Harbor Restoration - Patrick Ahearn Architect

Named for its inaugural occupant—Edgartown’s first blacksmith—the shed-roof Colonial-style John Coffin House had been subjected to significant wear and tear and several insensitive additions since its 1682 construction. A thought restoration plan and new spaces in historically motivated outbuildings reestablished the property’s glory and now accommodate the current owners’ multigenerational family.

(Historic images courtesy of Martha’s Vineyard Museum)

Sited to preserve public water views, the new structures—inspired by 1890s extensions discovered in archival research—serve as a guest cottage, carriage house, and home office. Meanwhile, a new foundation and the surgical replacement of each post and beam stabilized the main house, eighty percent of which contains original wood.