In August, Cable network HGTV revealed the Vineyard as its location for the 19th annual Dream Home giveaway and sweepstakes. The grand Cape Cod-style home in Katama was completed last month, and a drawing for the home will be held in May 2015.
On a recent misty morning, Island architect Patrick Ahearn and contractor Tim McHugh stood talking on a freshly manicured lawn in front of a brand new home on Crocker Drive. They were not alone.
Dan Martino and Greg Martino, who run the local production company Martha’s Vineyard Productions, were there. David Welch, an Island photographer, was also on hand, as well as Beth Kurtz and Matt Muenster from the cable network, Home & Garden Television.
Normally Mr. Ahearn and Mr. McHugh wouldn’t be surrounded by such a large group at the completion of a project, but the house on Crocker Drive at the Field Club in Katama is the location of the 2015 HGTV Dream Home.
The cable network revealed the Vineyard as its location for the 19th annual Dream Home giveaway and sweepstakes in August, naming Mr. Ahearn as the home’s architect and Mr. McHugh as the contractor. Building began five months ago, Mr. Ahearn told the Gazette, and a grand Cape Cod-style home was completed last month.
Dan and Greg Martino of Vineyard Productions film episode for HGTV.
Dan and Greg Martino of Vineyard Productions film episode for HGTV.
This week, a Donaroma’s Nursery landscaping crew arrived to lay down sod and grass sprigs. On Tuesday morning, while a light rain drizzled down, landscapers roamed the property, some watering shrubs, others clipping plants in window boxes.
The Dream Home features three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, and a large gourmet kitchen with two stove chimneys. It also has a matching custom-built doggy dream home, too.
The interior hasn’t been completed yet. If all goes according to the HGTV schedule, Linda Woodrum, the official designer for HGTV Dream Homes, will furnish the entire home by the end of the month.
This is the first HGTV Dream Home built in Massachusetts. Between Dec. 29, 2014 and Feb. 17, 2015, people can enter up to twice a day either online or by mail for a chance to win the home. Entries will be selected at random and then organized into batches and assigned numbers that get printed on ping-pong balls. In May 2015, one ball will be randomly drawn to name the winner. Last year the sweepstakes had 72,427,440 entries.
When HGTV came to the Island to check out some potential plots of land to build on, Mr. Ahearn knew the Field Club would be a winner.
“HGTV was really trying to create a home that would have that romantic appeal in the broad market reach for their sweepstakes and tell the story of Martha’s Vineyard in a really nice way,” Mr. Ahearn said. “In the early days when people lived in Edgartown, they would go out to the Katama plains and guys would build little cottages or shacks and go out to fish, go out to hunt, and that, from a historical point of view, is the story of how this HGTV house began.”
The home has three cottage pieces broken into three components, all of which are connected, giving the feel that “there was one cottage and then over time and over the years two other cottages were then built on the property.” Mr. Ahearn said his hope was to give people passing by the illusion that the home had been on the Island for a long time.
HGTV has contracted many local companies for the project. Martha’s Vineyard Productions was hired to produce three one-hour episodes, which are scheduled to air early next year. The local production company has also been documenting the development of the Dream Home and will continue to film until Dec. 2. Air dates will be posted on the HGTV website closer to the start of the new year.
In the meantime, special clips will be posted on the HGTV website with blog posts that include photographs by Island photographer Jocelyn Filley.
And come May, the winner will walk away with more than the house. The grand prize also includes a car and a yearlong membership to the Field Club.
Comments
So what I am hearing you say
EileenSo what I am hearing you say is - if you win the home and are not already a multi millionaire - take the money and run
Many of the features I have
Ethan S Bourne MassMany of the features I have in my new house including the floors, cabinets, paint in the master bed.Lived in a cape style house for 12 years and now I thought was my dream home is swept away with this house. It is like mine but just enlarged.
If it going to take $800,000
Eileen Sterling, ILIf it going to take $800,000 to pay off the capital gains (as the earlier stated) I guess the dream of winning and keeping the home is just that - a dream.
The home is beautiful. I have
Clara Berkeley Heights, NjThe home is beautiful. I have been to Martha Vineyard it would be such a nice place
to bring my family. It is a wonderful dream and they say dreams sometimes come true.
Honestly people...poo poo-ing
Mikkimo Wellesley, MAHonestly people...poo poo-ing your upturned noses at the location it's on Crocker not Ocean Heights...here not there. Get over yourselves. It is a beautiful home, anyone would be lucky to win it. I would take this lovely location over my current one cheerfully and with much gratitude. Regarding taxes that is something the person gets to figure out with HGTV, the IRS and the tax collector. I understand the whole cranky New Englander thing but try some hospitality once in a while it may surprise you how much you get back in return! And to the politico crusty little raisin of a person kvetching about liberal v conservative. Don't like it, go move somewhere you think is better. A community is built on differing opinions and viewpoints. Good luck one and all who enter and best of luck to the person that wins...with some of the cat claws displayed here you are going to need it.
