"Morning made a considerable difference in my general prospect of Life, and brightened it so much that it scarcely seemed the same."
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
Waterfront, private beach, privacy, sleeps up to 7
Two bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms
(plus outside shower)
Great Expectations, which has been nicknamed by local folks as 'The 'Butterfly House' for its distinctive roofline, is a local landmark
360 degree walk-around deck.
Great Expectations Mattapoisett (aka The Butterfly House) is located in a quiet neighborhood on almost 6-acres of total privacy on the west shore of Mattapoisett Harbor almost 6 acres of private wildlife refuges and beautiful marshlands. Directly across Mattapoisett harbor from Ned's Point light, the Butterfly House offers magnificent views of Buzzard's Bay and Cape Cod to the east. The house is on a1000 foot private beach, so swimming, boating and fishing ares only steps away.
Mattapoisett is a small coastal village with all the charm of the Cape and Islands but none of the traffic or commercial noise. In the 1600s, the Wampanoags summered here (canoeing down the Mattapoisett River from Plymouth in the late spring) having their clambakes on the beach. By the 1700s, Mattapoisett was a prominent shipbuilding and whaling center; 400 ships were built on the wharf, including the ship Moby Dick author Herman Melville sailed on. In the 1800s, prominent families from Boston, Philadelphia and New York summered here to escape the heat. Here is a terrific video about the town and waters of Mattapoisett.
You can bike to the nearby new Mattapoisett Bike Trail with over 5 miles of paved bike paths west to Fairhaven right up to the front door of Margarets Restaurant or stop at the Mattapoisett Chowder House or mini golf in Fairhaven. You can kayak up the Mattapoisett River or to the Ice Cream Slip at the Town Wharf. You can relax in the-most-comfortable-chaise-lounges and outdoor rockers you have ever experienced and watch the sailboats tacking back and forth right in front of the house. Cape Cod and the Islands (Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Cuttyhunk) are nearby and Boston and Fenway Park are about an hour's drive.
We believe that after a week at the Butterfly House you will truly agree that the Wampanoag definition of the word "Mattapoisett" which is "a place of resting" is apropos to our house as well!
relax the day away in the hammock while enjoying the sounds of the ocean
Contact owner directly for availability and pricing:
relax@vacationrentalvillas.net
1 617 314-6836
Fully-furnished (including plates, glasses, utensils, pots and pans, sheets, towels, blankets, beach chairs, bicycles, two-person kayak, etc.)
Master bedroom: air-conditioned with a Queen-size bed and an incredible water view, full bathroom with double sink vanity
Upper floor : Queen-size bed with air-conditioning and three twin beds with second full bathroom
Wall-to-wall carpeting in living room, master bedroom and upper floor
Kitchen fully equipped with:
The House is absolutely non-smoking inside and not recommended for children under 8 years of age (the 360 degree wraparound deck is 12 feet off the ground with only a rope railing); The House and its facilities are for the exclusive use of only guests residing at the House without the express written permission of the owners.
Sorry, no cats (due to allergy)
view from your living room
1,000' of private waterfront spells privacy!
Moon rising
Sun setting
Living area - great fireplace
The living area is bright and open to the kitchen & dining area
Spiral staircase leads upstairs to the loft area
Dining area - table expands to seat 12 people
The kitchen is well equipped with the appliances, cook & dishware needed
The upper level is an open loft area with a queen bed plus three twin beds, a full bathroom and a sitting area...all with a view to the water:
Upper level queen bed, sitting area, and twin bed
Upper queen be with great views of the water and full bathroom (and nearby elliptical machine)
Upper level - queen bed and sitting area
Twin beds and desk with computer
Upper level - twin twin bed areas
Loft area with queen bed, 3 twin beds, full bathroom, TV, and sitting area
Master bedroom with fabulous water views, TV, DVD, and AC
Master bedroom (the field scope is aimed at the Osprey nest which currently has Mamma, Pappa, and 3 baby Osprey!)
The Master bathroom has a double sink and, of course, fabulous water views!
email owner directly
relax@vacationrentalvillas.net
or call 617 314-6836
RATES:
Summer:
$3750/week for the first 2 people
$400/week for each additional person (7 pax max)
Fall, Winter, Spring:
$2750/week for the first 2 people
$250/week for each additional person (7 pax max)
We charge a $500 refundable security deposit and reserve the right to charge for electricity if we incur an extraordinary electric bill (which has never happened). Our electricity bill is normally about $20 to $30 per week which we usually just absorb, unless it is much higher as a result of the air conditioning (or electric heat) being used excessively or inappropriately, or the fresh rain water stored in the 3000 gallon cistern is abused and used up requiring us to make potable water by turning on the back-up Reverse Osmosis system which needs electricity to run.
prices subject to change prior to receipt of 50% deposit
balance due 30 days prior to arrival
CANCELLATION POLICY:
all monies returned in full at anytime for any reason, when re-rented
trip cancellation insurance through CSA is recommended
"Thanks so much for sharing your amazing house with us once again [this was their 2nd stay]. It's hard to believe, but I think we may even have appreciated it more this second time around. By the way, the coral table is incredible, and we loved its story!"
