Small cottage on Nantucket is the latest victim of parade of storms

By Todd Feathers, Globe Correspondent

A small cottage on Nantucket has become the latest victim of storm-related coastal erosion.

The cottage at 49 Red Barn Road, owned by Barbara Weiss, was torn down Saturday after it became apparent the building would collapse of its own accord, said Stephen Butler, director of Nantucket’s building department.

As much of the state prepares for a winter storm expected to arrive tonight, Butler said he has issued a permit for demolition of another house, at 87 Baxter Road, which is also in danger of collapsing if its foundation is undermined any more. The garage connected to that house has already been torn down, he said.

Weiss, the cottage owner, said that in the past two years she has watched 20 feet of beach erode “like brown sugar falling away.”

Weiss was able to remove all her belongings from the cottage before it was torn down, and donated the appliances and some furniture to people in need, she said.

Her worry now is that the house where she lives, which is on the same property as the cottage was, will be the next to go.

“I’ve seen tongues of sand being washed up by the waves 15 feet away from the house, so it’s endangered as well,” she said.

Todd Feathers can be reached at todd.feathers@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ToddFeathers.