#1 2011-09-24 08:43:35

Someone calling themselves McCarthy on Wareham Week asks, "What's the story with the Tobey Homestead?"

McCarthy wrote:

"I have been told that the goal of Southcoast Hospital Corporation is to be allowed to tear the building down... I encourage the local reporters to please follow up on this, and I encourage anyone who has factual information to please share it with the rest of us."

Welcome to Wareham's longest running psychodrama. Forty years ago last July, Tobey Trustee and Hospital Administrator Ed Whitehouse, my grandfather, hired moonlighting firefighters to arson the building and make way for the hospital's expansion. He failed. So did all subsequent efforts.

From day one, the story reduced to horrified residents facing Doctors+Lawyers+Rabid Greed and odds are, this time they'll win. Our doctors don't live here anymore and - please prove me wrong - they don't give a flying fuck.

Watch close when that happens. Southcoast will steamroll Wareham (Narrows) Village unbound.

I loved my grandfather but I will testify in court. Email me.

Last edited by billw (2011-09-24 11:23:58)

Offline

 

#2 2011-09-24 14:12:47

This Is Not Even The Original Tobey Homested ,the Other Burned To The Ground ,some Carpenter Rebuild The Homestead And Did Not Have An Official Agrement With Tobey , He Put His Savings Into The Building And Went Bankrupt  And The Bank Took His House ,i Hear The Hospital An Dthe Carpenter Went To Court Over This ,dont  Know The Deposition Of The Case , The Building Leaks And Wasnt Rebuilt Properly  I Here Because Of A Lack Of Funds. There Was A Rash Of Fires Back Then A Lot Of Buildings Burned Down , Wareham Call Fire Fighters Where Burning The Buildings Down As They Liked Putting Out Fires.

Offline

 

#3 2011-09-24 15:03:38

redrobin wrote:

This Is Not Even The Original Tobey Homested

Thank you, Red. I was out of loop for most of 30 years and didn't know that. Outwardly, it appears the same.

https://warehamwater.cruelery.com/atlas/thumbs/wareham.narrows-portrait.1879.jpg
~ Click to Enlarge ~


The Tobey Homestead was one of only two Wareham landmarks profiled (above) by the 1879 Plymouth County Atlas, the Rand McNally of its day. NO OTHER city or town in the county has taken such pains to retain its character.

Auto-edited on 2020-08-11 to update URLs

Last edited by billw (2011-09-24 15:11:21)

Offline

 

#4 2011-09-24 17:13:10

The Tobey Homestead is a historical treasure.

Shame on those that let it burn, shame on those that allowed it to deteriorate, shame on those who don't care what happens to this historic site.

I remember Charlie Decas hosting a wine and cheese party on the grounds to solicit State officials.

It worked.

I also remember weddings, events of all kinds, taking place on the grounds.

WTF?

What happened?

Where is Wareham pride?

Offline

 

#5 2011-10-06 21:03:07

I remember a nurse who lived and worked in Rhode Island and she would come to Wareham every summer to work at Tobey and she would live in the Tobey Homestead with other nurses, while she was here.  I remember this because my dad would sometimes pick her up and bring her to our summer neighbor's cottage for the weekend.  They were professors at Brown University.  Her name was Helen Kernig, R.N.  I also remember my dad getting her to Tobey during Hurricane Carol, before the Cornwell's building fire.

I'm wondering if Red Robin hasn't a few stories mixed up to make one.

Maybe 25 or so years ago, a few young firemen started a few small fires, one was a church (possibly under construction) and not such a small fire there.  They were caught and prosecuted.  End of story.

I would love to see this building used.  The Historical Society has a lot of pull and usually they are right there to stop the destruction or changes to Historical Sights.  Let's hope they do.

Offline

 

Board footer

warehamwater.cruelery.com