Bishop’s Terrace To Be Sold; Original House Will Be Restored

WEST HARWICH – The long-neglected former Bishop’s Terrace property at 108 Route 28 is scheduled to be sold on June 12. 

The new owners plan to restore and preserve the main house, which was constructed by Job Chase, Sr. in 1778. All of the attached structures added over the years will be removed.

JSLW, LLC has a purchase and sales agreement on the property with the closing taking place on Friday, said Jeffrey Handler, a select board member and a member of the family that will become the new owners. Handler is scheduled to appear before the historic district and historical commission (HDHC) on June 17 to present plans for the property.

Handler said he expected that session to be more about how to navigate the preservation process than seeking action from the commission.

The property is currently owned by John Gregg, trustee of Maple Rock Trust, which purchased it in 2005. Handler said negotiations have been ongoing with Gregg for the past 11 months. The property is valued at $522,500 by the town’s assessing department.

  The initiative, Handler said, is being driven by his mother-in-law, Sandy Wycoff, who is the owner of Bank and Main apparel shop in Harwich Port. He said she used to do fashion shows in the Bishop’s Terrace restaurant, and the building means a lot to her.

“What a cool project to preserve one of the oldest homes in Harwich,” Handler said. “From a family standpoint I can’t imagine a more worthwhile endeavor than saving that building. We’ll preserve it and then figure out what we’re doing with it.”

Handler said the Chase house portion of the structure is in rough shape and people have been illegally living in the unheated building over the past several months. Without attention the building would not last another two years, he said. 

According to the HDHC application, over the years the building has been vacant, the property has deteriorated to the point where it recently has been condemned. Handler made it clear they intend to rehabilitate only the Job Chase home, a Georgian structure built 248 years ago, restoring it to its original condition. All of the attachment structures built over the years will be demolished.  

“Reviving all the structures on the property would be an illogical financial endeavor given their current condition,” the application to HDHC reads. 

The building, on 1.47 acres, was converted to a restaurant in 1945 and has been closed for more than a decade. The present structure is 8,660 square feet. According to the Massachusetts Historical Commission description of the building, later additions and alterations have diminished the architectural integrity of the Chase home. 

The new owners have plans to meet with the planning board about the West Harwich Special District designation to better understand how to negotiate the preservation process.  

Handler said he is pleased with what has been happening in West Harwich, citing the rehabilitation of the former 1871 schoolhouse and its conversion to housing by John Carey, and other plans Carey has for the village. He also cited the plans the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has for streetscape improvements along Route 28 from the Herring River to Dennisport. 

“I also want to thank [current owner] John Gregg for understanding the significance of this property. I know it wasn’t easy for him. We’re very excited,” Handler said.