The Captain Morse House Vacation Rental on Marthas Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard’s largest and most elegant vacation rental home. The Captain Morse House was built by Whaling Captain John Morse in 1840. The home has been fully renovated numerous times over the years and has all of the modern amenities you are accustomed to while preserving its historic grandeur. Available as the East or West Wing or the entire house with 26 rooms with 12 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 2 kitchens and 2 dining rooms, 25 people can sleep comfortably here. Either of the 2 large front porches facing Edgartown Harbor makes an ideal place to spend the afternoon. The large backyard and garden are perfect for hosting weddings and events. Plan your ultimate “vacation to remember” today by visiting our reservations page.
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12 Bedrooms • 7 Bathrooms 7 Baths • Sleeps 1-26The Captain Morse House is located in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. It is one of New England's premier vacation rental homes. It was built by the island's most successful whaling Captain in 1840. The 1840 Captain Morse House has a superb location on the waterfront and a walk to Edgartown's shopping and beaches. At the bottom of Morse Street lies the North Wharf where Captain Morse used to keep his whaling ships.
The home features 26 rooms with 12 bedrooms, 7 baths, two full kitchens, two dining rooms, and two living rooms. The home can be rented in its entirety or just as the East or West Wing with flexible floor plans starting with 5
Outside on the iconic North Water Street, there are two spacious porches with views of Edgartown Harbor. The porches are framed by 10 Doric columns and face the harbor. They create an ideal place to spend the day. The large backyard and garden offer a private oasis from the bustle of a Vineyard summer. The yard is graced by three towering and magnificent 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. We have a 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 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. 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 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 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 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.
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 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 at our website. Just search for captainmorsehouse.
Rates:
All pricing, availability, and terms are subject to change without notice.
A booking is confirmed when we receive a payment and a signed lease.
We reserve the right to cancel any booking where we feel the rates are inaccurate.
About the Owner
The Captain Morse House has been in our family since my father purchased it in 1955. I spent my summers at the house until I graduated from Tufts University. In 1973 I started Island Sports, a boat rigging and windsurfing shop. I expanded it to Newport RI in 1979 and ran it there until 2007 when we sold it. In 2008 I entered the vacation business and converted the Captain Morse House into a successful vacation rental. Since 2008 we have rented the home to over 200 families and groups. Our most recent project is Vacation Rental MV. This is a full-service vacation management business designed to assist busy homeowners with listing and managing their on-island rental properties. 2021 will be our second season in business. In the winter my wife and I live in Florida. Each spring we drive up to the island where we open up the house and prepare it for the season. We spend about a month doing this and then travel to Oregon where we spend the summer windsurfing, kitesurfing, and enjoying all that the Northwest has to offer. In the fall we return to the island and help close the house and prepare it for the winter. There are always jobs to do on a house this large and so this allows us more hands-on time. In the late fall, we travel back down to Florida with the geese. I have built several homes and enjoy the challenge of maintaining this old house and of creating wonderful living spaces suitable for large or small numbers of guests. Due to my long time on the island. I can help to plan your vacation. I can provide you the best possible service if we communicate via telephone or email. Our guests aren't clients so much as they are friends assisting us in maintaining the property and keeping it in our family for future generations. The vacation rental business has allowed our family to continue to own the house and to share it with other people that love the island and the unique architecture and heritage of this wonderful building.Amenities
If you are looking for any particular amenities please ask.
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| Accommodation | Entire Home |
| Check-In | Smart lock |
| Elevator | Manually Operated |
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7 Bathrooms
7 Baths
Bath #2 is ensuite with bedroom 11 at the back on the 1st floor. It features a so is great for people in wheelchairs. |
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12 Bedrooms,
sleeps 1-26
This bath is suitable for older people and those that have mobility issues. |
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Registration
- Registration Number
- C0028280890
- Registration Expiration Date
- Dec 30, 2023
Book now!