In 1872 the Rogers Farm, an area of about 250 acres bounded by Atlantic Road, Beach Road, Mt. Pleasant Aveneue, and High Popples Road at Bass Rocks, became the property of the East Gloucester Land Association, a voluntary trust.  Six months later they conveyed it to the Gloucester Sea Shore Company who drew up plans to subdivide the estate.  This plan proved untenable and when the Gloucester Sea Shore Company showed signs of financial stress one of their principle share holders, Henry Souther, became the sole owner.  At his death in 1892 the land reverted to the trustees as the ‘Souther Estate’ and was divided into sellable lots. 

Because of the numerous early conveyances property lines and rights of way were constantly disputed resulting in many years of land court petitions. 

Dr. William Jarvie (1841-1921) of Brooklyn, New York, bought one of the lots in 1899, and in 1900, contracted to build a summer home on it.  This became known as “Craigmoor,” a corruption of Craig Mohr a mountain near Perth, Scotland, where Dr. Jarvie’s father was born.  Between 1899 and 1913 Dr. Jarvie bought eight more lots to become one of the largest landowners on Bass Rocks.  In the meantime he and his family spent their summers at “Craigmoor” and became members of the Bass Rocks Golf Club, the Bass Rocks Beach Club, and the Bass Rocks Improvement Association.  Dr. Jarvie was president of the Improvement Association and of the Golf Club, where the Jarvie Cup tournament began in the 1920s. 

On his death the property passed to his daughter Amelia F.G. Jarvie Dyer (1881-1945), who continued to expand the estate by purchasing two more lots.  In 1940, she also joined with other Bass Rocks residents in buying the ocean frontage along Atlantic Road to prevent the public from using it. 

When ‘Aunt Millie’ died in 1945, the property passed to her niece Nina Fletcher Little (1903-1993).  Between 1946 and 1957 Nina F. Little divided up the estate and sold off the lots with “Craigmoor” being bought by Albert W. Lind in 1947.

The Estate of Dr. William Jarvie – “Craigmoor”, Bass Rocks Collection consists primarily of documents, maps, plot plans, and correspondences relating to the Jarvie family’s estate “Craigmoor” on Bass Rocks and Dr. William Jarvie’s involvement with the Bass Rocks Improvement Association, Beach and Golf Clubs. 

1. Letters, legal documents, misc. papers
2. Plans
3. Drawings

Box #1 

Series I 

Folder 1:  16 pp 

History of Bass Rocks property – 7pp typed 

Copies of plans of “Craigmoor”, plots and sketches – 6pp 

Typed description of plans, etc. – 3pp 

Folder 2:  73 items 

Correspondence re: Bass Rocks Improvement Assoc., Beach Club and Golf Club from 7/13/1916 – 3/4/1920, including: 

Golf Club entertainment program, 1916 

Bass Rocks Improvment Assoc. by-laws 

City of Gloucester Assessors Office list of property owners, c.1916 

Letters to/from Dr. William Jarvie re: Bass Rocks 

Copies of Bills before Mass. Legeslature re: Bass Rocks 

Documents relating to road improvements

Folder 3:  22 items

Documents relating to property disputes around “Craigmoor” including: 

Land Court petitions 

Assesors Office Valuation, 1946 

Correspondence of Dr. William Jarvie, 10/12/1908 – 9/23/1930 

Series II  

Folder 4:  2 items 

Plan 1: Souther Estate, Bass Rocks 

Plan 2: Lands of Eastern Point Company, May 1892 

Folder 5: 8pp 

Specifications of “Craigmoor” 

Map Roll Box,

Series II 

Plan 3: Souther Estate, Bass Rocks, Mar. 15, 1900 

Plan 4: “Craigmoor”, Bass Rocks, 7 blueprints 

Plan 5: Gloucester Sea Shore Co., July 19, 1873 

Plan 6: Land Court Petition Blueprint, Sept. 8, 1914 

Plan 7: To accompany deed for Souther Estate to Jarvie, Sept. 17, 1912 

Plan 8: Alterations to “Craigmoor”, first set, 1913 

Plan 9: Souther Estate, Bass Rocks, Aug. 1897 

Plan 10: To accompany petition of Clera Pugh, Dec. 31, 1914 

Series III 

Pencil drawings of “Craigmoor” c.1909