Minnie’s Rest - 19 Vine Avenue

Originally known as “Minnie’s Seaside Rest,” a place of retreat for returning missionaries until 1969, the house overlooks the salt marsh and Nantucket Sound.

Built circa 1895 as a private home, it was purchased by the United Church Board for World Ministries in 1964, then gifted to the United Church of Christ in 2004,  and used in connection with the Craigville Retreat Center until 2016 when it was sold.

Minnie was a seven-year-old girl, the child of missionaries in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, who always said she wanted to make a difference in the world. When she passed away in 1878, her parents named their home in Maine after her, wanting it to be a place where missionaries could come for rest and comfort after their travels overseas. The house was in disrepair and not close to the railroad, so the World Ministries purchased the Craigville home to be used instead of the one in Maine. A monument dedicated to Minnie and the retreat can be seen at the home.

23 Laurel Avenue

Built in 1920, 23 Laurel Avenue was enjoyed by the Embry/Fisher families for many decades. In 2013 it was purchased by Marie and Robert Geradin of Glastonbury, CT. There have been a few small facelifts over the years, but it largely remains as it was built, including a washer/dryer in the kitchen until recently.

In 2019, the house received some much-needed attention including a 15-foot lift. This renovation included a family room in the back, which allows for a great vantage point for beautiful sunsets.  A garage and a beloved laundry room was also added.  

In 2021, the original floors were finally refinished, making each room a bit brighter and the kitchen received new appliances and countertops as well.

Alpha - 151 Ocean Avenue

In 1881 Christian Camp Meeting Association sold lot #242 of the Perry Plan of Cottage Lots, the property that is now 151 Ocean Avenue, to Samuel Purinton for $10. The property then stayed in the same family for more than 50 years, leaving no official record of when the cottage now called “Alpha” replaced what was probably a tent on the site.

Despite this, Alpha is often referred to as the oldest cottage in the village. This is very likely because it is the one that retains most of its original exterior features, including its arched windows and scrollwork trim.  

The family bought Alpha in 2003 and began the long process of working with the Town of Barnstable to update the building for modern living without losing any of its historic charm. This involved removing a low railroad style addition in the back that required one to walk through the bathroom to get to a bedroom.

The new addition which frames and sets off the original cottage from the outside opens inside to a modern kitchen and sitting area with a bedroom and bath upstairs. The original cottage is now a winterized living/dining room downstairs with a bedroom and bath upstairs. Wherever possible, original details, including the (almost impossible to navigate) stairs, have either been retained or rebuilt.

It is the family’s hope that these alterations and additions will keep Alpha a viable and vibrant part of the Craigville community for at least the next 150 years.

109 Lake Elizabeth Drive

Nearing the 150th anniversary of the oldest parts of the house, 109 Lake Elizabeth Drive was owned for almost 60 years by Henry F. Turtle or his daughter, so its current occupants call it “Turtle House.” 

In the late 1800s, it was owned by Dr. Martyn Summerbell (after whom nearby Summerbell Avenue is named), a Free Baptist cleric and author of multiple religious textbooks. In 1897, Dr. Summerbell hosted a meeting at the cottage attended by representatives of the Christian Church and of the Congregational Church who cooperated on a proposal to merge the churches (that happened later in 1930, to form the Congregational Christian Church, now part of the United Church of Christ.)

309 Lake Elizabeth Drive

In 1978 the Elliott family purchased the lot from CCMA and designed their home alongside renowned architect David Howard, America’s best-known post and beam architect. It was constructed in a passive solar style to create a cathedral-like feeling of openness reminiscent of a church.

The Elliott family visited with Howard twice before hiring him. A graduate of MIT, Howard had established a business of building energy-efficient houses. He visited the site twice, first to orient the house on the lot to take full advantage of the sun, and secondly to determine exactly where the kitchen, bedrooms and living room should be.

The foundation is comprised of cement blocks buried in the sand on which the posts are placed. The red oak beams are held by pretreated wood pegs, and there are no nails in the basic structure. The whole process of putting the beams together (like Lincoln logs) took seven days. All the interior wood is knotty pine.