ROCKPORT — The longtime home of Maynard and Joyce Ingraham, at 97 Pascal Avenue overlooking Rockport Harbor, came down today, Sept. 14, in a cloud of dust and debris. The house is being leveled in advance of new construction, under the property's new owner, David Harvey.

It was a bit of local history being demolished, with most of the antique house, which was built in 1843, along with its fireplace, and foundation turned to rubble and hauled to the landfill.

The Ingrahams sold their home earlier this year to Harvey, and Maynard died at age 90 on Aug. 14. He and Joyce had moved to Bartlett Woods in Rockland after putting their home on the market.

Maynard was the son of Maynard and Marion Ingraham, who ran the Enos E. Ingraham Co. general store that was just down the road on Pascal Avenue, where Rayr Wine Shop is now located. Maynard Jr. took over the store's operation from his father in 1947, and was proprietor there until he sold it in 1975.

According to plans filed at the Rockport Town Office, Harvey, of Bermuda, intends to build a new driveway and will build a new home on the quarter-acre site on which the Ingraham house stood, ensuring the same view corridor over Rockport Harbor. Dead trees and brush will be cut down.

Plans call for a two-story home, with 1,525 square feet of construction on the first floor and 1,247 square feet on the second floor. The height of the building will be 33.11 feet, and there will be an attached garage and deck.

Eric Allyn is the project designer, and the project cost is an estimated $875,000.

The lot is surrounded by town property on all sides, and Rockport granted permission for Harvey to clear some vegetation on the easterly slope overlooking the harbor that is owned by the town.

However, the town ultimately “took the opportunity of the construction to clean up the land that was overgrown and unusable by the public)and make it more usable as a park and walking path with some great views of the harbor,” said Rockport Town Manager Rick Bates, in a follow-up to this story. “This way residents and visitors will have the same chance to enjoy the views that owner of the multi-million dollar home will have.  We plan on building a walking path that will connect with Pascal at Pine Street.” 

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657