RAMBLINGS
Welcome
Dear Members and Friends,
Thanks for picking up a copy of Ramblings, NPT’s annual magazine. For nineteen years, we’ve highlighted the important historic preservation work happening year-round on Nantucket.
This issue features our 2024 Preservation Award Winners, honored last September; remembers buildings Lost, Threatened, and Saved on Nantucket, including a featurette on the Downeyflake by NPT’s Julie Kever; explores the lesser-known history of Nantucket’s auto houses, and highlights the winter work of past NPT award winners and Mary Helen and Michael Fabacher Scholarship recipients. Ramblings also celebrates 200 years of the Mitchell House Kitchen with a retrospective by guest writer Jascin Leonardo Finger, MMA’s Deputy Director.
Be sure to mark your calendars for our signature summer events, including a lecture and luncheon with interior designer Marshall Watson on Tuesday, July 22nd and our Annual August Fête at the Mill Street Pony Field on Thursday, August 7th.
We hope you enjoy this issue and look forward to seeing you at our events this summer. For more timely updates, be sure to check out our blog, The Fanlight, on our website.
Sincerely,
Mary Bergman Executive Director
The Nantucket Preservation Trust preserves, protects, and promotes the island’s unique architectural heritage and sense of place.
For more information, please visit us at: 11 Centre Street | P.O. Box 158, Nantucket, MA 02554 |508-228-1387 | www.nantucketpreservation.org
Ramblings is provided at no cost to our members, islanders, and visitors. Please extend the life of this publication by passing it along to a friend.
the nantucket preservation trust
Preserving the Island’s Architectural Heritage our BeLieF
Nantucket’s historic architecture is a unique and valuable asset that makes the island special. our GoaL
To preserve Nantucket’s architectural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy.
our hope
That you will join us in working to preserve our past.
our proGraMs
Apprenticeships • Architectural Studies • Architectural Lectures
Architectural Preservation Fund • August Fête • Brief Histories, House Genealogies, and Comprehensive House Histories • Historic District Commission Testimonies • Historic House Tours • Historic Research • House Consultations • House Markers • House Resource Assistance • Interior Surveys • Landmark History Books • Main Street Architectural Walking Tour • Nantucket Preservation Symposium • Neighborhood Book Series • Preservation Awards • Preservation Easements • Preservation Month Programs • Private Walking Tours • Ramblings • Resource Guide • Scholarships • ’Sconset & Codfish Park Walking Tours • Summer Luncheon and Lecture • Traditional Building Methods Demonstrations
Did You Know?
Also Place for Auto: The Bungalow-Era Garage
On Nantucket, it’s hard to imagine a time before there was a red Jeep Wrangler in every driveway or a silver Toyota Tacoma every six hundred feet.Yet the automobile revolution came late to the little Grey Lady. The first cars rolled off the ferry in 1900, but they spooked the horses (and, in turn, buggy passengers) so much so that by 1908, autos were banned from the island. If you wanted to get to Surfside or ’Sconset, you took the train. If you wanted to get to Polpis or Madaket, you went by horse. Or, you traveled under your own power: walking or cycling.
By the summer of 1915, summer people, so used to driving their automobiles on the mainland, brought their cars with them. When the Nantucket Railroad made its last run in 1917, one reason cited was the competition of so many (illegal) cars. Nantucket was the lone holdout across the state forbidding cars, and citizens finally relented, repealing the auto ban at a 1918 Town Meeting. (Only the male residents of the island were allowed to vote on this issue; women could vote for matters relating to the Nantucket Public Schools and little else.)
This change in transportation influenced the streetscape significantly. With so many autos (many of them open-topped), there needed to be some place to store these expensive machines. Enter the “auto house,” or garage. Kits for constructing garages were sold by Sears Roebuck and the Aladdin Company, among others. These pre-fabricated kits could be assembled quickly by on-island builders.
By 1920, The Inquirer & Mirror began running an Auto Notes column, where reports of who bought what car, and who was constructing which garage could be found. Automobilists were also warned to be careful driving near houses that had been “recently shingled anew,” as loose nails were often in abundance along the roadway.
Sadly, the proud little auto houses of yesteryear that once dotted the Nantucket streetscape are fewer and fewer these days, as many such structures have been demolished to make way for large dwellings. Massachusetts’s Subdivision Control Law (MGL 41 81-L) allows the subdivision of a preexisting, nonconforming lot if the structures atop it were built before the town adopted subdivision control. (For Nantucket, that’s 1955.) It is up to the Historic District Commission to then deny the demolition of these historic (pre-1955) structures. And, recently, the HDC did deny the demolition of such a garage at 43A Union Street. These simple buildings are part of a larger story and remind passersby of the early days of the island’s ongoing love affair with cars.
