Jim Saudade on Mike's porch enjoying the late winter sun

The Guardhouse for Fort Andrews

My island house. It was floated over from Long Island just after 1900 and was one of the first houses on Middle Head. The houses were fisherman's shacks where they would live in the fishing seasons to get them closer to the fish. In the days before mechanically-powered fishing boats it was a time advantage to live on the outer islands, catch and then process the fish and crabs on the island and make periodic trips to the fish markets.

Yeah, it needed a lot of work, but it was home!

The reason that we know it was one of the first ones on the island is its placement. After rolling it down the beach on Long Island, sailing and rowing it across Quincy Bay and then rolling it up the beach on Peddocks, the original owners put it in the first safe spot that they came to. everyone else had to roll theirs beyond it and up the hill. The grass street in front leads up the hill and then on to East Head. The grass street on the side of the house leads south. Many of the fisherman's house went on the south street first as it was flat!

Sunset over Boston from my front porch. The house was in tough shape, but the views were priceless.

The only house on the notrth side of my grass road was the Pink House. They really lived on the beach. The state owned the land under us and they decided to flex their muscles from time to time. At one point they told the pink house people that they didn't like the color of their house and that they would have to paint it. They changed the color to hot pink. It made a great landmark. The large camel behind the skiff washed up in the Blizzard of '78. They were in the house with the water watching and waiting to see if the camel would wash through the house, but the tide stopped rising and the log stopped moving. It has been there ever since. In the background is East Head.

Enlisted Men's Quarters in Fort Andrews. There is a piano on the third floor of this building. We used to play it (Poorly!) when the Boy Scouts who camped on the island would take their evening tours. None of them would ever venture in to see if it was ghost or just us. We probably helped to create a lot of nightmares and sleepness nights!

This was the administration building for Fort Andrews. The area in front is the old parade ground and within the trees to the left are the fort's hospital and officer's quarters. When the Army was on Peddocks there were very few trees. Everything has grown up since 1946 when the Army left. The fort had mortar pits and was pretty much obsolete during WWII. It served as an internement camp for Italian POW's.

Officer's Row from the parade ground in front of the church.

Mail Jeep on a float. How do you think cars got to the island?!

The Success alongside a dredge