The Early Days

The earliest record of the land around Greenwood House is May 1886 when Elisha Luce sold the land to the left of Main Street, which now includes the land around Greenwood Avenue, to John H. Crowell.

A House is Built for Mrs. Hinckley

Around the turn of the century, the Hinckley family owned the large, gray, 3 story building on Main Street, which is two doors down from the Vineyard Haven Library. The Hinckleys ran a funeral home and the garages currently behind Greenwood House were used to store caskets. Laura Hinckley, the matriarch of the family, her son, Nelson, and his family lived in the large house. Nelson offered to build his mother her own home, just around the corner. Mr. Jesse Smith sold the property to the Hinckleys for $575! around 1906. Built in the bungalow style which was popular at the time, the house was warm and comfortable. The stairs climbing up to the second floor to the bedrooms were gradual and at an easy slant, designed particularly for her.

Shortly after, the Hinckleys purchased the property to the west of Greenwood House and built a more opulent Victorian house for the expanding family. To this day, the name remains the Hinckley House.

At the turn of the century, Greenwood Avenue became a popular neighborhood. The current library had been a summer home and was donated to the Ladies' Library League by the John R. MacArthurs in 1909. (The old library was torn down and rebuilt in 1967 and remodeled again in 1999 to its present condition.)

The Hancocks had their home just up on N.William St., next door to the Bangs. Mr. Hancock built a house for his daughter, Miss Esther Hancock, in the late 1800's between the current library and the inn. He also built a house for his other daughter and her family next to the library on Main St. The president of the bank, Mr. Luce, and his wife lived in the corner house of Greenwood and N. William St. with beautiful gardens extending to included the large grove on the corner. The Superintendent of schools, Robert Martin, lived across the street in the house with the large front porch.

The Castellos Move to Greenwood Ave.

Harry F. Castello (b.1844) and Caroline F. Castello (b.1849) came to the Vineyard from Rhode Island. They owned and operated the grand Tashmoo Inn in town on Main and Church Street, later moving the building away from the hustle and bustle to the corner of Main and Tashmoo. Sometime between 1906 and 1912, they purchased Greenwood House and made it their home.

Harry came to be known as the oldest Civil War veteran living on the island. He was a private in the Rhode Island infantry during the Civil War. In subsequent years and as late as 1939, at the age of 94, he marched in the island Memorial Day Parade. Many people remember him, marching in his Civil War uniform. He often sat on the front porch and chatted with passer bys. He was featured in a photograph with other old timers in the Gazette. We have also been fortunate to have found one photograph of him sitting in the backyard.

Capt Hartson Bodfish, Harry Castello, Ted Fortin at the flag raising Memorial Day Owen Park 1937

Mrs. Castello loved her new home. At that time the house had a single bathroom on thesecond floor. The open front porch extended clear across the front of the house, including the glassed in section that is now part of the first floor guest room. All the rooms had plenty of windows to insure a nice breeze during the hot and humid summers. The house had a full basement as well as a full attic (which is now our penthouse guest room suite, remodeled in the late 1980's). Mrs. Castello rented rooms in the house during the summer, with everyone sharing the one bath.

The Castellos continued to live in the house for many years through the thirties and into the forties.

The Geyers Move to Martha's Vineyard

In the 20's Mrs. Geyer, the next owner-to-be, came to the island as a graduate of the Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, PA (1923). She also attended the Boston Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1924-25. She came to the island and began teaching music, piano and voice at the Tisbury School. Her name then was Isabel Llewellyn.

While teaching here, she met Mr. Santiago, a baritone with the LaScalla Opera Company of Milan, Italy, at a lecture in Boston. He courted her and actually proposed to her at Owen Park!

With musical aspirations, she moved from the island, to pursue her career and to accompany her husband, but only after having fallen in love with the island, vowing to come back in later years.

She sang and traveled in New York (worked in the chorus at the Roxie Theater) and accompanied her husband to Europe, where he rejoined La Scala. He also recorded for RCA records. During these years, she had one son and while carrying her second child, she and her husband, several years her senior, separated, and she moved back to Pennsylvania, where her sister lived. She later met and married William Geyer of Wilkes-Barre, PA, a successful business man in 1942. Mr. Geyer adopted the two young boys, Joe and Philip, and they carry his name.

While vacationing on the island with her new family, she called on her old boss, Mr. Martin, the superintendent of schools, who lived on Greenwood Ave. While they visited, reminiscing about life on the island, he mentioned that the house across the street was for sale by the estate of the Castellos, who had both passed away. In 1948, the Geyers decided to bring the family and construction business from Pennsylvania to the island. Mrs. Geyer had returned, just as she had planned as a young woman!

Vineyard Haven Harbor 1948

They purchased Greenwood House, with all its contents, for $9,500 and made it their home for the next 40 years! The older son, Joseph, was a college man then, attending Mansfield College, later becoming a music teacher in Connecticut. Philip, the younger son, enrolled as a junior at Tisbury High School. He later traveled, opened Mrs. Field's Cookies in Edgartown, and wrote for the M.V. Times.

Mr. William Geyer is remembered as a kind man with blue eyes, gray hair and glasses, who regularly walked to town. He kept a bicycle in the cellar that he rode as a stationary bike. He loved gardening and had an extensive rose garden in the back yard.