How different Nantucket would have looked then, with cars tucked neatly in garages, instead of parked atop sidewalks, encroaching on the turf of pedestrians.
npt
Lost, Threatened, and Saved
130 Main moved to 22 Cliff Road, c. 1900
PreparingforhousemoveonTuckernuck,c.1940s
A portion of Bright Lights being moved in Madaket, November 2023
125 Main on the move down Mount Vernon Street, c. 1998
Saved: Nantucket House Moves
Nantucket’s history of house moving goes back over 300 years, but in the 21st century, it’s in many ways harder to move a house than it was in the 18th century—complicating factors of powerlines, trees, traffic, and the expense of land provide obstacles for the prospective house mover. In 2024, Nantucket Preservation Trust took legislative action to try and make it more feasible to recycle homes on the island. Executive Director Mary Bergman introduced a Citizen’s Warrant Article at September’s Special Town Meeting that extends the demolition delay period on the island from 60 days to 6 months, giving people interested in moving a structure more time to make plans and secure the necessary permits to move a home. Our Ramblings cover image this year shows just one such move, completed in February 2025 and the photo at the start of this article shows a house move on Cliff Road from April, 2025. Here we celebrate the innumerable homes that have been moved and saved throughout Nantucket’s history. Here’s to more in the future!
Structures Unlimited on the move, 2024
10 New Whale Street is not the only Nantucket building facing demolition by neglect; its sister building at 5 Candle Street has also been falling into disrepair since the end of its use for power generation.
10 New Whale Street, courtesy of Sharon Van Lieu
Threatened: 10 New Whale Street
In October 2024, National Grid filed an application to demolish the former water gas plant at 10 New Whale Street, built c. 1927 for the Nantucket Electric Company. The structure was originally constructed as part of the Nantucket Electric Company’s large power-generating facility along the Nantucket waterfront, and together with ice plants, fuel docks, lumberyards, and fishing piers made up the island's industrial backyard. The building ceased being used for electrical generation in 1996 and was allowed to fall into considerable disrepair in the following decades.
10 New Whale Street is not the only Nantucket building facing demolition by neglect; its sister building at 5 Candle Street has also been falling into disrepair since the end of its use for power generation. Though these industrial buildings may no longer be needed for their original purpose, they both have great potential for adaptive reuse. Around the island, there are multiple examples of former industrial buildings that have been given new life, including the Thomas Macy Warehouse on Straight Wharf, now a gallery and exhibit space, and the American Legion Hall just a stone’s throw away, which is another example of adaptive reuse of a 19th-century warehouse.
Proponents for the demolition of 10 New Whale Street claim that it was constructed of substandard, soft brick, and it is in imminent danger of collapse. No one disputes that the building is in an advanced state of disrepair, but Nantucket should not award the owners of a building that has deteriorated by giving them what they want, a stamped Certificate of Appropriateness for a demolition. Brick masonry structures can be repaired, and incentives for the reuse of historic buildings, including State & Federal Historic Rehabilitation tax credit programs exist to help ease some of the financial burden of such work.
As of May 2025, the application to demolish 10 New Whale Street is still pending before the Historic District Commission. At the initial hearing for the demolition application, HDC commissioners expressed their appreciation for the building and spoke unanimously with disfavor towards the proposed demolition. While the fate of 10 New Whale Street remains to be seen, we hope it will be stabilized, repaired, and perhaps reinvented for a new use that will contribute to the vitality of Nantucket’s bustling waterfront.
Lost: The Downyflake, Sparks Avenue
Is a building the definition of a business or does the business define the building? What happens to the occupants when a building is sold? And if the structure is torn down, does the energy it once held die with it or wholly move to a new location? Sometimes when a building has become synonymous with the trade it houses, it’s difficult to associate it with a new venture. And when a business does relocate, it can be challenging to adjust to its new housing, especially when it’s a recognized iconic institution.
The Downyflake Restaurant has always been a mix of building, business, and people working together, defining a beloved institution on our little island. For six decades, beginning in 1930, it ruled the corner of South Water and Lower Cambridge Streets, a large brown doughnut hanging above the door, welcoming locals at spring re-opening and summer visitors, eager for fresh cake doughnuts and homemade meals. Each season we felt at home in the ambiance of newly painted walls, booths and tables, the smell of doughnuts frying and the flow of smiling servers.
When a gas explosion in 1991 destroyed the building, a much downsized Flake sprung up in the little water-front building at Children’s Beach, as bustling as ever with its crowded dining room and premium porch tables. Despite the adjustments to size and locale, the doughnuts tasted as good as ever. Chicken salad sandwiches and iced tea satisfied those happy to be seated or picking up takeout to enjoy on the nearby sand or bike ride. The small building seemed to delight in hosting the reincarnated restaurant that filled its room with inviting smells and brought energy to the floorboards.
But it was clear that limited seating and a building without insulation or heating in a congested beach locale couldn’t provide the desired longer season for its loyal base of year-rounders and seasonal customers, so the Downyflake moved to mid-island, to a 1950’s-era building at 18 Sparks Avenue; an old brown doughnut secured above the front door, saying, "Here we are! Come in!" And in we went to find plenty of tables, a counter and stools and a take-out section with our favorite mixed dozen, Scotch Irish Oatmeal cake, tarts and muffins. Codfish cakes, meatloaf plates and fried scallops were specials once again for the working man or visiting family. The new venue became a hive of activity with friendly, familiar servers juggling coffee mugs and plates and we adjusted over time as the memories of 7 South Water Street faded. Until…
After three decades, the Sparks Avenue building was purchased by developers in 2021 and demolished in February 2025, as part of a larger planned redevelopment. With no structure left and the Downyflake family scattered, does the iconic institution still exist? How do we reconcile a building, its people, and its purpose?
– Julie Kever, March 12, 2025 npt
The Annual Preservation Awards
The NPT’s Preservation Awards emphasize proper preservation and sensitive new construction, showcase Nantucket’s craftspeople, and celebrate the foresight and stewardship of owners who care about our historic structures and the island landscape.
