2025 August Fete Program - Nantucket Preservation Trust
Party 'til the Cows Come Home
celebrating our 20 th Annual August Fête Eleanor Ham Pony Field • Thursday, August 7, 2025
Six O’clock in the Evening
4 New Dollar Lane, c. 1809 3 North Mill Street, c. 1852 11 North Mill Street, c. 1934 Party tent is located at 10 Mill Street, Eleanor Ham Pony Field Houses open from 6:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Nantucket Preservation Trust is most grateful to our underwriters, sponsors, and Fête leaders. nantucket preservation trust 11 Centre Street | P.O. Box 158, Nantucket, MA 02554 508-228-1387 | www.nantucketpreservation.org
images courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association Graphic Design by Kathleen Hay
Mill Street Neighborhood
Our
Tent Location
Eleanor Ham Pony Field
10 Mill Street
Acquired in 1978 by the Nantucket Historical Association
Here, Eleanor Ham once kept a pony that she raced at the course in Miacomet in the mid-twentieth century.
Eleanor’s family summer home was at 8 Mill Street in a neighborhood of nineteenth-century houses. When Miss Ham died in 1978, she left the small, fenced pony field to the Nantucket Historical Association for the purpose of “enhancing and preserving the beauty of Mill Street.” The pony field recalls not only the era of harnessracing on Nantucket, but an earlier time when livestock pastures and kitchen gardens were an integral part of the neighborhood’s landscape.
Cows in the Eleanor Ham Pony Field, c. 1890
The Houses
11 North Mill Street c. 1934
11 North Mill (formerly, 34 Prospect Street) was erected in 1934 for Richard Emerson and was the home of the pioneering Boston newspaper woman and broadcaster Marjorie Mills from 1945 to 1967. It is considered one of the finest examples of Colonial Revival architecture on the island. The house is comprised of several historic structures from the early settlement period that were rescued from demolition. These include: the Ludwig House that once stood along Madaket Road near the head of Main Street; an 18th century house from New Street owned in the early 19th century by Nathaniel Bunker; and an early structure converted into a barn from the old Hamblin property along Cliff Road. Architectural historian Clay Lancaster also notes that framing members are from the 1743 Jeremiah Coleman House once found on Warren Street.
The house was designed by architect Alfred F. Shurrocks (1870–1945), an 1895 graduate of MIT who worked for many years in Providence. There he gained the attention of William Sumner Appleton, founder of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now Historic New England. Shurrocks preserved several of that organization’s house museums and by the 1920s became one of the region’s best-known preservation architects. Shurrocks was hired as the architect for the restoration of the Oldest House on Nantucket in 1927.
Shurrocks’ work at the Oldest House led to his relocation of his office and residence to Nantucket in 1929. His island work includes, among others, the restoration of several first settlement houses:139 Main Street and 15 Liberty Street, the design of sensitive new buildings such as 6–10 Easy Street; and the Maria Mitchell Association’s Library—that employed, for the time, revolutionary fireproof technology.
Nantucket’s National Historic Landmark nomination notes that Shurrocks was influential in developing a widespread preservation ethic on island. Shurrocks died in 1945, and although he did not live to see the establishment of the Nantucket Local Historic District, his work helped gain public support for local legislation.
11 North Mill Street, c. 1953
With Thanks to Kerrygold who Donated Cheese to this Year’s August Fête.
3 North Mill Street c.1852
Andrew Johnson & Delia O’Donal Johnson
The property at 3 North Mill Street was originally part of a parcel of land held by Jared and Eunice Gardner. The Gardner homestead was located at the corner of Mill and Prospect Streets and included a “mansion” house, shop, and mowing lot. Other property held by the Gardners in the area included a corn field, pasture, and mill lots.
Jared Gardner (1775–1842) was one of nine children born to Crispus Gardner (d. 1805) and Margaret Chase (1743–1823). A carpenter, Jared Gardner married Eunice Coffin (1777–1842) and they had six children. In 1828 he purchased the Charles Swain Mill, today known as “The Old Mill,” built in 1746 by Nathan Wilbur. Although he is said to have purchased the mill for firewood, it appears he restored it to good working order, as probate records, reflecting its condition at the time of his death, valued it at $638.
3 North Mill Street, c. 1880
George C. Garnder 2nd (1808–89), a mariner and the son of Jared and Eunice Gardner, sold the parcel at 3 North Mill Street to Andrew Johnson (1822–1904) in 1852. This lane was once known as “Brimstone Lane”—a lane that “led to the Brimstone Mill,” on the hill to the southwest. There were four windmills on the range of hills in this area, a place once called Popsquatchett Hills. Born in Ireland around 1822, Andrew Johnson married an Irish woman, Delia O’Donal, he met on Nantucket in 1845. The Johnsons constructed the cottage at 3 North Mill Street shortly after purchasing the land in the early 1850s. The house remained in the Johnson family for more than 100 years, until 1968.
