Statement from the survivors of the fire at Oakhurst Manor
The survivors and other residents ask for support recovering from their immeasurable personal losses
We are the occupants of the manor who were directly impacted by the fire at Estate of Mind’s Oakhurst Manor in Whitinsville, MA on March 1st after 1am. Some of us are residents, some are guests, and almost all of our personal belongings were destroyed in the fire. Seven occupants escaped on the night of the fire, but upwards of a dozen occupants had their rooms and personal belongings destroyed on every floor of the manor.
We are still processing the grief and sorting through the wreckage for salvageable items. Practically everything has a strong, smoky odor, is either completely melted or badly charred, discolored, is waterlogged, has been frozen, is moldy, covered in carcinogenic construction debris, and broken glass.
The occupants of the manor do not have renters insurance or other means of support and are requesting help directly from the community.
In order to distinguish our needs from the larger needs of the project, we are sharing some vulnerable parts of us and some of our most intimate details here for you.
Check back frequently as the web-version of this article will be updated with estimates & footage of loss.
The Survivors
Here are the residents and guests who escaped the fire.
Crystal & Bryan
Crystal Stewart (she/her) and Bryan Crowley (he/him) are volunteer guests from California staying at the Manor. They began traveling affordably after a difficult year. Living in the manor for the last month, they’ve been helping tremendously with events, much needed winterizing efforts such as sealing windows, cooking dinner for everyone, cleaning, and organizing.
Their guest room was damaged from the water and they lost almost all the keepsakes they brought on their journeys. They are delaying their departure due to the fire and hope to recover soon enough to feel prepared embarking on their next adventure.
Total estimated losses: $2,505
Books: $250
Beats: $250
MacBook: $1,200
Polaroid camera: $70
Tarot decks and oracle decks: $45
Journals: $20
Luggage: $190
Skullcandy headphones: $100
Misc Electronics (Heating pad, water travel kettle): $45
Personal items (Soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, glasses cases, body wash, deodorant, retainer case, contact solution, etc.): $90
Hydroflasks: $60
Shoes: $120
Video game controller: $65
Donations to support Bryan & Crystal can be made to:
Venmo: @beyondastrology
CashApp: $Beyondastrology
PayPal: @beyondastrology
Weverton
Weverton Martins (he/him) is an architecture student and visitor from Brazil who stayed at the manor. He actively participates in the community through completing chores, cooking for all residents and guests, and keeping spirits high with humor and charm.
Weverton’s guest room was burned and flooded, losing all of his clothing, suitcases, a laptop charger, and other personal belongings. He has delayed his flight home due to the fire.
Total estimated losses: $800
Donations to support Weverton can be made to:
Another Estate of Mind resident is accepting donations on his behalf and will be giving him cash before he returns to Brazil.
PayPal: georgiastar11@gmail.com, paypal.me/georgiajaney
Zach + 1 guest
Zachary Katz (he/him) is a resident of the manor and math tutor who currently works with disadvantaged students at a local community college. He was the most recent venue manager at Estate of Mind, helping to formalize the manor venue scheduling experience, in addition to orchestrating teams of venue volunteer helpers. Zach similarly contributed a lot of expertise in shifting project priorities towards art residency, including developing an international residency program. He also would readily make brunch, clean, and complete miscellaneous tasks around the project with a smile.
