Samuel Martin Rose Jr. House (1924)

My grandparents, Annie Sheffield and Samuel Martin Rose, Jr., built the house in 1924. It was one of the last houses on the island for which John Frank Hayes was the contractor.

Sam, who was a carpenter, did much of the interior work, including the wainscotting and cabinets in the kitchen and pantry, and laying the wood floors. He was also part of the crew working on the house construction.

When John Mott re-shingled the house for us in 2015, he uncovered an original shingle on the north side that was initialed by the crew, including Hayes and my grandfather.

Sam died in 1928 leaving Annie and their 8 year old son, Kenneth, who was my father. In 1946 Kenneth married Marilyn Littlefield, and they “went housekeeping” in Sam and Annie’s house. Ken was conscientious about improving and maintaining the house. He was a carpenter, but like most islanders, he could do just about anything that needed to be done. He installed indoor plumbing, the bathroom and an oil furnace, built the garage and a playhouse for me that my grandchildren play in now, and maintained the house inside and out.

Like my father, my brother and I grew up in this house. Ken died in 1993, Marilyn in 1999. My grandchildren, Sam and Annie’s great-great grandchildren, are the 5th generation of Roses to call this house their Block Island home.