dance party with all the cousins, aunts, and uncles! Above all I have to say, the management was the best part! You can stay at a place that has everything you need and more, but if the people running it aren’t accommodating or lack communication, you’d never want to go there again! This team went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed and we were comfortable! They responded to a late night request as well which was very impressive! Safe to say…. We will be back next February! Thank you so much!!! The Crafts Family
Response from VrboOwner on Jul 11, 2023
Thank you so much for this great review.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Michael L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fabulous in all regards

We'd not hesitate for a moment before returning. Our group was adult siblings, spouses, and young children. The house (we had both wings) was perfect for us. There was space to spread out--adults could be in the front living rooms while kids enjoyed feeling independent in the back. Two kitchens avoided any crunches of space. Bedrooms galore provided great flexibility. A short walk to Lighthouse Beach or to town provided perfect outings. And, used to living ourselves in a house of a similar era (early 1800s) with English antiques accented by China Trade pieces, we felt perfectly at home. The house clearly has a force field around it that avoids "beach house kitsch." It's just charming. And three big cheers for the Heidi, the manager. On top of providing a wonderful welcome when we arrived, she hit true heroics at 10:45am on New Year's Day when she answered our call on the first ring and arrived at the house within minutes and jumped our car, the battery of which had died, in time to make our boat off-island. That is truly above and beyond.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on Jan 13, 2022
You were fabulous guests. We would love to have you back anytime!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cristen M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay for large group in Edgartown

Lovely historic house in an excellent location. The host was great and very helpful. We really enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Bernard G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Captain Morse House

Excellent
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Norman Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Golf trip

Perfect
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
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