Total estimated losses: $4,295
Laptop charger: $90
Bose 700 headphones: $270
Apple watch: $350
Two jackets: $300
Rare Robert Louis Stevenson books: $100
Travel backpack: $150
Leather photography bag: $300
Textbooks: $200
Desk: $150
Computer monitor: $150
Several pairs of jeans: $65
Passport: $160
Car keys (2): $270
Several blankets and quilts: $300
Fancy socks: $150
Fancy underwear: $200
Button downs: $300
Boots: $150
Jackets: $300
Selvage denim jeans: $400
Medications: $200
4 Cadbury eggs and a box of chocolate-covered cookies I was saving for my friend: Priceless
Buddha lamp (Unique): Priceless
Donations to support Zach can be made to:
Venmo: @zachary-katz-4
Lisa
Lisa Pepin (she/her) is a manor resident who lost her partner and house last year and came to the project with most of her life’s belongings. She used to run a co-living community in a nearby Victorian house built in 1850 and upon arrival, immediately began donating her own vintage and classical furniture, high-end kitchen equipment, and is regularly found cleaning, repairing, cooking, or crafting anything in her path like a constructive tornado. Some of her more famous homemade cooked meals include “sludge”, a chicken broth made from cooking down chicken remains for hours and mixing in leftover vegetables. Excellent medicine for times when Covid spikes and flu season were in full swing.
Alongside her own deep knowledge of practically every kind of maintenance issue (especially vintage), she comes prepared with a wide network of contractors and tradespeople. She additionally continues to do extensive community work all the way from direct outreach with individuals struggling with homelessness, substance use, and mental health, to participating on Community Development Block Grant boards and other public process meetings. She has written extensive research papers in the past, still enjoys reading government documents, and regularly shares expertise to help the project (and everyone within earshot) at every opportunity.
Total estimated losses: $29,000 (low estimate)
Lisa has lost everything in her room to fire, water damage, freezing temperatures, and mold, and everything she distributed throughout the manor, especially the kitchen.
Clothes, shoes, suitcases
Prescription medicine
Furniture
Personal belongings
High-end kitchen equipment
Vintage and classic furniture
Donations to support Lisa can be made to:
Venmo: @lisapu82
Cashapp: $lisapu82
Eduardo
Eduardo Solomon (they/he) is a white non-binary Latine resident of the manor, poet, visual artist, fashionista, performer, and data analyst, who moved across the country from Pennsylvania. Starting fresh and anticipating doing more art, they instead immediately jumped into grant writing and community cohesion, pursuing financial and historic preservation opportunities to improve the existing efforts, and developing resident-run systems which persuaded the owners to continue the project. In a short time, leadership focus shifted towards sustainability and morale improved as residents felt empowered to step into more formalized roles until suddenly the manor caught on fire.
Eduardo lost everything they owned in this disaster, their room having melted in the fire and then being pumped full of water.
Still in shock, Eduardo has been initiating daily “fire meetings”, suppressing hysteria among the project, and has crafted this fundraiser to ensure not only he, but everyone impacted has a chance to be recognized for their contributions and their losses to the unexpected halting of this project.
Total estimated losses: $12,950
Clothes, shoes, suitcases: $2,100
3-6 months of toiletries and prescription medication: $400
Laptop, tablet, work computer equipment, electronics, TV, chargers: $2,300
New furniture, desks, chairs, shelves, dressers, rugs: $3,000
Bed: $120 (I’ve never bought a new bed before lol)
Custom toys, gear: $2,000
Books, comics, drawing and painting supplies: $900
Fans, heaters, humidifier: $85
Tae Kwon Do sparring gear: $250
Cameras, lighting, video equipment: $600
Camping gear: $750
Decades of created and collected art: Priceless
Original pictures and videos of my great grandmother, vintage burlesque dancer Betty “Blue Eyes” Howard: Priceless (although I did pay $545 to acquire)
Donations to support Eduardo can be made to:
Eduardo’s Amazon Gift Registry to replace some items
Venmo: @Eddie-D-Solomon- (yes, there is a dash at the end)
Cashapp: $EduardoDSolomonPayPal: @EduardoDSolomon
Other losses
Yet more residents who were not physically present during the fire have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in tools and equipment, appliances, vintage and classic furniture, musical instruments, electronics, priceless art and supplies, and several decades of deep storage of sentimental value to the fire and water damage. These items were strewn throughout the manor as contributions to the culture, aesthetic, wellbeing, and growth of the community, items such as vintage typewriters, industrial vacuums, or high quality cooking equipment. Some are pursuing renter’s insurance and other means to rebuild their losses (they are not listed here), some do not have that option at all.