NPT’s Preservation Awards are presented to individuals and organizations that advance the cause of historic preservation on Nantucket. Highlighting projects and the people who commissioned and completed preservation work is our way of honoring those who demonstrate to the community that sensitive preservation is possible and rewarding. Preservation Awards recipients serve as restoration role models and help ensure the protection of the island’s historic resources for future generations.
The NPT’s Preservation Awards emphasize proper preservation and sensitive new construction, showcase Nantucket’s craftspeople, and celebrate the foresight and stewardship of owners who care about our historic structures and the island landscape.
The deadline for applications for our 2025 Awards is July 1, 2025. Visit bit.ly/NPTawards to download the submission form.
ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION
The Michelle Elzay Architectural Preservation Award recognizes the owner(s) of a historic structure, and, when appropriate, one or more building professionals who assisted in the completion of a significant preservation project. Structures may contain additions that are compatible with the historic sections and include exterior and interior work. In order to qualify for the award, preservation of those portions or features that convey the property’s historical, cultural or architectural values is required.
LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN
The Caroline A. Ellis Landscape & Garden Award recognizes gardens and landscapes on Nantucket that embody our unique sense of place and celebrates the people who make them.
STEWARDSHIP
The John A. and Katherine S. Lodge Stewardship Award recognizes an individual, organization, or owner(s) of a historic property who demonstrate a high degree of commitment to the preservation of the structure(s) and the island. An individual who maintains a historic property or who has played an important part in the preservation of Nantucket also can be nominated for this award.
TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS
The Traditional Building Methods Award recognizes craftspeople who promote traditional building methods or who have made a major contribution to the field of historic preservation on island. Past recipients have balanced time-honored methods with modern tools. Consideration can be for one exemplary project or an entire body of work.
HISTORICAL RENOVATION
The Historical Renovation Award recognizes the owner(s) of a historic structure and the building professionals who assisted in the design and completion of a sensitive new addition to a historic structure. Projects should harmonize with the massing and architectural details of the original structure rather than overwhelm the original structure.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
The New Construction Award recognizes new buildings or additions to non-historic structures that take into special consideration the surrounding structures and harmonize with the historic streetscape. An award-worthy new construction project is one that looks as though it has always been there or adds something that has been taken away.
In addition to the annual awards, the NPT board of directors periodically honors those who have made a major impact on preservation of the island’s architectural heritage with the Excellence in Preservation Award . For additional information on NPT award recipients—past and present— visit us online at www.nantucketpreservation.org
nantucket preservation trust
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS
MICHELLE ELZAY ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION AWARD
Dana and James Simpson, 7 Starbuck Court, 2023
Karli and Jim Hagedorn, 34 West Chester Street, 2022
Whitney Lucks and Karl Schneider, 85 Main Street, 2021
The Museum of African American History, Boston and Nantucket,
The Boston-Higginbotham House, 27 York Street, 2020
Jeffrey Paduch and Caroline Hempstead, 86 Main Street, 2019
The Hospital Thrift Shop, 17 India Street, 2018
Siasconset Union Chapel Board of Trustees, 2017
Virginia Andrews; George Gray LLC, 55 Union Street, 2016
Nantucket Historical Association, Old Gaol, 2015
Ed and Joan Lahey, 7 Farmer Street, 2014
Michelle Elzay, Sparrow Design, 43 Pine Street, 2013
Maria Mitchell Association, Maria Mitchell Birthplace, 2012
South Church Preservation Fund, 11 Orange Street, 2011
Lucy Dillon, property owner; Steve Lindsay, contractor, 37 Liberty Street, 2010
ReMain Nantucket, Mitchell’s Book Corner, 2009
Valerie and Richard Norton, numerous projects, 2008
Bernie and Carol Coffin, ’Sconset Post Office, 2007
Ginger Ivey, 8 Cottage Avenue, ’Sconset, 2007
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS
CAROLINE A. ELLIS LANDSCAPE AND GARDEN AWARD
Kathrina Marques, 2023
The Creeks Preserve, The Nantucket Islands Land Bank and Lucille Hays, 174 Orange Street, 2022
Siasconset Union Chapel, Michael Van Valkenburgh Landscape Associates, and Champoux Landscape, 18 New Street, Siasconset, 2021
Russell and Marian Morash, 2020
Florence Merriam Hill (posthumously), 2019
Mariann Berg (Hundahl) Appley, 69 Main Street, 2018
Dale Gary, Town Arborist, 2017
