Captain Morse House Luxury - In Town, Walk to Waterfront, Beach, Pets, 5 stars

Edgartown, Massachusetts
$5615 avg/night Minimum Stay 1 Nights
Bed 12

Bed

Bath 7

Bath

Home Private Vacation Home

Property Type

Sleep 28

Max Sleeps

Night 1 nights

Min Stay

The Captain Morse House is located on the iconic North Water Street in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. It was built by the island's most successful whaling Captain in 1840. The Captain Morse House has a superb location on the waterfront and two blocks from Edgartown's shopping and beaches. At the foot of Morse Street lies the North Wharf, where Captain Morse used to keep his whaling ships. This is a public wharf that you are free to use.

The home features 26 rooms with 12 bedrooms, seven baths, two full kitchens, two dining rooms, and two living rooms. The house can be rented in its entirety (this listing) or as the East or West Wings, which are also listed on Airbnb.

Outside the house
Two spacious porches overlook North Water Street with views of Edgartown Harbor. The large backyard and garden offer a private oasis from the bustle of a Vineyard summer. The yard is graced by three towering Linden trees. Edgartown's North Wharf lies below the house at the end of Morse Street. It is a great place to go and enjoy the waterfront or perhaps some fishing. Our backyard is one of the most spacious and safe in town and features a bricked patio with seating for 20 with two excellent barbecue stations. The tool shed holds complimentary bicycles, beach chairs, and lawn games.

About the Interior
The home is spread over three floors and offers a variety of public rooms and private bedrooms. The front of the first floor has a large formal living room with an elevator and dual access to the front porch. Next to it is the front entranceway that features a lovely spiral staircase built by local shipwrights. Next comes the media room that doubles as a spare bedroom and then a formal dining room and gourmet kitchen. The formal dining room offers seating for up to 14.
As you walk by the front kitchen, you enter the back of the house with a large living and dining area, a private ensuite bedroom, and a full modern kitchen with an island. There is dining seating for fourteen. This is a great informal space for more casual gatherings.

The second floor again starts with a magnificent front porch that can be accessed from either the master bedroom or the second large bedroom. From here to the back of the house are another five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

On the third floor, there are an additional four bedrooms. This is the most straightforward part of the house and was where the servants used to live. Back in the 1800s, it took a small army to run the house. Not all of them could actually live at the house. Some lived on Chappaquiddick Island and took the ferry operated by Captain Morse's father Uriah. Here there are 4 bedrooms and a bathroom.

We specialize in large families, family reunions, weddings, anniversaries, and any event where people want to enjoy each other's company without the distraction of others. Large groups regularly book our home for its charm, comfort, and unique character and grace. With that said our repeat tenants tend to be smaller families of 6 or so. They then invite friends to come and visit. In my youth, I lived in the house with my family. It seems unusual now but back then we just took it for granted and helped our father with the maintenance and lawn work.


Events:
Parties and events are not allowed on the Airbnb Booking platform due to their global ban on events over 16 people. Events are allowed only with the express written consent of the Host. Please request more information.

The Surrounding Area:
The Captain Morse House is located at the corner of Morse and North Water Streets. The town of Edgartown is defined principally by its Main Street. To the south is South Water Street which winds by the giant pagoda tree and towards the road to Katama and South Beach. North Water Street runs the opposite way and the Captain Morse House is located about halfway between Main Street and the Harbor View Hotel which looks over the Edgartown Lighthouse and the entrance to the harbor.

Summary
We are committed to doing whatever we can to make your stay in our family home on Martha's Vineyard a special one. We think that our house is the best in town and offers our guests a truly unique experience.
You can see more detailed information on The Captain Morse House on our website. Just search for captainmorsehouse.

EXPECTATIONS
This is where, in the interest of transparency, we divulge all of the things that you ought to know about the house
This may repeat what is on Airbnb

PARKING
The fewer cars you bring to the island the better. That said....
We have space for up to 4 cars in our single-lane driveway.
We also have rented guaranteed available additional parking one block away for another two cars and possibly more.
When the Wings are both rented the East Wing gets the driveway and the West Wing gets the two spots down the street. This way no one gets blocked in.

There is free parking on the street during the day for up to two hours in the season and all day off-season.
There is no parking overnight from 2:00 am to 7:00 am.
There are two town parking lots with overnight parking at the foot of Main Street and at nearby Mayhew Lane.
There is another lot up at the Triangle called the Dark Woods Lot.