3 North Mill Street at left, c. 1920s
4 New Dollar Lane, c. 1809
Joseph Starbuck, butcher, victualler, merchant
In 1809, Joseph Starbuck (1774–1861) built the house on New Dollar Lane, just north of his newly constructed spermaceti candle manufactory. He was married to Deborah Gardner, and they were parents of four daughters: Sarah, Eunice, Eliza, and Mary. Their three sons—George, Matthew, and William—were born in the new house, and would later be the beneficiaries of Joseph’s largesse when he built the Three Bricks for them on Main Street. Joseph amassed a fortune when he became a candle manufacturer and whale oil merchant during the heyday of the Nantucket whaling industry.
After Joseph died in 1861, his seven children sold the family home to Phebe Ann Barnard, widow of Alexander Barnard, who was lost at sea in 1844. The only child of Phebe and Alexander died young, so Phebe’s sisters inherited the property when she died in 1880. They sold the house to William C. Marden, who had previously resided at 8 Milk Street, on the corner of New Dollar Lane. Marden’s daughter, Etta, bought the Starbuck house from her brothers, Wallace and Willard, after their parents died, and owned the property until 1915.
The house changed ownership two more times before Joseph and Eleanor Husband acquired it in 1925. They purchased the property south of the house as well and obtained a land court certificate for the expanded tract in 1927, subsequently subdividing it into four lots. John Winston Fowlkes purchased the house and one other lot in 1931 and then acquired the other two lots in 1938 and 1946. The property was reconfigured again in 1993.
npt
Opposite: Interior of 4 New Dollar Lane, HABS, 1940
With thanks to Betsy Tyler, Christine Harding, and Michael May.
4 New Dollar Lane, c. 1940
Become a rebmem • kat e a step •
Become a Member of the NPT
The Nantucket Preservation Trust is a nonprofit, membershipsupported organization formed in 1997 whose members are dedicated to the preservation of the island’s historic architecture.
Membership Form
Name:
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Address: Summer Address:
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□ I want to learn about NPT volunteer opportunities.
sense of place society
Sense of Place Society members receive special invitations to tours and events, and acknowledgement in NPT’s Ramblings.
Name (as you would like it to appear in print):
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leadership
Leadership level members receive acknowledgement in NPT’s annual publication Ramblings.
Student Membership (valid with Student ID)
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______ My employer will match this gift. Please enclose gift form. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Karen Keane of Bonhams Skinner and Antiques Roadshow
Nantucket
Gold
Nantucket bay scallops are the gold standard of shellfish. Want to see how the pros do it? Get an inside look at one of the last commercial-scale wild bay scallop fisheries on the east coast. Apprentice with Sharon and Pennel Ames for an insider’s look at commercial scalloping (for one person). Set out from Old North Wharf early in the morning, watch the sunrise over Nantucket Harbor, and commune with nature. Learn favorite scalloping spots—but you’ll be sworn to secrecy! Includes five pounds of scallops, on-island pickup only.
Commercial scalloping ride-along at a mutually agreed upon time between November 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025. Scallops available for local pickup between November 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025.
Shoulder Season Great Point Adventure
Join Nantucket Preservation Trust executive director Mary Bergman and two longtime Wauwinet residents for an unforgettable insiders’ tour of Great Point during the “locals summer” season. Take in the clear views of early autumn on this utterly unique spit of barrier beach, recently named a National Natural Landmark by the National Parks Service. Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach with your choice of local brews, spot migrating shorebirds and other wildlife, and try your hand at surfcasting. All beach gear, binos, and rods will be provided, as will transportation in a 4-wheel drive vehicle. This package also includes a rechargeable outdoor lantern from Visual Comfort, yours to keep to elevate your beach outings, be they on Great Point or anywhere else.
4-hour excursion to be scheduled at a mutually agreedupon date and time, between September 13, 2025 and October 13, 2025.
Custom Dog Portrait by
Jocelyn Urban
We all love our four-legged family members, and celebrated artist Jocelyn Sandor Urban will create a custom portrait of your pet that you can treasure for decades to come. Jocelyn will draw a detailed conte crayon portrait of your dog, approximately 16x20”, suitable for framing and display. A master of the conte crayon medium, Jocelyn will capture your pet’s spirit in a bust-length portrait on a plain background, so the subject’s unique likeness can shine. Jocelyn’s work is highly sought after and included in the collection of the Kentucky Derby Museum, as well as many private and corporate collections. She holds an MFA in Printmaking from UMass Amherst and a BS in fine art from Skidmore College. She is a member of the Artists Association of Nantucket, and her work can be found at the Nantucket Looms, Vermont Artisan’s Gallery, and Stratton Mountain Club.
