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Month: September 2020

Jack Helfant, the Hermit of Sandy Point From 1962-67

September 14, 2020December 1, 2024 Gordon Harris1 Comment
Jack Helfant

In 1962, a storm shipwrecked Jack Helfant’s houseboat on Sandy Point. The Revere native decided to stay on the island, creating a shack using driftwood, canvas and parts of his houseboat covered with salt hay, including an underground quarters. Over the years Jack and his pet collie Prince became permanent fixtures on the island.

Posted in PeopleTagged Jack Helfant
Ipswich MA historic photos by William Varrel
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Early Inhabitants of Ipswich, Massachusetts by Abraham Hammatt
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Ipswich Massachusetts Revisited by William Varrel
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© Gordon Harris 2026

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