WATER
You are 200 feet from Edgartown Harbor. Walk out of the house and down Morse Street to Edgartown's North Wharf. This is a public wharf and also houses the harbormaster and a marine store. We have a Boston Whaler that is docked here and available as a separate rental. We mention this because some may consider that a hazard.

STAIRS & RAILING
This house was built in 1840 before modern building standards. There are steep stairs from the West Wing of the 1st floor to the 3rd floor and from the East Wing's 2nd floor to the 3rd floor. There are also low railings on the porches and at the West Wing 2nd-floor landing. Small children will need supervision. People with mobility issues should stay on the 1st floor or use the elevator in the East Wing.

CAMERAS
Two exterior cameras and three doorbell cameras cover entrances and patio. The interior camera can be turned towards the wall when you come in.
These are for your protection only.

NOISE
You are three blocks away from Main Street. This is an in-town location with all the advantages of walking to pretty much anything you want. The disadvantage is that traffic will be sometimes heard at the corner of Morse Street and North Water Street. The other Wings Guests can sometimes be heard.

TERMS AND RATES:

All pricing, availability, and terms are subject to change without notice. We use dynamic pricing that adjusts to market demand and other factors.
A booking is confirmed only when we receive a payment and a signed lease.
All rentals are subject to our lease, manual, and house rules whether you have expressly signed a lease or not.
Each guest making a booking must sign our lease and provide your personal email, cell phone, legal mailing address (no PO Boxes), picture of a valid government ID, and a selfie showing the ID next to your face.
We reserve the right to cancel any booking where we feel the rates are inaccurate or when the guest fails to adhere to our house rules.

Unauthorized Late Check-Out or Early Check-Ins seriously disrupt our existing guests, cleaners, and caretakers. The fee for these is $100 per quarter hour

REV: 2024-12

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  • Feature Features
  • Map Map
  • School District Rates & Availability
  • Review Review

Feature Features

  • PETS

    Pet Friendly
  • BEACH

    Near The Beach
  • DINING

    Dining Table
  • SAFETY

    Carbon Monoxide Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Carbon Monoxide Detector On The Property) Fire Extinguisher First Aid Kit Smoke Detector Installed (host Has Indicated There Is A Smoke Detector On The Property)
  • BEDROOM

    12 Bedrooms Bed Sheets Provided Sofa Bed
  • GENERAL

    Unit Size: 5000 Sq Ft (465 Sq M)
  • KITCHEN

    Coffee/tea Maker Cookware/dishes/utensils Dishwasher Ice Maker Microwave Oven Refrigerator Spices Stovetop
  • LAUNDRY

    Laundry Facilities Washing Machine And Dryer
  • PARKING

    Car Available Limited Onsite Parking (max 4 Spaces) Onsite Parking
  • INTERNET

    Free WiFi, With Speed Of 500+ Mbps (good For 6+ People Or 10+ Devices)
  • OUTDOORS

    Balcony Barbecue Grill Garden
  • BATHROOMS

    7 Bathrooms Bathtub Or Shower Hair Dryer Towels Provided
  • WORKSPACES

    Computer Monitor Desk Office Printer
  • LANGS SPOKEN

    English French
  • THINGS TO DO

    Bicycle On Site Boat On Site Cycling Nearby Ecotours Nearby Fishing Nearby Fitness Center Fitness Facilities Nearby Golf Nearby Kayaking Nearby Sailing Nearby Scuba Diving Nearby Surfing/body Boarding Nearby Tennis On Site Water Sports Equipment Windsurfing Nearby
  • ENTERTAINMENT

    Arcade/game Room Books DVD Player Games Music Library Stereo Video Games Smart TV With Cable/satellite Service
  • LIVING SPACES

    Dining Room Fireplace Living Room
  • CLIMATE CONTROL

    Air Conditioning Heating
  • FAMILY FRIENDLY

    Travel Crib
  • LOCATION HIGHLIGHTS

    In A Village Near A Health Or Beauty Spa Near A Hospital Near The Bay On The Waterfront
  • SERVICES AND CONVENIENCES

    Chef Concierge Services Iron/ironing Board Phone
  • SUITABILITY/ACCESSIBILITY

    Elevator If You Have Requests For Specific Accessibility Needs, Please Contact The Property Using The Information On The Reservation Confirmation Received After Booking. Smoke-free Property Wheelchair Accessible

CheckIn Check-in : 04:00 PM CheckOut Check-out : 10:00 AM
No Wheelchair No smoking No pets Children allowed
Occupancy Max occupancy : 28

Map Map

School District Rates & Availability

Review Review

  • Laurie D.

