Home, Sweet Clam Shack

In Newburyport, Mass., critics tried to stop Mark Roland from converting an historic clam shack into a home. Roland claims: 'It's recycling.'

2 minute read

June 11, 2008, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


"The last remaining Newburyport clam shack can be transformed into a single-family home after a 4-1 vote Tuesday night by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

The vote granted a special permit for the wood-shingled building overlooking the Merrimack River's Joppa Flats. It came after a year-long campaign by the structure's owner, Mark Roland."

"For centuries, the curve in the road heading from Newburyport to Plum Island was lined with more than a dozen wood-shingled clam shanties that acted as workrooms for families who made their living on the Joppa mudflats. As far back at 1704, the narrow sliver of beach between the road and the river was considered no man's land, and families acquired squatter's rights simply by building a rickety wooden shack on their spot of choice.

"People had the building; when they didn't want it anymore, they sold it to someone for a buck," said Bruce Thurlow, a Byfield carpenter whose family owned Roland's clam shack for three generations.

Diggers would row out to the mud flats in dories just before low tide and collect clams until the water flowed back in. Workers would then shuck baskets of clams outside their shanties alongside the trolley tracks that led out to the beach.

"Clams were poor man's food," Thurlow said. "The people were uneducated, and the language was colorful. It was a wonderful place to grow up."

Things changed when pollution in the Merrimack River closed Joppa Flats to clamming. Over the years, the shanties were torn down, vandalized, and abandoned to the elements until the Thurlows' row, once three conjoined buildings, was the only one remaining.

Roland moved in across the street from the buildings in 1984, restoring his circa-1700s saltbox house and raising two children there. When Thurlow's uncle Nestor decided to sell the shack in 1994, he offered it to Roland for $24,000."

Wednesday, June 11, 2008 in The Boston Globe

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

7 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA