Steve Dodge
By Kathleen Downey
Steve Dodge
I had received the tip that Steve Dodge is “YEAT from top to tail,” so I was happy that this townie graciously made time in his schedule to chat with me for Newburyport-Today. (In fact, at the close of our interview, Dodge—being of good humor—modeled his red YEAT T-shirt, probably to the chagrin of his wife, who had advised her husband against donning the quaintly silly attire.) The tipster who put me in touch with Dodge, Robin Munroe of the Black Duck Market and Deli located in the Tannery, was effusive in her praise for Dodge, who custom-built the exquisite cabinetry in the newly opened store.
A carpenter by trade, Dodge’s passion is restoring the “souls” of the old homes entrusted to his care. Through his creative vision and master carpentry skills, he is able to bring to life the individual charm that lurks in the walls, woodwork, ceilings, and flooring of aged houses, waiting to be coaxed out. “I love it when a homeowner gives me the license to create,” Dodge says. His own home in the South End, an early Greek Revival that he shares with his wife Linda, is a testament to Dodge’s painstaking care and attention to detail; each room is a study in character, intersecting with subtle beauty and integrity. So it’s fitting that Dodge’s home garnered the attention, earning a coveted feature segment last summer, from the home improvement luminary, “This Old House.” But this honor wasn’t the first bestowed upon Dodge for his meticulous care in restoring old houses. His previous home in the North End was featured in Boston Magazine.
Though a home lovingly brought back to life can provide the shelter and respite from life’s “storms,” Dodge believes that serenity is found in beautiful, outdoor spaces. “Every home should have a garden,” he matter-of-factly states. Carefully cultivated flower beds, verdant shrubbery, and vines that delicately weave their beauty through Dodge’s garden refuge complement the character of his house. At one end of the garden stands the pergola that Dodge built, offering a stately edifice to stand beneath and take in the full breadth of the beautiful outdoor space that Dodge has created. But Dodge’s favorite feature of his garden sanctuary is the rock waterfall that he built into one corner of the landscaped terrain. “I like to sit beside the waterfall for the serenity it gives me,” he says. The gentle lapping of the water as it cascades over the smoothened rocks does, indeed, inspire a contemplative quietude that feels good to the soul. (However, Dodge conjectures that the tiny birds who visit [chickadees?] and splash in the shallow pool on each rock shelf are here for more pragmatic reasons.) As a featured stop of the city’s Yankee Homecoming Garden Tour, others have had the opportunity to experience the serene beauty of Dodge’s outdoor sanctuary.
Dodge credits his strong work ethic and drive to Malcolm Hudson, the Port marina owner who gave Dodge his first job when he was in the eighth-grade. “Malcolm instilled in me honesty, fairness, and integrity,” Dodge tells me. He worked for Hudson for ten years unloading fishing vessels at the waterfront, which Dodge describes as “uncrowded and heaven back then.”
Sports have also influenced Dodge’s capable attitude and outlook on life. While a student at Newburyport High School, Dodge played baseball, tennis, and he was captain of the hockey team. (Dodge still scrapes it up on the ice today at the Graf Rink with his buddies). “Playing sports as a kid helped to shape my ‘grown-up’ values,” Dodge says.
His life’s philosophy: “No pressure,” helps Dodge to take life in stride—“calmly and with dignity,” he explains. I ask if his bartending stint at the Thirsty Whale 30 years ago (or his penchant for Revolutionary War history) has helped to shape this philosophy. He laughs, adding that he also collects historical paintings and likes to cook, poking fun at himself as a “Renaissance Man.”
But posing politely before me in his YEAT T-shirt, Dodge effortlessly and lightheartedly wears his dignity—calmly and completely at ease with himself.
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Kathleen Downey is a contributing writer to Newburyport-Today if you are a “Townie” and would like to be interviewed by Kathleen, please let us know!