I Like your comment, it's
Judy StlI Like your comment, it's smart and very true!
I'm going to get around to
Jennifer Rathkamp Boxford, MassachusettsI'm going to get around to putting up my own comment, but couldn't agree more!!! Dear goodness, there is a 'valued at two million dollars' house here being given away in a contest - and people are COMPLAINING!?!!! I was born in East Boston, grew up in Saugus (think, world's ugliest stretch of highway, LOL!) and finally have moved to the bucolic woods of Boxford (adjacent to Andover, North Andover, Topsfield, etc..) I have spent half of my 41 years summering on the Vineyard .. do we really need to focus on who else is here?? Or how chi-chi the freaking address of your FREE vacation home is!? Can we please focus on the fact, that the most 'undesirable' area of the Vineyard is still, pretty much heaven for those who are in love, LOVE LOVE LOVE (as I am!!!!!!!!) with Massachusetts and all its colorful nooks and crannies? And - if you can't afford the yearly taxes on the home - quit your whining and complaining - DON'T ENTER!!!!!
We don't fear the "cat claws.
Elaine Castalian Springs, TNWe don't fear the "cat claws." We would make excellent neighbors since we mostly keep to ourselves and mind our own business. Should a neighbor need assistance we would gladly oblige, and though we've always done so here without incident, we promise not to feed the turkeys!
betterhavemoneyifyouwiniguess
basshelen chilmarkbetterhavemoneyifyouwiniguessonecouldsellit
It would be nice to win this
lisa indianaIt would be nice to win this house,but marthas vineyard is what would make me happy it takes my breath away just the pics of it.
Are there HOA fees in the
Marilyn ColoradoAre there HOA fees in the community? What is the annual fee for the club after the initial complimentary one year membership?
Have vacationed on MV several
Diane McCall Geneseo,ILHave vacationed on MV several times. I love this place. I would love to have a home there but just not in my future because of cost.
WE are visiting this summer to celebrate our 50th anniversary.
My dream would be to win this home.
It's our dream house.I'm a
Suanne Wakefield, MAIt's our dream house.I'm a singer and would love the cathedral ceilings and to hear classical music ringing through them.We used to own a time share in Edgartown and loved our summer vacations. It was our dream to own a house on the island. HGTV is giving us the opportunity to return.
Questions: Is there a basement; How is it heated -- We don't see any heaters or floor ducts.
No basement...just a
SusanNo basement...just a crawlspace
Once you've been to MV, a
Robin Rhode IslandOnce you've been to MV, a piece of it stays with you! I dream about it all the time... and it can't hurt for a girl to dream!
I would love to win the HGTV
Rena Lloyd Hamden, CTI would love to win the HGTV dream home. I was born in Massachusetts. I have never been back since I was 4. I would love to go back and relive a piece of my dream at home in Edgartown. It is probably meant to be. I love people of all kinds, that's how God made me. I hope there is a lot of love there.
If you are lucky/blessed to
Lisa Cranbury, NJIf you are lucky/blessed to win this beautiful house ( get behind me- I'm entering twice a day ,everyday!), please ask yourself how you will give back to the Island? If you dream of living on MV ( renter for 20+ years) as much as I do, show some love to the MV Museum, The Girl's and Boy's club, Island food banks, etc. mvdonors.org is a good place to start. Good luck!!!
I'm a lifelong resident of
Jennifer Rathkamp Boxford, MassachusettsI'm a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, born in 'Eastie' - East Boston, and raised there and in Saugus - no earthly idea how, but I STILL say caR, not 'Caaah'!! Paaahk the caaaah in Haaaavaaad Yaaaahd, LOL!! Despite my correct pronunciation of the letter 'R', there is nowhere else on earth, that I could ever happily call 'home'. My Dad is an antique dealer; his brick and mortar location in Marblehead (which he closed a few years back) was where the movie ' The Witches of Eastwick' was shot...
I can remember like it was yesterday going to estate sales with him, and at 11 years old, shrieking from the kitchen of a home on the water that we were clearing out, that their 'everyday' china was Wedgwood - what 11 year old knows about Wedgwood?? My Dad bought the set, and in my early 30's, he gave it to me. I collect my Wedgewood 'shell edge Queensware' to this day. I can seat at least 30 for a formal dinner, which is lucky, because my family isn't much smaller than this!!
As I grew older, we'd start taking vacations down the Cape, and when I turned 21, my parents rented a vacation home on the Vineyard for the first time. My parents were young when they had us. Dad was 22, Mom was 20. I came first, and a year and 10 months later, came my (best friend on this earth) sister. So at 21 years old, on the Vineyard, my parents who were taking us on vacation, were still young and, hold the phone now - COOL! My Dad could play the guitar really well, and got invited up on stage to play at the bar we went to, and my Mum, well, my Mum is just a knock dead beauty. Can you tell I love my family!?