Below are some residents and guests who cannot recoup their losses through other means and are asking for community support.
Fred
Fred Manke (he/him) is a long-time resident largely cited as one of the most generous and crucial contributors of the project. As a founding member of the project, every single day and night, he put in years worth of skilled labor and strategy. Under his leadership and oversight, the project has bloomed from an abandoned and uninhabitable Victorian-era storage unit into a thriving, modern co-living community of artists and creators.
Fred has strong ties to local workshops communities, teaching and creating curriculum on shop safety, and continues to contribute his expertise whenever the opportunity arrives.
While Fred took a break for a few months from physically overseeing the construction at the project, he intentionally left behind his tools for other construction crews to use communally. Unfortunately, that means it all got damaged in the several feet of fire hose flood water.
Upon hearing the news, Fred immediately showed up to assess the damage, resume oversight of any and all labor teams, and continues to be around daily to ensure the next steps of salvaging the manor are completed.
Total estimated losses: $9,000
Donations to support Fred can be made to:
Venmo: @fredmankexxiii
Matthew
Matthew Carr (he/him) is a resident, master electrician, and single dad with a kid on the weekend. He has single-handedly been helping to update the electrical of the manor and other contractor work throughout the project. He also makes homemade 5 cheese macaroni (with the bread crumbs), pizzas from scratch, and frozen margaritas when he’s feeling spunky. The picture above is a bathroom he finished building in a day when it had sat, unconstructed, for over 2 years. When we saw the picture of the bathroom, we rejoiced, as we now have a very sexy guest bathroom in the kitchen and dining areas.
Matthew lost all of his electrician and contractor equipment in the basement when it flooded several feet from fire hose water traveling all the way from the roof. His tools are his livelihood, his trade, and are required for him to continue being employable.
Total estimated losses: $30,000
Donations to support Matthew can be made to:
Venmo: @Matthew-Carr-664
Zelda
Zelda (she/her) is a lesbian visual artist who traveled across the country from Utah to become a resident. She is the author of Zelda Rising, a memoir about the journey to Estate of Mind and what it has meant. Her personal art supplies and works in progress have occupied the art room in the manor. Additionally, her art, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and the majority of her creations over the last decades have filled the halls and rooms of the manor.
The art room was burned to a crisp and flooded, while the rest of the manor has been damaged badly from water and smoke, including all of her art.
Total estimated losses: $6,950
Art Supplies: $2,000
Sewing Room supplies and equipment: $2,500
Art from my private collection, antiques and collectibles: $1,450
Decades of personal art: Priceless
Donations to support Zelda can be made to:
Venmo: @ZeldaRising
CashApp: $ZeldaRising
“Ranger” Ron
Ron Woodall (he/him) is an army park ranger and dedicated single father raising his two children in the unique environment of a co-living space. Ron is also an accomplished resin and eco artist and has worked with his kids and fellow occupants over the years to revitalize the Oakhurst Manor, adding personal art and decor as well as furniture, planting wildflowers, and landscaping, among other tasks.
Devastating fire and water damage has consumed decades of his personal belongings, leaving Ron and his family in a challenging situation.
Total estimated losses: $40,000
Tools and equipment
Clothing
Toys
Antique and appraisal research books, personal books
Camping equipment
Beds and mattress
Antique furniture, rugs
Computers and phones
Kitchen equipment
Personal art and decor
Family heirlooms
Donations to support Ron can be made to:
Venmo: @RangerRon
CashApp: $RangerRon
PayPal: @RangerRon82
Stuart
Stuart Ryerse (he/him) is a resident of the manor who is a professional musician, audio engineer, piano technician, woodworker, handyman, web developer, visual artist, juggler, circus performer, magician, and all-around genius who has volunteered countless hours, technical skill, and musical and electronic equipment to the manor. He often could be heard playing piano throughout the manor, practicing his juggling in the ballroom, hosting open mic nights, or completing complex technical tasks such as tuning and repairing musical instruments, fixing sewing machines, and winterizing the manor.