Paula Lundy Levy, Tuck’t In: A Walking Tour of Historic Prospect Hill Cemetery, 2016 Nantucket Conservation Foundation, 2014
Nantucket Garden Club, Main Street Horse Fountain, 2013
Charlotte and MacDonald Mathey, Hedged About, ’Sconset, 2012
Dr. and Mrs. John Espy, 4 New Dollar Lane, 2011
Marilyn Whitney, Moors End, 19 Pleasant Street, 2010
Caroline Ellis, ’Sconset Trust, Sankaty Head Lighthouse, 2009
JOHN A. AND KATHERINE S. LODGE STEWARDSHIP AWARD
Judy and John Belash, 6 Farmer Street, 2023
Rebecca and Henry Packer, 8 North Liberty Street, 2023
Allan Bell, Nantucket Pharmacy, 45 Main Street, 2022
The Phelan Family, 57-65 Pleasant Street, 2021
HallKeen Management, Academy Hill Apartments, 4 Westminster Street, 2020
Pacific Club Directors, The Pacific Club, 15 Main Street, 2020
Kristen Williams-Haseotes, Shanunga, 10 Broadway, Siasconset, 2019
The Harris Family, John Ray House, 8 Ray’s Court, 2018
Rodts Family, 5 Broadway, 2017
Constance Umberger, 3 Bear Street, 2017
Elizabeth Hilger, 139 Main Street, 2017
Noyes Family, 90 North Liberty Street, 2017
Mark and Gwenn Snider, Nantucket Hotel, 2016
Liz Coffin and Matt and Sheila Fee, 106 Main Street Façade, 2016
Jason Tilroe, 75 Main Street, 2015
Muriel Williams (posthumously), 4 Traders Lane, 2014
St. Paul’s Church in Nantucket, Stained Glass Restoration, 2013
Nantucket Historical Association, Photographic Image Archive, 2012
Fremont-Smith family, Atlantic House, ’Sconset, 2011
Margaret Yates Berkheimer (posthumously), 8 Pine Street, 2010
Sanford Kendall, numerous carpentry projects, 2009
Clarissa Porter, 5 Quince Street, 2008
Katherine S. Lodge, 94 Main Street, 2008
PAST AWARD RECIPIENTS -
continued
TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS AWARD
Michael Gault, Carpenter, 2023
Colin Evans, Mason, 2022
Valley Restoration and the South Church Preservation Fund, 11 Orange Street, 2021
Ben Moore, Carpenter, 2020
Newton Millham, Blacksmith, 2019
Wayne Morris, Mason, 2018
John Wathne and Structures North, 2017
Brian FitzGibbon, Window Restorer, 2016
David Bergquist, Bergquist Masonry LLC, 2014
Sam and Ellen Phelan, property owners; Twig Perkins, contractor, 65 Pleasant Street, 2013
Curtis Livingston, 18 India Street, 2012
Michael Burrey, Timber Framer, 2011
Pen Austin, plaster and lime-mortar expert, 2010
HISTORICAL RENOVATION AWARD
Hollie and Jamie Holt, 31 Main Street, ’Sconset, 2023
Sherry Lefevre; Bill Willet, 30 Pine Street, 2021
Ken Jennings and Al Messina; Sandcastle Construction, 10 Martins Lane, 2020
Keith and Elizabeth Roe; Michael Sweeney Construction, 51B Centre Street, 2019
Paul McLeod and Jamie Pfaff, 29 Liberty Street, 2015
Angus and Deb MacLeod, Angus MacLeod Designs; Johnson, Stockton and Jones families, property owners, for 9, 12, 14, and 15 Pochick Street, ’Sconset, 2013
NEW CONSTRUCTION AWARD
George and Nell Wilson, 39 Main Street, Siasconset, 2019
Emeritus Development, Nantucket Yacht Club Dormitory, 4 South Beach Street, 2018
Elizabeth Churchill, Bentley & Churchill Architects, 5 Grand Avenue, 2017
Robert and Martha Lipp, 251 Polpis Road, 2015
EXCELLENCE IN PRESERVATION AWARD
University of Florida’s Preservation Institute: Nantucket, 2013
Brian Pfeiffer, 2012
Helen Seager, 1999
Walter Beinecke Jr., 1998
The Maples, 14 Broadway, Siasconset
MICHELLE ELZAY ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION AWARD
14 Broadway, Siasconset
Leslie Mayer
Since taking ownership of The Maples at 14 Broadway in 2011, Leslie Mayer has cherished more than 200 years of history within its walls. The roses that adorn her historic home have appeared in numerous publications and are a favorite of visitors and residents alike.
Under Leslie’s stewardship, The Maples underwent a meticulous five-year restoration project that was completed in 2024. There were no changes to the historic building’s footprint, exterior roofs and walls, or its interior plan of rooms. Leslie ensured The Maples’ eighteenth-century plaster walls and ceilings, hand-planed wood floors, hardware and windows were all retained and restored.
The original T-plan of bedrooms with its adjoining den with wood door hinges on single-plank-width wood doors, door mouldings, fireplace paneling, and newly discovered ceiling joists with period moulding were all retained. The kitchen and bathrooms were sensitively updated within the existing footprint. The lofted Crow’s Nest and Haulover highlight the evolution of the house, with references to character-defining details and craftsmanship.
Leslie Mayer and her home at 14 Broadway exemplify the best of restoration and preservation practices.
JOHN A. and KATHERINE S. LODGE STEWARDSHIP AWARD
67 North Centre Street
Frances Karttunen
Fran Karttunen has made immeasurable contributions to the study of history on Nantucket.
After a celebrated career as a linguist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Fran returned home to Nantucket in retirement with her late husband, the historian Alfred W. Crosby. A 12th generation Nantucketer, much of Fran’s work on the island has been dedicated to uncovering the history of Nantucket’s immigrant communities. Her 2005 book, The Other Islanders: People Who Pulled Nantucket’s Oars , is the culmination of this important research.
