‘Please Be A Better Neighbor’: Martha’s Vineyard Residents Upset With This Tennessee Whiskey Brand Over Loud House Parties
The Christopher Hotel on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, June 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Residents of Edgartown in Martha’s Vineyard are at odds with the Tennessee whiskey producer Uncle Nearest over house parties.
According to the Vineyard Gazette, neighbors complained about a residence owned by the brand, dubbed The Uncle Nearest House, for hosting too many parties and violating neighborhood zoning laws.
The conflict came to a head when a nonprofit organization applied for a one-day liquor license on Tuesday at The Uncle Nearest House, and multiple neighbors spoke out against it. Eventually, the board denied the property the license.
The distillery is hosting its parties in a residence in Martha’s Vineyard. Members of the neighborhood claim The Uncle Nearest House is a residential home and that the company’s decision to throw events that require the use of liquor licenses suggests otherwise and acts in direct violation of neighborhood zoning ordinances.
“Welcome to the neighborhood. Please be better neighbor,” a resident named Amy wrote in the comments section of The Vineyard Gazette piece.
Some residents have gone so far as to obtain legal counsel to preserve their peace and quiet.
“My family and I abut this property,” a neighbor who went by Emily commented. “We have a 2-year-old and a 10-month-old. To be clear, this is not an ordinary party situation, like a wedding or a graduation party. It is not an isolated event or two or even three. It’s been an almost daily occurrence for more than 2 weeks and ongoing. From vehicles parked on our narrow road, to the parking and traffic that has wreaked havoc on our (and much of the Island’s) daily lives, and most importantly the NOISE that is completely disrupting our otherwise quiet neighborhood – it’s unbelievable.”
Emily went on to describe rocking her baby to sleep over disruptive bass in the middle of the afternoon.
Edgartown Police Chief Bruce McNamee admitted officers have received multiple calls about the house — approximately nine within the past three weeks.
The Uncle Nearest Website recently took down its events page, which featured parties at the property. The text promoting The Uncle Nearest House at Martha’s Vineyard was quoted as follows:
“When it comes to Martha’s Vineyard, the history was too important to simply show up and rent a venue. So, we bought 2.5 acres in the heart of Edgartown to lay down roots for our company to have a presence…”
Neighbors such as Patty Culkins expressed displeasure when reading the statement.
“‘Our company is what stands out to me,'” Culkins wrote in response. “It’s not a home, it is a property.”
Uncle Nearest CEO Fawn Weaver wrote to the Gazette and claimed the events were meant to be exclusive and invite-only. Weaver says she chose to take the page down once the company was made aware its events page was visible to the public. Any members of the public who requested invitations were subsequently removed from RSVP lists.
Weaver went on to refute the allegations that The Uncle Nearest House was being used for commercial purposes.
“This isn’t a commercial space; otherwise I’d be a terrible businessperson, paying for all event costs at my home and not even accepting charitable donations. We have and will continue to strictly adhere to city rules.”
Other residents went on to defend Weaver in the comments section.
“I cannot believe that no one appears to acknowledge the great lengths and swift nature Mrs. Weaver worked to address initial traffic concerns within the neighborhood. When we are solution focused (as opposed to committed to anger and blame), we can accomplish great things,” M. Graham, another resident, wrote in the comments.
Graham went on to describe recent gatherings at The Uncle Nearest House as “seamless,” “quiet” and “elegant.”
Other residents also leaped to Weaver’s defense, calling the accusations against the brand “unfair,” and stating that multiple residents on the island have political fundraisers all the time, without repercussions.
More About Uncle Nearest
Uncle Nearest is a black-owned whiskey brand based out of Tennessee and was inspired by the legacy of Nearest Green. While enslaved, Green taught Jack Daniels what is now known as the Lincoln County process, which involved charcoal-filtering whiskey for a smoother flavor profile.
The brand has experienced a meteoric rise since its inception in 2017, and its expressions have received favorable reviews from many critics. The brand’s Single Barrel Whiskey went on to win a gold medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
After a purchase of 109 additional acres of land in Tennessee in May, the 745-acre distillery with holdings in Bedford and Moore counties is now “one of the largest, if not the largest Black landowner in Tennessee,” according to the brand.
Meanwhile, at Martha’s Vineyard, Arthur Smadbeck, a select board chair member said he hoped the issue would be resolved smoothly if the community worked together.
Another resident, Jill Weston, had different thoughts on the matter:
“The communities are increasingly intolerant of the growing, well-to-do Black owners and renters who own or come to this island for summer vacation. To attempt to mandate what happens at a private property even after the owners hired town police offers for security is outrageous.”
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