Stuart’s room and storage were devastated from the fire and water, losing expensive musical equipment.
Total estimated losses: $3,000
Amplifier head
Twin passive speakers
XLR, ¼", and IEC cables
Vertical piano backcheck wire and bridle straps
Donations to support Stuart can be made to:
Venmo: @stuartryerse
CashApp: $stuartryerse
PayPal: @stuartryerse
Victoria
Victoria Dobbs (she/her) is a musician, community organizer, and resident of the manor. She balanced her role as both the community manager and the events manager, dedicating her life to coordinating the DIY arts collective at Estate of Mind and the restoration and conservation of Oakhurst Manor. Her contributions were made entirely as a volunteer. All money that Victoria collected was budgeted to be spent back into the est8.
Community Manager role
Victoria built all the systems for new resident intake, designed the volunteer guest program, organized & ran resident meetings for a year, and was the point of contact for all incoming inquiries about Estate of Mind.
For most of her time at Estate of Mind, Victoria was also a primary source of peacekeeping in the community, helping mediate conflict, and personally helped residents move in and out, in some cases loading trucks and hauling boxes, or paying for relocation costs.
Everyday, Victoria could also be seen energizing teams of volunteers to help her do things like sweep the floors, clean bathrooms, and tidy up after construction crews, among other tasks.
Events Manager role
Victoria transformed Oakhurst Manor into a community event venue and was the primary event planner & booker, served as the producer of the Frightinsville halloween haunt, built and wrote almost everything on the website, wrote press releases, and did all the social media outreach. In addition, she hosted a monthly open mic at the est8, organized photo, video, film, and TV shoots at Oakhurst Manor, and maintained a digital archive of art & events produced at the est8, some of which has been published on our blog.
Restoration and Conservation
Victoria was the lead for acquiring the est8 a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship and was actively involved in writing grants and seeking additional funding sources for historic preservation.
She personally sourced & collected countless antique furniture donations. She was building a small museum using collected artifacts from the property’s history in collaboration with local librarian-archivists, the historic commission, members of the Whitin family, and survivors of clergy abuse at the House of Affirmation.
Victoria was out of town with her band the night of the fire, but her room was destroyed in the fire and subsequent water. She lost all of her personal belongings and many irreplaceable things, and is not seeking to replace most of it as there is now no place to keep it. Victoria is only asking for support to personally recover some essential items to continue her life and work as a musician and organizer.
Total estimated losses: $10,000 (low estimate)
Personal belongings, computer, medication, toiletries, work equipment: $4,500
Replacing Canadian & US legal documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc): $500
Custom-made/fitted earplugs: $500
Boutique fitted bras: $400
Not seeking to replace at this time:
Heirlooms, memorials, and original artwork
Collection of professional stagewear, bespoke costumes & accessories
Musical instruments & video & audio recording gear
Furniture and decor
Donations to support Victoria can be made to:
Victoria’s Amazon Gift Registry to replace some essential items
Victoria’s non-Amazon Gift Registry to replace some essential items not availble on Amazon
American currency donations:
Zelle: victoriadobbs@gmail.com
Venmo: @Victoria-Dobbs
CashApp: $organizedbyvictoria
PayPal for USD: omgwtfoffice@gmail.com
Canadian currency donations:
INTERAC e-Transfer: victoriadobbs@gmail.com
PayPal for CAD: victoriadobbs@gmail.com
Please send gifts or gift cards to:
Email victoriadobbs@gmail.com
Mailed to a friend at: 677 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02446
Donations Requests
Financial contributions and specific donations are prioritized at this time as many of our short and long-term recovery needs cannot be met through more general, physical donations. However, we have provided a list of more common items in the event the community has excess to donate.
