“Early in the fifties (1953?) Rosa Stevens gave a wonderful Christmas present to Bill  and Mary Stevens; Eben and Peggy Clark; and Ann and me – each a kit for building Sea Shell prams.  After we built the prams cooperatively. Mrs. Stevens followed through with presents of the sailing rigs that made it possible to hold weekly children's racing on Farm Pond.  Bill Stevens was the entire race Committee, running the races and awarding the victor's prize, always a roll of Lifesavers.” Simeon Hyde

“The  photo of the young man at the helm, with the Bill Hart boathouse in the background, is of Bill Stevens, my old roommate, who took me on as his crew when, at age ten, we had both qualified for seagoing by swimming our hundred yards; and the picture of the sloop is of his Amphibicon, Sea Ami.”

Simeon Hyde

“We raced the Sea Ami in Vineyard Haven. This lovely cruiser had no chance against the mostly larger, racing cruisers - hence, the tub name. Dad could start a race well though.” Jonathan Stevens

"I remember sailing to Nantucket in the morning with the spinnaker flying.  I made my self comfortable on the bow, which took some doing with that big bulky orange life jacket. Looking up at it, with the sun shining through it,  my entire view was a brilliant golden yellow." Sharry Grunden Stevens

“"Trailering the Sea Ami from Andover with a VW Van was always an adventure, as was the sail from Marblehead (where we launched) to the Vineyard. Remember putting in at the north end of the canal. Lots of police lights. We thought they were for us for funky running lights. Some poor soul had had a heart attack. I was relieved. (from stress, not the helm!)" Jonathan Stevens

“Remember  when the Stormy Petrel would anchor off Hart Haven beach?  I remember swimming out there and jumping off the rails.

 

I also remember all the clam bakes in our back yard for the Kids those who could not go to the Buoy Beach affair where booze was served

 

Everyone remembers Kick the Can and Capture the Flag

 

Do you remember when we had a horse at the house?? Some one else had a horse or two over the years. 

 

I remember when there was a road along the pond in front of all the houses ... long gone

 

I think everyone learned to drive around Martha's Park!

 

I can remember taking the clarks little night heron boat through the culvert to the Crab pond.

 

The steamers and quahogs were terrific too.”

 

Lyn Stevens-Bugbee

“The crowded vessel is the first built of the Sea Shells, the Stevens's Sea Bee.  Identifications are difficult, but I make out two Hydes, two Clarks, at least two Stevenses, and I think Lucy Lee Abbot, and Jeff Young. These were the Harthaven gang of the early fifties.  They had the run of the place and great times, including composition and production of a brief theatrical piece celebrating life "by the bombing (sic) sea".  How the memories of good old times flood in when one is in his nineties!” Simeon Hyde.

“I got my first sailing lessons in those dinghies. Sim Hyde and I had a hard time with sailing up wind. Ended up rowing the boat to the finish line. I also would row the CB to the middle of Farm Pond, ship oars, lay on the bottom and float randomly for a good long time. I remember the sky framed by the sides of the CB. Wonderful silent time.” Jonathan Stevens

“I liked rowing and watching the evenly spaced whirls in my wake.”

Sharry Stevens-Grunden

“Crab Pond” - painting by Mary Stevens

Stevens, Clarks, Moores, Hydes, Abbots and other subjects of interest

A colloquy

with Sharry Stevens and Margie Clark Towle

Sharry Stevens

“I understand that Rosa Duncan Sharpe Stevens, was the college classmate or roommate of one of the Moore family.  Although I don't have any definitive proof of the connection, found a picture of Barbara Moore of Sunnyledge New Britain, Connecticut, in Rosa's yearbook The 1916 Vassarion.  Penciled underneath was the  name Mrs. Maurice Pease.  I believe Rosa and her husband Yale Stevens were invited to buy property in Harthaven.  Maybe there is a Moore or Pease that can confirm this.

 

They bought the piece of property at 241 Sea View Ave and summered there.  Eventually the properly was split.  Her daughter Margaret Sharpe Stevens Clark, my Aunt Peg, got the piece with the house.  Her son, my Dad, got the other piece at 9 Farm Pond Rd, where he built the house called "The Beehive" in 1949.  There was a well worn trail between the two houses. 

 

Simeon and Ann Hyde bought property at about the same time. Sim was a high school and college friend of my fathers'.  They were Aunt Ann and Uncle Sim to me and Patty Pease was Aunt Martha,(was Barbara her mother?). 

Margie Clark Towle:

Rosa Stevens was a Vassar friend of Barb Moore Pease and she used to visit with the Peases before buying Eddy's (?) house in HH. Patty Pease and mom [Peggy Stevens Clark] became fast friends through their vineyard days together. They used to ride Patty's [Martha] pony, "Tarbaby" all through the farmland which is now Farm Neck. Peggy was good friends with all of Martha's brothers, especially on the Edgartown golf course.  Patty, as we knew her as kids, used to drive us [Ben and Margie Clark, Jeff Young, Beth Hyde, Kim Abbot....have I left anyone out?] all over the island in her Nash Rambler convertible, choosing suitable sights for her once a week art class with us - Menemsha, Brick Factory, Chilmark Church....  We always stopped for ice cream cones afterwards!!  Another memory:  one summer, our gang of cousins and neighborhood friends built a raft with uncle Bills "raw materials." We painted it bright pink and called our club HACS or CASH [I think Beth Hyde’s choice]...the initials stood for C lark, A bbot, S tevens, H yde]....if some of the younger members of these families don't remember, you were probably excluded because you were too young,  SORRY...