Motif Number 1

Motif Number 1, located on Bradley Wharf in the harbor town of Rockport, Massachusetts, is a replica of a former fishing shack well known to students of art and art history as "the most often-painted building in America.

"[1][2] The original structure was built in 1884 and destroyed in the Blizzard of 1978,[1] but an exact replica was constructed that same year.

[3] Built in 1884 as Rockport was becoming home to a colony of artists and settlement of fishermen, the shack became a favorite subject of painters due to the composition and lighting of its location as well as being a symbol of New England maritime life.

It appeared in the work of Aldro Hibbard and of impressionist Harry Aiken Vincent who arrived in Rockport in 1917.

"[6] The town, recognizing its iconic value, has taken pains to preserve both its structure and appearance, finding a red paint which appears weather-beaten even when new,[3] and keeping the area clear of overhead wires, traffic signs and advertising.