Fran has been the steward of her family’s home at 67 North Centre Street since 1994. For many years it was known as the Sylvaro
Sylvaro standing in front of 67 North Centre Street, c. 1890
Homestead. In 1867, Enos Sylvaro purchased the c. 1730 dwelling from Aaron Swain. Enos and his wife Ellen raised six children there. Ferdinand, Emerson, and Lizzie Sylvaro inherited the house, and Lizzie, following the death of her husband Edgar Ramsdell, raised her daughter Ellen at 67 North Centre Street.
Family and neighborhood local tradition holds that the 1.75 story leanto style dwelling was originally built out of town in the 1730s and moved to its present location sometime before 1830. Its post and beam construction is visible in the main first floor rooms, and underneath the stairs a hatch opens down to a circular cellar.
In addition to her stewardship of 67 North Centre, Fran has published scholarship on Nantucket history, been a longtime member of the Nantucket Cemetery Commission, and has been a longtime contributor to programming at the African Meeting House, the Saltmarsh Center, and Our Island Home.
Lizzie
TRADITIONAL BUILDING METHODS AWARD
Aaron Beck, Blacksmith
Originally a carpenter from Martha’s Vineyard, Blacksmith Aaron Beck is the sole proprietor of Handwrought Tools on Deer Isle, Maine. Aaron was trained through a series of apprenticeships in Montana, Wisconsin, and Mississippi. His work is informed by his appreciation for traditional trades, and his background in history and fine carpentry.
Aaron has completed numerous projects on Nantucket, including handrails, gate hardware, and hinges at private homes. Some of Aaron’s most striking work includes the front stoop reproduction curved handrail at 86 Main Street (2019 winner of NPT’s Michelle Elzay Architectural Preservation Award) and handrails at the South Church.
Michael Gault, NPT’s 2023 Traditional Building Methods Awards winner, writes in his nomination for Aaron’s work: “Aaron has a deep understanding of traditional methods because that’s what lasts the longest. His tools encourage the owner to slow down, think about what you are doing, and forget everything else but the task at hand. Blacksmithing is a way to shake hands with the past, present, and future.”
Blacksmith Aaron Beck at work
CAROLINE A. ELLIS LANDSCAPE & GARDEN AWARD
Nantucket Garden Club, Saltmarsh Senior Center Garden 81 Washington Street
The Saltmarsh Senior Center is a hub of community life for many Nantucket seniors. In recent years, its garden had become overgrown and choked with invasive plants. Starting in early 2022, members of the Nantucket Garden Club led by Paulette Boling undertook the creation of a coastal resilient native plant garden to transform the 1,200 square foot space. The project was not for the faint of heart: its coastal location adjacent to Nantucket harbor is flooded with seawater multiple times per year, hard to remove invasives were well established, and many rabbits liked to snack on new plantings. Paulette and her team of Garden Club members planted the site with native perennials and grasses including American beachgrass, little bluestem, sweet fern, bee balm, milkweeds, asters, and many more. These species are low maintenance and well adapted to Nantucket’s climate and sandy soils and can tolerate both dry and wet conditions. An interpretive sign at the site shares with the public how once established, these native species do not require pesticides, watering, or fertilizers and support wildlife and pollinators.
The garden has become a cherished oasis along the busy Washington Street corridor for island seniors, Saltmarsh Center staff and volunteers, and anyone who passes by.
Interior of 27 North Liberty Street, 2024
HISTORIC RENOVATION AWARD
27 North Liberty Michele Kolb
In August 2023, architect Michele Kolb purchased the Seth Ray cooperage (c. 1798), a contributing structure abutting the Lily Pond. 27 North Liberty Street was in need of repair and restoration. Prior Nantucket Historic District Commission approval for the site would have allowed a second-floor addition, rear and side additions, removal of all the historic windows, and the demolition of all historic interiors.
Under Michele’s ownership, new plans for a historical renovation were filed with the Historic District Commission with the goal of retaining as much of the existing historic fabric as possible. Late 19thcentury windows were retained and restored, as was the original post and beam structure. Two small additions were added, a rear bathroom over what had been an existing shed and a single-story side addition for a bathroom and laundry.
Much of the focus of the work was to retain, restore, and rescue the historic fabric of the building. Windows were removed, restored, reglazed, and reinstalled with new pulleys, ropes, and counterweights. Floors were restored and refinished. New services, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing were installed. All existing doors and hardware were retained, refinished, and reinstalled. Where needed, salvaged doors were used to match existing ones.
The work was completed in just nine months under Michele’s leadership. This past summer renters enjoyed experiencing historic Nantucket without sparing modern conveniences. npt
2025 SUMMER LECTURE & LUNCHEON
Featuring Marshall Watson on Defining Elegance through the Classic Worlds of Interior Design, Architecture, and Gardening
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
11:00 a.m. at the Ballroom at the White Elephant Village 12 South Water Street
Informed by not only his careers in theatre design and acting, but also his passion for gardening, Marshall Watson weaves together principals that have inextricably influenced his particular approach to interior design.
Identifiably elegant, his work has all the hallmarks of classic design: site specific, client sensitive, well researched, highly detailed, and historically inspired, yet always comfortable, creative, and approachable. Travel with Marshall as he opens doors from New York to Napa, Hawaii to Palm Beach, and shares his informative, entertaining and often moving journey.
Purchase tickets online at nantucketpreservation.org
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
Join us as we celebrate our 20th Annual August Fête and enjoy a spectacular evening celebrating historic preservation in one of downtown’s hidden pockets of pastoral beauty.