Mrs. Geyer returned to teaching music in the 1950's and many of her students were the children and grandchildren of the students she taught as a young woman. She was also the popular soloist at the Methodist Church. She gave private piano and voice lessons in the house and the baby grand piano that stood in the living room, now belongs to her granddaughter. She enjoyed chatting with her students, telling them of her many travels and career.

In subsequent years, Mr. Geyer became ill and had to have around-the-clock nursing care. He stayed at home and his bedroom was moved down stairs and the second bath was added. Mr. Geyer passed away at age 92 on September 8, 1981. He did not want to be buried and his ashes were spread around the flowering tree planted in his memory in the front yard. Mrs. Geyer continued to live in the house after her sons went away to school and got married.

As did Mrs. Costello, Mrs. Geyer opened her home to guests. She had many summer guests from all over the East Coast, renting rooms for $10 - $15 a week in the late 40's. In the early 50's the rates went to $35 a week! At that time the house was called, the Geyer Heritage House.

In the mid 70's, her younger son and daughter-in-law came back to the island. In 1977 they bought the Hinckley House next door and the Greenwood House was transferred from William and Isabel Geyer to Philip and Ruth Geyer. Upon her death in 1983 at the age of 84, Mrs. Geyer's ashes were scattered in the Vineyard Sound. Her son and daughter-in-law, who were aspiring innkeepers, began extensive remodeling, added private baths to the rooms and named the inn Greenwood House.

Greenwood House Has New Owners!

The younger Geyers tired of inn keeping and on January 1, l988, both properties, the Greenwood House and the Hinckley House next door, were sold to Karl and Lynn Buder, well established innkeepers on the island since the early 80's and owners of the successful Thorncroft Inn on Main Street. They made the Hinckley House their home and continued to operate the Greenwood House as an inn. They renovated the attic and enhanced all the guest rooms.

New Owners Once Again!

Larry and Kathy, guests at the Thorncroft Inn in the early 80's, frequently visited Martha's Vineyard from California. Larry worked in Silicon Valley for 28 years and Kathy taught elementary school. As many people are apt to do, they fell in love with the island and Kathy secretly laid plans to retire here. Eventually buying a summer house in Vineyard Haven, they summered here through the mid 80's and early 90's. While here for Christmas vacation in December 1993, thinking of making some changes, they listed their summer house for sale and took home the real estate guide for the island. While delayed at the airport because of bad weather, they began looking at the listings and came upon the advertisement for Greenwood House. Having known the Buders, over the years and being inspired by their business, the ad read like a bolt of lightening and spoke right to them.

"Thinking of a new career? How about as an Innkeeper!
This charming turn-of-the century bed and breakfast offers...."

Call it fate or a desire for a life-style change from the hectic pace of the Silicon Valley, that night, while flying home to San Francisco, they configured their finances on cocktail napkins and agreed to buy the Greenwood House and make the move! The next morning, Larry called Karl and the deal began. Never having been inside the inn, but knowing Karl and Lynn, they were confident about their offer. They flew out in February, walked through the house and finalized the offer. With the help of faxes, the telephone(no e-mail yet) and Karl and Lynn's expertise with all things inn-keeping, the paperwork, inspections, legal "stuff" was smoothly taken care of. Driving out from California with the bare necessities, on April 26, 1994, Larry and Kathy became owners of the Greenwood House, with guests staying that night!

Having quit his job, Larry became the primary innkeeper, while Kathy continued to commute between California and the Vineyard for the next 5 years, teaching school. Larry became immediately comfortable with his new life and home. He initiated to-do lists, (that continue to this day) bought a computer and created his own program for the business. He prepared delicious breakfasts and cleaned all the rooms, took the reservations, served on the Tisbury Business Association Board, ran with members of the local running group and joined the Mink Meadows Golf Club. He is fond of saying that the worst day in inn-keeping is still better than an average day at his old job.

Eventually, Kathy taught half year in California and part time at the Tisbury and Oak Bluffs Schools. But by 1999, she decided the commuting days were over and moved permanently to Martha's Vineyard. The plans to live here FULL-time had finally come to be! Her adjustment to inn-keeping came as easily as Larry's. Her comment is, that teaching and inn keeping are really very similar. In both jobs you work only half a day, that is, 12 hours!

* * * * * * *

We continue to enjoy our career as innkeepers, opening this beautiful home to visitors and friends and hope to continue to welcome guests for many years to come. As the years go by, it's hard to imagine doing anything else. We love meeting the interesting and friendly visitors to Greenwood House. We hope your stay is comfortable and now, you know the "rest of the story".

* * * * *

We thank the many people who have contributed information to this brief history of this beautiful home. Phil Geyer stayed with us in Sept. 2000 when he came back for his 50th high school reunion. He shared some old photos and added much information about his family's tenure here. Lorraine Kornek, Joe Geyer's high school sweetheart, spoke in length about the family. Marjorie Hancock Phillips, who's aunt lived next door, took music lessons from Mrs. Geyer and remembered many long conversations. Research of the deeds at the Edgartown Court House helped with dates of sales and transfers. The many people who grew up in the neighborhood and stop by the house and reminisce about fond memories and stories of the people who lived in this house are always a delight and the source of new information!

back to top of page