    Submitted Oct 4, 2025

    Stayed Aug 18, 2025

    Incredible home and the best location in Edgartown! Plenty of space for my family members and we created beautiful memories talking and playing games on the porch, spending time at lighthouse beach, boating , shopping! Truly an amazing home and vacation! Great service and assistance with catering and dining suggestions!

  • Joan L.

    Submitted Sep 21, 2025

    Stayed Jun 13, 2025

    We invited a group of old friends from all over the country for a family celebration. They loved the prime location in the historic district and the charming and spacious common areas and private bedrooms, but most of all our guests loved the instant pleasure of such a welcoming environment that encouraged gathering together, camaraderie, and new and renewed special friendships. We would not hesitate to rent again, and our guests mentioned at our family celebration in the House’s beautiful backyard that they were already thinking about hosting a similar event at the Capt. Morse House soon.

  • Donnie (D.A.) H.

    Submitted Sep 9, 2025

    Stayed Aug 3, 2025

    The property was nice with lots of charm. It was well maintained, convenient for shopping, eating, and all attractions. Platt was welcoming, responsive, and he made sure everything was right. It was another memorable vacation at the Vineyard.

  • Felecia H.

    Submitted Aug 24, 2025

    Stayed Aug 10, 2025

    Beautiful, clean, spacious with all the amenities you can think of. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay!

  • Holly M.

    Submitted Aug 6, 2025

    Stayed Jul 27, 2025

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! The home is huge and well stocked with everything one could need. It feels like a step back in time and yet has all the modern necessities. We loved exploring the many bedrooms on 3 levels! We enjoyed family dinners indoors and out and evening game nights in the front living room. We could walk to the beach and restaurants easily. It was a perfect week!

  • Joanne S.

    Submitted Jun 4, 2025

    Stayed Jun 1, 2025

    Property was amazing and very well stocked with anything you could think of. Our host was very attentive to our needs. Location is simply perfect. Would come back again without hesitation. A

  • Carin M.

    Submitted Mar 10, 2025

    Stayed Aug 11, 2024

    The Captain Morse House's location made out stay last year worth it! Not only is it walking distance from all the amazing restaurants and shops but it is also large enough to house a full troop of people while still feeling as if you have enough space and not on top of each other. Norm was an amazing host so helpful and very gracious on check in and check out. We truly had the best experience here and would recommend it to anyone!

  • Elizabeth & Edgar B.

    Submitted Jan 9, 2025

    Stayed Dec 23, 2024

    The ship captain’s house is elegant and welcoming if you appreciate an atmosphere of yesteryear. It is like staying in your grandmother’s house just as she left it, except she fortunately had modern beds and an up to date, well stocked kitchen, actually 2 kitchens. We love that atmosphere and our children do as well, so everyone was happy. We were there in Winter and heating was satisfactory, so we cannot speak to Summer conditions. The house is lovely and charming and the only short coming was parking. The driveway can take 2 cars, one behind the other, which presents an inconvenience so the second car we had parked on the street. Fortunately in 2 weeks in December it never got a parking ticket for overnight parking which the sign says is prohibited. Old New England village not designed to accommodate automobiles. On that subject walking to the commercial center of Edgartown for restaurants and shops is likewise charming day and evening. Our family walked to restaurants, shops and the movie theater. How old fashioned, nice and healthful.

  • candy b.

    Submitted Nov 4, 2024

    Stayed Oct 11, 2024

    We had 3 generations of our family staying in the house over an Oct. holiday weekend- 14 adults/9 children and it was absolutely perfect! The location is superb, the spaces inside were great for small gatherings and conversations, and the children loved playing hide and seek in this grand old house. The host was most accommodating and we could not have asked for a better stay! HIGHLY recommend!

  • Melissa L.

    Submitted May 8, 2024

    Stayed Dec 31, 1969

    The Captain Morse House is a lovingly restored home in a fabulous location. The house mixes historic charm with beautifully updated amenities including kitchens & bathrooms. All of the rooms are spacious and comfortable for gathering. The kitchens are fully-equipped including outdoor gas grills. The backyard is beautiful with a lush lawn, flowerbeds and outdoor dining tables. I rented both wings for a large family gathering. The accommodations were so comfortable and in good order that it made the weekend effortless and enjoyable for everyone. Having the house walking distance to town was an added bonus. This was my first time renting on MV and I will definitely return to the Captain Morse House.

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Total

Includes taxes and fees
$5,615+
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