Party 'til the Cows Come Home
We’re thrilled to host is year’s Fête at the Eleanor Ham Pony Field and feature some of the best-preserved historic homes on island in the Mill Street neighborhood.
Join us for cocktails and hearty hors d’oeuvres as we tour these historic treasures, along with live music, a silent auction, and paddle raise to support our ongoing programs.
General admission tickets to the Fête go on sale June 16th. For tickets and information, please visit www.natucketpreservation.org or call the NPT office at (508) 228-1387.
Nantucket Preservation Trust is most grateful to Harbor Asset Private Wealth and all of our event underwriters, sponsors, and leaders.
Celebrating 200 Years Of A Unique Nantucket Kitchen
Maria Mitchell 1825 Historic Kitchen
by Jascin N. Leonardo Finger
MMA Deputy Director and Curator of the Mitchell House, Archives, and Special Collections
Located at 1 Vestal Street, the Historic Mitchell House, birthplace of America’s first woman astronomer, Maria Mitchell, was built in 1790 by Hezekiah Swain. A typical 4-bay Nantucket Quaker-style home, it retains most of its original features. While it passed through several hands over almost thirty years, in 1818, schoolteacher and astronomer, William Mitchell, his wife, Lydia Coleman Mitchell, and their two children, settled into 1 Vestal Street (then called Prison Lane). Soon, a new family addition followed—Maria Mitchell. In all, Lydia Mitchell would give birth to ten children and their house would stretch at its seams until 1825, when William added a kitchen ell on the northwest side.
William likely completed much of the work in building the kitchen ell himself. His Quaker religion did not allow for much in the way of ornamentation, but he made sure that the kitchen walls were a bit more special than just white washed plaster and wood. While he may have taken his own turn to complete some of the decorative “graining”—there are two earlier types of surviving grain painting—William likely hired local company, L. and J. Paddack Co., to complete the work. (Of note, several Paddacks lived in the neighborhood and one other neighborhood house, the home of a Paddack, still boasts similar painting). Grain painting was completed, in part, to create a uniform look. It was typical to do on Nantucket because wood was scarce and lumber came from off-island, adding greatly to its expense. By grain painting the walls, one could make mismatched or recycled wood, or wood and plaster, all look as if it was the same thing, and perhaps something much more expensive. Today, there are still a few intact fragments of it left in houses on island, but the Mitchell House’s grain painting is the largest and one of the best examples of grain painting left in New England, if not the United States.
In 1836, the William and Lydia Mitchell family left Vestal Street for the Pacific Bank—where William was cashier—and its second-floor apartment. They sold the house to Peleg Mitchell Jr., William’s youngest brother, an island tinsmith. As he and Mary raised their three daughters, Peleg would make a few updates to the kitchen. At the north side, around 1850, he added a cookery that attached to another new space: a Milk Room. Along the east wall, a counter with drawers and cupboards was built;
A Walk Down Main Street Tour
Tuesdays, 3 P.M. (No tour 7/22)
Departs from 11 Centre Street, Nantucket Town
Learn about Main Street’s development, early residents, and architectural styles while exploring the area between the Pacific National Bank and the Civil War Monument.
’Sconset Village Tour
Thursdays, 3 P.M. (No tour 7/24, 8/7, or 9/25)
Departs from 1 New Street, Siasconset
Join NPT Executive Director Mary Bergman to learn all about the unique fishing settlement and the village’s boom as a seaside resort and actors colony at the turn of the 20th century.
Codfish Park Tour
Schedule varies; check our website for up to date info.
Departs from 1 New Street, Siasconset
In our newest tour, learn about the unique ’Sconset neighborhood of Codfish Park and its important role in Nantucket’s history.
All our tours begin in the first week of June and run through October 10.
Tours are $20/person and reservations are required. Visit www.nantucketpreservation.org to sign up.
Private group tours are available throughout the year, beginning at $250/group.
Contact info@nantucketpreservation.org to learn more.
to their left, a sink with a pump connected to a cistern was installed. Later, a cookstove was added and it became a thoroughly modern kitchen.
Finally, with all of this work, the grain painting of his brother’s era was tired and worn. Peleg likely hired the Paddack painters again. The 1850s grain painting was completed, this time not in an olive-green tone as William had (which was more in keeping with staid Quaker sensibilities), but in a rose-pink tone. The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) and conservators believe the use of this color is to mimic cedar—a tree found in significant quantities on Nantucket then and now. The family referred to it as the “Rosy Kitchen.”
Today, the Mitchell House is still without modern plumbing or electricity. Little was altered over the almost 100 years in which various members of the Mitchell family inhabited it. When the MMA was founded in 1902, in part by Peleg’s and Mary’s daughters, they took the house over from the estate of their mother, and little was altered as they worked to preserve their cousin’s birthplace and to honor her legacy. As a result, two hundred years after it was erected, the 1825 Kitchen ell remains intact, with its 1850s alterations and the grain painting of both Williams’s and Peleg’s inhabitancy. The perpetual preservation of the house is insured by a preservation easement held by Nantucket Preservation Trust.
