Marblehead nixes island renaming

MARBLEHEAD – As far as selectmen are concerned, the name of that Marblehead Harbor island is Brown’s Island, after the Marblehead family that owned it from 1797-1918.Selectmen voted unanimously Wednesday night to ask the U.S. Geological Survey’s Board on Geographic Names to call it Brown’s Island, after hearing discussion of Gene Record’s request to change it to Crowninshield Island.The Massachusetts Trustees of Reservations have called it Crowninshield Island in honor of Louise duPont Crowninshield since the Crowninshields donated it to the trustees in 1955. They bought it from the Browns for $1 in 1918.Record, who lives on Crowninshield Road, said the island is identified as Crowninshield Island on the town zoning map. He said the Crowninshield family purchased the island to protect it from being turned into a marina.”While some of us will always know it as Brown’s Island our children and our children’s children will know it as Crowninshield Island,” he said.Five other speakers supported his request as “a matter of fairness” and a tribute to “an extraordinary woman.”Town Historian Betty Hunt, who opposed the change, wasn’t as enthusiastic. She praised Crowninshield for her generosity with the Dupont money she inherited, but referred to the Crowninshields as Salem residents who came to Marblehead as “summer people.””If she gave the island to the town we could have honored her by changing the name at that time,” Hunt said, “but she gave it to the trustees instead.”Fred Sullivan, another opponent, reminded the selectmen that the island has also been known as Charles Island, Orne’s Island and possibly Goat Island.Former Selectman William Conly said he was neutral on the subject but reminded the board that the final decision will be made in Washington.”To me Marblehead is a place of history and traditions,” Selectman William Woodfin said. “People called this Brown’s Island for 100 years.”Selectman Judy Jacobi reminded Record that the street he lives on is already named for the Crowninshield family.