The winning bidder must supply suitable photos to the artist for completion of the portrait. Portrait will be completed by August 1, 2026, and the completed drawing will be shipped, unframed, to the winner.
What’s more quintessential Nantucket than a sail aboard a Nantucket-built Alerion class sloop? Nantucket Preservation Trust President Bill Moore will captain you and your group of up to four people on a sail around Nantucket Harbor on his personal 26-foot Alerion class sloop, Eagle, built in 1981 by Sanford Boat Company. With a draft of just two feet five inches, Eagle is a terrific vessel for exploring all around the harbor and is an authentic reproduction of noted naval architect Nathanael Herreshoff’s original 1912 design.
Sail to be completed at a mutually agreed upon date prior to August 1, 2026.
Alerion Sail with Bill Moore
Thank You to Our Auction Contributors
Pennel and Sharon Ames
Anonymous
Mary Bergman
Chris Bonelli
Betsy Braun
Teal Colliton
Elizabeth Congdon
Taylor Cullen
Eric Holch
Kelley Jepson
Mary Lacoursiere
Jodi Levesque
Bill Moore
Julija Mostykanova
Nantucket Flower Collective
Caitlin Parsone
Dale Rutherford
Barrie Sanders
Bill Sarni
Karin Sheppard
Daniel Sutherland
Lisa Sziklas
Tuckernuck
Jocelyn Sandor Urban
Deborah Van der Wolk
Nell Van Vorst
Visual Comfort
Cathy Ward
Heidi Weddendorf
2025 AUGUST FÊTE CONTRIBUTORS
(as of July 5, 2025)
With gratitude to
HARBOR ASSET PRIVATE WEALTH
our corporate underwriters for this year’s August Fête.
We extend a special thank you to the following homeowners for opening their homes:
Polly Millard
Fred Mueller, Anne Redman, and Elizabeth Wales
Henry Mueller and Gerilyn Brewer
The Nantucket Historical Association
Thanks to Auctioneer Karen Keane and
Special thanks to Kathleen Hay of Kathleen Hay Designs for more than 20 years of support of the Nantucket Preservation Trust as our graphic designer.
With Thanks to Our Business Sponsors for Their Support:
Preserving the Craft
M. Sweeney Construction
Granite
ACKtivities Event Planning
Kathleen Hay Designs Tuckernuck
Twig Perkins Inc.
Brick
Carolyn Thayer Interiors
Dujardin Designs
Gryphon Architects
Melanie Gowen Design
Nantucket Looms
Weatherly Design, LLC
Mortar
Chris Carpenter
In-Kind Contribution from Kerrygold, Inc.
2025 AUGUST FÊTE LEADERS
The following individuals provided financial support for the event at the Leadership Level (as of July 11, 2025)
$6,000 and Above
Mr. and Mrs. Christian M. Hoffman
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Swart
$3,000 – $5,999
Ms. Anne Delaney and Mr. Calvin Carver, Jr
Mr. Harry W. Wilcox III and Ms. Patricia Hambrick
$1,500 – $2,999
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bailey, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Belash
Mrs. Coleman P. Burke
Mr. And Mrs. Mark Filipski
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Friedman
Dr. Douglas Hosrt and Ms. Maureen Phillips
Mr. Michael A. Kovner and Mr. Jean Doyen de Montaillou
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Maffeo
Mr. and Mrs. Martin McKerrow
Mr. and Mrs. Craig H. Muhlhauser
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy P. Richardson
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Roach
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sayer
Mr. Ryan Williams
$750 – $1,499
Ms. Caitlin Jo Abrams Freund
Mrs. Laurie S. Champion
Dr. Paula Henderson
Mr. Frank Holahan
Ms. Jill Lentowski
Ms. Stephanie Maffeo
Mrs. Linda B. McGrath
Mr. Peter C. Steingraber
Additional Donations
Ms. Ingrid Francis
2025 AUGUST FÊTE COMMITTEE
Barbara Halsted, August Fête Co-Chair
Ann Swart, August Fête Co-Chair
Gussie Beaugrand, Auction Chair
Jon King, Volunteer Chair
Teal Colliton
Alyssa Corry
Beth Davies
Aisling Glynn
Melanie Gowen
Michelle Maffeo
Susan Renzulli
2025 SENSE OF PLACE EXHIBITION & AUCTION COMMITTEE
Gussie Beaugrand, Chair
Beth Davies • Barbara Halsted
Jon King • Ann Swart
NPT BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
Bill Moore, President
Alison Potts, Chair
Chris Hoffman, Vice President
Jon King, Vice President
Sam Phelan, Treasurer
Barbara Halsted, Secretary Directors
David Brown • Nick Gault • Melanie Gowen
Susan Zises Green • Michael Kovner • Mary-Adair Macaire