The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. The MMA operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. www.mariamitchell.org
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npt house markers and house histories
Mark Your Old House
9 Magnolia Avenue c. 1887
9 Magnolia Avenue, late nineteenth century
Every year, NPT completes research for property owners to help unlock their home’s past. Deed research, the first step, can assist in uncovering key information such as who built a house, the first owner’s occupation, and the date of construction. We can use this information to mark a house and to provide a bit of history for the passersby.
9 maGNOLI a aVENUE
Magnolia Avenue in ’Sconset is part of the neighborhood known as Sunset Heights, developed in the late-19th century as a seasonal community of vacation homes. The Nantucket Railroad connected to ’Sconset in 1884 And the terminal was just down the street from Magnolia Avenue. As Nantucket’s tourist economy grew in the 1870s and 1880s, visitors were attracted to ’Sconset for its fresh sea air, beautiful beaches, and charming cottages. Many homes in Sunset Heights were built to mimic the old Fish House cottages in the ’Sconset village center, while others, including the homes along Magnolia Avenue, were built in the fashionable architectural styles of the Victoria Era.
In 1887, Charles H. Robinson, a prolific builder and architect responsible for the construction of some of ’Sconset’s bestknown structures, including the Siasconset Union Chapel and the footbridge over the gully that connects Sunset Heights to the rest of ’Sconset, sold a parcel of vacant land to Emma F. Wise of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. That same day, Emma sold a portion of the land she purchased to her niece, Anne S. Chinery (1863–1935). The house at 9 Magnolia Ave was likely built shortly thereafter, and likely by Robinson’s building firm. Anne was born and raised on Nantucket, and graduated from Nantucket High School in 1880. Anne was the ’Sconset postmistress, and in 1885 she received the first telegram sent to the island. By 1889, Anne was renting 9 Magnolia Avenue, which she named “Cottage Home,” to island visitors. The house was called “Cottage Home” until at least
House Histories
N A N T U C K E T
A Special P rog ram Offered by Nantucket Preservation Trust
Every historic Nantucket house has a story. Do you know yours?
Unlock the history of your home with a Nantucket Preservation Trust House History. We offer three levels of house histories: our brief history, our house genealogy and our comprehensive history.
For more information, visit us online at: www.nantucketpreservation.org or contact us at 11 Centre Street, P.O. Box 158, Nantucket, MA 02554 508-228-1387
the 1940s. Anne married Harry Reave Brayton (1865–1939), a lieutenant in the United States Navy, in 1895, and she resigned from her position as ‘Sconset postmistress in 1897. Harry served in the Navy for over 40 years and was frequently deployed to the Pacific, while Anne remained in her ’Sconset home.
Following Anne’s death in 1935 and Henry’s death in 1939, Cottage Home was sold to Margory C. Clement in 1940 and took on a new name in recognition of its new owner— Marge’s Barge. Sadly, Marjory died a year after her purchase of the house at age 41, but her family continued to enjoy it. Marjory’s husband William Tardy Clement, was an officer in the US Marine Corps and was stationed in China as a colonel at the time of her death. Before retiring from the military in 1952, William eventually rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and won numerous commendations for his service during World War II, including the Navy Cross and Bronze Star, and was three times awarded the Legion of Merit. When not overseas,William and family members enjoyed summers at Marge’s Barge.
In 1970, John and David Clement sold the home their mother purchased 30 years earlier, but subsequent owners over time have maintained the quintessential summer cottage charm of this classic Sunset Heights home. npt
Tuesday, July 22, 11:00 A.M.
The Ballroom at the White Elephant Village
Thursday, July 24, 4:00 P.M.
Sherburne Hall
Thursday, August 7, 6:00 P.M. featuring the
Thursday, September 25
Sherburne Hall
Visit www.nantucketpreservation.org for full event details.
npt’s architectural preservation Fund
The goal of the NPT Architectural Preservation Fund is to encourage community-wide efforts to protect Nantucket’s historic architecture. The fund brings recognition to key projects, emphasizes the importance of proper preservation work, and encourages community support.
mary helen & michael Fabacher scholarship
The Mary Helen and Michael Fabacher Scholarship was established by the NPT (with generous support from the Fabachers) to offer Nantucketers the opportunity to enhance their building skills through a scholarship to the preservation carpentry program at the North Bennet Street School in Boston and other educational opportunities that further traditional trades and the study of history. Our goal in establishing this scholarship is to provide educational opportunities to encourage and promote traditional building methods essential for the preservation of Nantucket’s historic architecture.
In addition to the scholarship’s main goal, the program promotes understanding of traditional building methods by sponsoring field trips to the North Bennet Street School for middle- and high-school students, coordinating on-island demonstration projects for all age groups, and assisting the island building trades by offering short courses for learning traditional building methods.
Help us complete our scholarship endowment fund campaign by donating today. For more information about the scholarship program or to donate, email NPT’s Executive Director Mary Bergman at info@nantucketpreservation.org.
What Do You Do in the Winter?
This is, perhaps, every off-islander’s favorite question for those hearty souls who remain on Nantucket. We checked with a few of NPT’s past award winners and scholarship recipients to find out what they have been up to in the off-season.
Colin Evans (NPT Traditional Building Methods Award Recipient, 2022)’ winter projects are monumental. Literally. For the last two years, Colin has gone back and forth between Nantucket and George Washington’s Mount Vernon where he works as a traditional plasterer on the Mansion Revitalization Project. This landmark preservation project is a multi-year restoration to ensure that generations of visitors will be able to walk through Washington’s home. This winter, Colin worked on Martha Custis Washington’s dressing rooms, the passage, and the stairs down to the study. The Mansion Revitalization Project is scheduled to last until at least 2027.