In subsequent years (15 of them) I made the trip to the Vineyard with the same group of lifelong friends - my grade school friends, the 'neighborhood' kids - that I grew up with - we'd rent a house with LOTS of bedrooms, and all of us, would cram in there for at least a week of, volleyball, bodysurfing, delightfully crazy Vineyard shopping, nude beach parading, red clay smearing, white sand rolling, South Beach tide sweeping you away, cheesy Oak Bluffs night time club dancing, Black Dog food scarfing, awe.
My memories of the Vineyard are of the best times spent, in my life. I am now the Mom of a 3 year old daughter, and 5 year old son. There is nothing in this world, that I want more, than to take my children there, to spend summers with both my sisters and husbands and their kids, their 'Mimi and Papa' - my parents, and my AMAZING in-laws, who live in Cincinnati - and in their kick-my-butt energetic early 70's travel to see us ALL THE TIME. I am 41 years old, I have two small children, and ALL their grandparents are still here!!!!! This would be a perfect chance to have all of us together every summer.. for as long as we can. #wholovesyanewengland
Let me just put it out there
Nikki NJLet me just put it out there that if I am fortunate to win this incredible gift, I will most definitely figure out how to pay whatever taxes I need to pay. Taxes will not stop me from dreaming big and filling out the sweepstake entries twice a day. Best of luck but I got this! It's mine.
HGTV ROCKS THE ROCK!
Melody TennesseeHGTV ROCKS THE ROCK!
With so many people moving
Nancy Lee Pawleys Island, SCWith so many people moving from the north to south, we would love to go north to this lovely hospitable island. We would make it our permanent home. At 55 my husband had a heart attack and quadruple by pass surgery. 10 months later he suffered 2 strokes in one day and lost the ability to speak but was rehabilitated of all other consequences. He is permanently disabled which meant my husband, myself and 3 children lost our home, a car and so on. But...God left our husband and Daddy with us!!! This home would be a dream come true from the heavens above. We will enter daily and if it is God's will we would start a beautiful happy life in a home that would belong to our family. Thank you HGTV for a real Dream of a real Dream home. We all need a dream in our life.
Nice house. Unfortunately,
Brian H Townsend, MANice house. Unfortunately, no winner ever keeps the home. Not a true dream that can come true, due to ridiculous taxes. Enticing for us average folk, but really a big win for HGTV and commercialism and consumerism. Sad reality of today - even the dreams that come true don't really come true. Nice trickery by HGTV, great marketing. But you would get a huge lump sum of cash if done right. Just never the house. Why is that? Shouldn't this be marketed more accurately?
Nice house. Unfortunately,
Brian H Townsend, MANice house. Unfortunately, no winner ever keeps the home. Not a true dream that can come true, due to ridiculous taxes. Enticing for us average folk, but really a big win for HGTV and commercialism and consumerism. Sad reality of today - even the dreams that come true don't really come true. Nice trickery by HGTV, great marketing. But you would get a huge lump sum of cash if done right. Just never the house. Why is that? Shouldn't this be marketed more accurately?
We love MA (married there in
Elaine Castalian Springs, TNWe love MA (married there in fact.) We've returned a few times and dream of relocating. Our Cape friends will be thrilled; so will we. Bring it on!
I love the house SOOO much on
Emma Heesen Charlston South CarolinaI love the house SOOO much on my family is to big for the tiny house that we live in. It would be an AMAZING opertunity for us and we would be blessed
Would love to be the next
Teyah JonesWould love to be the next 2015 winner..
Thankyou for all the
Mary M. Tucson, Az.Thankyou for all the financial info 're: the dream house.Good reality check.Been in the desert all my life and in dire need of greenery and ocean.Looking at the home online has been therapeutic for me!
This Dream Home is truly
Vanessa Matlock Long Island, NYThis Dream Home is truly fitting for my little family of four! My two girls, Ava(6) and Kennedy(3) won't stop asking to watch the video tours (especially "their room"). My husband and I are both high school teachers and our young family is looking for the perfect spot to begin traditional summer fun. We can just imagine sitting around the island in the sun drenched kitchen as my husband, Don prepares a delicious meal. He will so enjoy creating fabulous dishes in this beautifully designed gourmet kitchen. The Great Room will be great for entertaining our closely knit extended family. I know they will get a kick out of all the individual patios positioned off each room giving our guests their own little personal retreat. And my brother's dog, Myles will certainly appreciate his little home away from home. The details in this Dream Home are just so perfect for us! I can't wait to start summering in the beachy town of Martha's Vineyard!
What a beautiful home! It
Florence Cape codWhat a beautiful home! It would be so nice to have for me, my young grandchildren, and my family! My goodness, what happy family get togethers we could have! Dreams do come true, sometimes! Thanks for giving everyone a chance at that dream!
We have owned a home on
Katama kid MvWe have owned a home on Crocker for years and I can't believe the development taking place on this part of the island. Nice home.
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