Note: Support above and beyond the needs for our recovery will be used in whatever manner the fire survivors choose.
Shelf-stable food donations
Cleaning supplies
Disinfectant
Wipes
Rubbing alcohol
Bleach
Scent-free laundry detergent
Dish soap
Hand sanitizer
Paper towels
Ready-mixed carpet shampoo
PPE and emergency supplies
N95 face masks
Work gloves
Extension cords
Rags
Trash bags
Tarps
First aid kits
Emergency water
OTC painkillers & NSAIDs (Acetaminophen and ibuprofen)
Antihistamines and decongestants
Tri Fluoro Phosphate (TFP) / baking soda / activated charcoal (to get smoky smells out)
Luggage & Suitcases
Gift cards
Green 🌱
Toiletries of any size
Toilet paper
Tissues
Toothpaste
Soap / body wash
Shampoo & conditioner
Hairbrushes & hair ties
Razors
Deodorant
Lotion
Chapstick
Linens
Twin & full sizes
Pillows
Heating pads
Towels
Clothing
Bottoms:
Women’s sizes 5, 6, 7, 8
Men’s sizes 28, 30, 32
Tops: small & medium
Shoes & socks:
Women’s 6.5 - 10
Men’s 8.5 - 10
Underwear: small & medium
Collapsible, lightweight, travel storage options
Aluminum or plastic shelving
Drawers
Containers like totes
Coffee maker
USB-C (android) & Lightning (iPhone) cable chargers
Drinking cups
The address for local deliveries and mail packages is at 41 Pine St Whitinsville, MA 01588. A Donation Station has been established to collect drop-off donations. Coming up from Pine St, follow signs to find the donation station. Checks may also be made out to the names above and mailed to the same address.
PLEASE place donations in a box with a lid or covered, in case they are left after hours or in inclement weather.
Volunteering, Mutual Aid, and Rebuilding
We hope to use this list to coordinate an organized recovery period over the next few weeks, and use these experiences to strategize for emergency protocol in the future. Please join our Discord and coordinate with us directly to contribute to this cause. Volunteer efforts will be scheduled out in order to stagger and optimize the momentum and contributions.
Note: When joining Discord, please change your handle to the name you would want us to call you when speaking with you in real life, and explain what skills and service you would like to contribute.
Additionally, if you would also like to help in our transition of cultural, financial, legal ownership, leadership, and shaping the future of the project, please let us know your expertise and interest and set time aside for our planning sessions on Fridays, 3-5pm.
Discord join link: https://discord.gg/JnFHvPuSpU
Note: We cannot accommodate overnight volunteer guests at this time as all beds are completely filled. Volunteers will be guided in some cases and are free to initiate care or anticipate service in other cases.
Some examples of help look like:
Fresh food donation and homemade meal prep
Catching up on chores and maintenance
Cleaning and organizing belongings and donations
YOU WILL NOT BE ASKED TO ENTER THE MANOR WRECKAGE
Room assignment adjustments
Car rides to appointments
Furniture donations and installation
ASK before bringing furniture
Media Inquiries and Contact
Video and photos may be used only if linking back to this survivor statement page. For scheduling interviews contact Eduardo Solomon at est8ofmind.getinvolved@gmail.com or 1-234-888-EST8 ext. 1.
Note: On Friday, March 8th, 03/08/2024, between the hours of 2-5pm, media is welcome to arrive at the properties 120 Hill St (the manor) and 41 Pine St (the dorms). PLEASE do not enter any buildings without a resident escort.
Estate of Mind Project Donation
The manor itself is estimated to have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages and value, in addition to its priceless historic construction and its invaluable place in the community being impossible to replace.
If you would like to contribute towards the losses of the owners directly or are seeking ways to help the manor be salvaged you can do so here: www.ko-fi.com/est8ofmind
 | A guest post by
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Damn that sucks. Nobody has insurance?