"Already looking forward to returning to the Butterfly House! The house was very clean and comfortable - right on the water with a great deck on four sides of the house. The living room with its walls of windows and window seats overlooking the harbor makes you want to stay forever. Everything is provided from chaise lounges to kyack. Mattapoisett is a wonderful little town with friendly residents; close to good restaurants."
"Beautiful home with awesome views. This is a fantastic waterfront home. It was wonderful to be able to enjoy the privacy of the your own beach with the convenience of stores, restaurants and museums nearby. My children enjoyed spending time in the tide pools looking for crabs, fishing or kayaking. Overall a very nice experience."
"Very Relaxing! The pictures do not lie! This is truly one of the most beautiful spots we have ever vacationed! Our family had a wonderful vacation at the Butterfly House. Our children nicknamed the house the "Butterfly Ship" because we felt like we were on a ship! We spent most of our time at the house and on the beach. We also did a lot of biking and enjoyed several local restaurants."
"The property and house are well laid out and worked well for our family. We have two children (ages 7 and 10) and a dog -- we think the dog had the best time of all roaming freely on the beach. We recommend this as a very relaxing, beautiful spot!"
"Stayed in the Butterfly House last week of summer 2010 with my wife and doggie. The wife and I kept pinching each other to ensure we weren't dreaming. We found ourselves "melting" into the deck chairs while enjoying coffee each morning with the most stunning ocean panoramic views. The unique architecture of the home, private beach and abundance of wildlife was enough to make our vacation spectacular. We also enjoyed voyages on the 2-person Kayak, comfortable beds and furniture and tranquilly of sleepy (yet convenient) Mattapoisett. We followed the owners recommendations for dinner at Margaret's (yum!) in Fairhaven and found great ice-cream at nearby Oxford Creamery. The dog had a blast swimming in the sheltered bay all-day, every-day and the hammock is super comfy. We can highly recommend the butterfly house to anyone that is looking for a relaxing vacation in a beautiful setting without the headaches of Cape Cod."
"Between the sea and the sky. You approach this beautiful seaside home along a winding driveway of white shells. The seclusion and and room to roam along the beach and in the sea provide a great sense of being away from it all and the grocery store is only 10 minutes away! The house is entered by way of a spiral staircase up to a deck which goes all the way round and makes you feel you are on a ship. Inside, the house is centered on a large living room with huge windows overlooking the sea that fill everything with light. We spent most of our vacation at the house, on the beach, and in the sea, but we also went to the New Bedford Whaling Museum which is quite superb and very close. We also took a trip to Plymouth and went whale watching. On our last evening we drove out to Hyannis and ate a delicious meal at Baxter's Fish & Chips on the wharf. We are a family of four (children 11 and 14) with a dog and this was an ideal vacation for all of us. Nothing negative to say. Thank you!"
"Peaceful, Beautiful House in a Spectacular Setting.Though the mid-July weather was changeable but mostly in our favor and gorgeous when it was, typical of summer '09, we had a wonderful week at the Butterfly House. Captivated by the house's intriguing architecture, beautiful views from the picture windows and our hosts' warm welcome, we knew we were going to have a great time. We enjoyed many swims from the private beach (but be careful to learn the layout of the rocks at different tides) and took out the kayak that was on hand for several trips along the shoreline. We loved the privacy and lack of tourists in the area compared with the Cape proper, and found the wide-ranging compendium of information on the house and the surrounding restaurants, local stores and attractions very helpful. We enjoyed Irish folk music and the camaraderie in the Kinsale Inn one weekday night in Mattapoisett. And don't miss the Whaling Museum in New Bedford! The house has excellent appliances, utensils and linens – and a couple of trusty bicycles to use on the nearby scenic bike path into Fairhaven. The Butterfly House is a perfect place to sit on the wraparound deck with a book, watch the lovely sunrise and sunsets, and shake off the stresses of the city. If the truth be known, we would prefer to keep this place a SECRET!"
"My wife and I (and our occasionally visiting college-aged kids) had an absolutely wonderful long-term stay at the "Butterfly House" this fall [during my wife's sabbatical]. Mattapoisett is a lovely seaside village located south of Boston about 45 minutes from Newport, Rhode Island and 20 minutes from Cape Cod. The house is located on a private beach and was lovely - the wrap around windows in the house made it seem like we were on the bridge of an ocean-going yacht, albeit one with a fireplace! For active folks (like us) there is biking, kayaking and windsurfing. And the property owners were most gracious, flexible and pet friendly."
And, finally, the Butterfly House is a magical setting year-round. Winter sunrises are just as pretty (from the comfort of your warm bed) as the summer:
And deer roaming our beach:
