Document "Wood House" Spurling/Bunker History

2012.200.1589

Document "Wood House" Spurling/Bunker History

Document, from Phil & Karin Whitney to Winnie Smart dated 4/25/2010. Subject: "Wood House History". Item 1589a is the 2nd page of this document. The house was built in 1844 on land which had been in the Spurling/Bunker family since the island was first settled in 1762. Joseph Stanley Spurling married Matilda Young in 1844. I believe they were the builders of the house and the first occupants of it. His son, Joseph William Spurling, married Julia Bunker in 1870. They were the next occupants of the house. They had five children, Warren Adelbert "Bert" (1871-1965), Arthur Milton "Chummy" (1873-1975), Alta Irva (1877-1969), Ernest Wilbur (1880-1935), Joseph Elwood (1882-1960), Joseph William Spurling died suddenly in 1887. Julia Bunker Spurling's mother, Sidney C. Hamor, came to live with her. Sidney died in 1918 (She stood up suddenly, said "now ain't that queer?" and fell down dead. Julia died in 1919. Phil Whitney states, "my grandfather , Joseph "Elwood" Spurling, became the executor of the property and sold it out of the family in the early 1920's. Between 1844 and 1919, the property was essentially a farm. Prior to 1900, the main road curved and ran in front of what is now David Bunker's house and the Wood House before curving back to its present day (2010) path. (One can still find traces of this road near the intersection of Dog Point Road. There was a large barn between the Wood house and the Heath, which housed horses, oxen and cows. The farm well is still visible near there. When the road was straightened (date unknown) the house, barn and well were separated by the road. Phil Whitney states, "the barn was used by my grandfather between 1920-1960." All the land on the opposite side of the road, including the barn, remained in the family, primarily to store and repair lobster traps. After Joseph "Elwood" Spurling's death in 1960, it became derelict and was intentionally burned down in the early 1970's. Julia Bunker Spurling, also known as "Nanny", ran a small store in one room of the house during the late 19th-early 20th century to help make ends meet after her husband's death. The room has an alcove and faces David Bunker's house. At one time (date unknown), there was an extra wing on the house, where the garage is now, which was constructed at a right angle to the main house and led towards David Bunker's house. The house was always referred to as "Nanny's House" when I (Phil Whitnery) was growing up. (Much information in these paragraphs was related to me (Phil Whitney) by my grandmother, Ella Bates Spurling, and my mother, Dorothy Spurling Whitney). Phil Whitney believes the purchaser of the house in the 1920's was Blanche Atkinson. She owned it until the early 1950's. It wasn't used much and as I (Phil Whitney) understand it , the house became rather rundown. Louise Strandberg's family (Saltonstall/Lobkowicz) owned it in the 1950's-early 1960's using it primarily in the summer months. It was then sold to Burton Jones and his wife. He was the Arts Editor for the Boston Globe in the mid-1960's. They owned it until approximately 1978. (Note; the dates are not exact). Robert and Sarah Bloom then purchased the property from the Joneses. Bob Bloom built the existing garage on the end of the main building during the early 1980's. Bloom died in the late 1980's or early 1990's. Sarah (Salley) Bloom held onto the house until 2007, before selling it to Cameron and Nancy Wood of Virginia, the current owners (2010). Sally lived year-round one year in the house around 2002, before moving away permanently and renting the house seasonally. Around 2004-2005, Sally was in the process of selling the house to a wealthy art dealer from Rhode Island. The individual spent part of one summer living in the house. There were several burglaries of artworks from summer cottages toward the end of the season. An island resident spotted him breaking into a residence. This individual was convicted of the thefts. The sale of the house was never finalized. This house is especially noteworthy, not only because of its age (1844) and beautiful location (outstanding views of the Pool andthe Mt. Desert mountains) but that many of the children born in the house went on to have interesting lives or produce many other well-known island offspring. Bert Spurling moved to Islesford in 1919 and during his long life founded the old Woodlawn Hotel. One son was Elmer Spurling who took over the dock business for many years. One daughter, Elva, married Harvard Beal who founded Beal Fish Wharf in Southwest Harbor which is still in operation today. Chummy Spurling also moved to Islesford and became locally famous for his craftmanship in building skiffs. (He dropped dead saying good-bye to his friends after the completion of his 102nd birthday party). Alta married Henry Bunker and around 1920 moved into the house across the street currently (2010) owned by Louise Strandberg. Her children included, Raymond Bunker (famous boatbuilder), Lyndon "Tud" Bunker (famous Cranberry Island icon) and Wilfred Bunker (co-founder of Beal & Bunker). Ernest Spurling committed suicide in 1935 (found in a vehicle on Cooksey Drive, Northeast Harbor). Elwood Spurling , lived in three separate houses during his lifetime on Great Cranberry, all with 200 feet of each other. At various times in his life, he was a farmer, lobsterman, operated herring weirs, summer charter boat captaing, was Road Commissioner for 30 years, owned and sold much land on Cranberry. Phil ends this email by saying, "Whew! That's probably too much information for this publication, but should be saved for our archives."

Paper

8 1/2" x 11"