James Lewis, NPT’s first Mary Helen and Michael Fabacher Scholarship recipient in 2015, has been planning for the restoration of the sailing vessel Nashayte. James attended the Yestermorrow Design/ Build School in Vermont where he participated in a timber framing workshop. He has since worked as a carpenter and caretaker for many historic properties on the island. The restoration of a 1929 wooden yacht built by Clovis “Cliff” Mazerolle has long been a dream of James’ and a way to showcase the woodworking skills has learned on the job, highlight Nantucket’s maritime heritage, learn from elders, and inspire a new generation of craftspeople on the island. James has been working with NPT to research more about Mazerolle, a prolific French Canadian boatbuilder, and to find a place to restore Nashatye where the public can watch the progress.
Fence for 6 Orange Street in the workshop of
Ben Moore
Ben Moore's (NPT Traditional Building Methods Award Recipient, 2020) eye for detail and woodworking talents are on display all over the island. Ben combines traditional joinery techniques with modern machinery to bring unique and lasting designs to life. This winter saw more projects at St. Mary’s Church—including a new door for the confessional—where Ben had previously repaired the entryway arches along Federal Street. Over at the St. Mary’s Rectory on Orange Street, Ben restored the fluted columns that flank the front door. The columns were significantly rotten and in need of repair. A unique challenge at the Rectory was the repair and reconstruction of the fence that runs along Orange Street. Ben was able to reuse about half of the balustrade posts, all others were turned in his workshop. The Nantucket Historical Association’s archives contain the original plans for 6 Orange Street, including the fence. Additional restoration work Ben was tasked with included the interior and exterior trim at the Rectory. Part of the exterior work on this project was funded by the Community Preservation Act to restore this c. 1875 Victorian to its past splendor.
Surfside Lifesaving Station; photo courtesy of Hollis Webb
Nicky Sheriff received the Mary Helen and Michael Fabacher Scholarship in November of 2024. This January, Nicky began her first semester in the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation program at Boston Architectural College. Originally from Jamaica, Nicky has called Nantucket home for ten years, embracing the island’s rich history and architectural heritage. Nicky currently works as a Land Use Specialist and Historic District Commission Enforcement Officer for the Town of Nantucket.
In addition to working full time for the HDC, Nicky spent her winter attending the BAC online. Nicky is nearly finished with her Historic Preservation Philosophy and Practice and Historic Preservation Law and Planning classes. We are not surprised to learn Nicky is receiving high marks for her good work!
Hollis Webb (Mary Helen & Michael Fabacher Scholarship Recipient, 2017 and 2018) and Kevin Green (Mary Helen & Michael Fabacher Scholarship Recipient, 2021 and 2022) spent the winter shoring up the historic landmark Surfside Life Saving Station. Kevin and Hollis both attended the North Bennett Street School’s Preservation Carpentry program. Built in 1874 by Charles H. Robison, the Surfside Lifesaving Station’s Main Building is one of the few surviving significant examples of Victorian Gothic (Stick Style) architecture on the island. Hollis and Kevin worked to repair the ornamental hammer beam truss. In instances where chamfered brackets had failed, Hollis and Kevin fabricated new brackets, replete with millwork that replicated the original.
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Opposite: Restoration work in progress at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Photo courtesy of Colin Evans
CLARISSA PORTER PRESERVATION EASEMENT FUND
Clarissa Porter (1939–2012), a former NPT board member, was a tireless and passionate advocate for preservation and had a lifelong love of Nantucket and its historic architecture. She served as a member, since its inception, of the NPT Easement Committee, and her diligent work led directly to preservation easements on several properties and raised awareness of NPT and its mission.
Clarissa’s summer home at 5 Quince Street became the first property on the island to have its interior features protected by a preservation restriction. Because of Clarissa’s generosity and passion for historic Nantucket, the easement program is named in her honor.
Please consider a donation to the fund restricted for easement protection and assistance. Your gift will help with the costs of monitoring existing easements and creating new ones. For more information, visit us online at www.nantucketpreservation.org or call the NPT office at 508-228-1387.
npt easement properties
First Congregational Church and Old North Vestry Bennett Hall (pending)
62 Centre Street
Quaker Meeting House 7 Fair Street
George G. Folger House 23/25 Fair Street
Fire Hose Cart House 8 Gardner Street
Daniel Worth House 10 Gardner Street (pending)
Greater Light 8 Howard Street
The Nantucket Atheneum 1 India Street
Hospital Thrift Shop 17 India Street
Mitchell-Beinecke House 69 Main Street
Jabez Bunker/Prince Gardner House 85 Main Street
Captain Thaddeus Coffin House 89 Main Street
Hadwen-Wright House 94 Main Street
Thomas Starbuck House 11 Milk Street
1800 House 4 Mill Street
Rescom Palmer House 9 New Mill Street
Antone Sylvia Grocery Store 79 Orange Street
Grafton Gardner House 8 Pine Street
David Swain 2nd House 43 Pine Street (pending)
Nathaniel Hussey House 5 Quince Street
Captain Peleg Bunker House 4 Traders Lane
Nicholson-Andrews House 55 Union Street
Maria Mitchell Birthplace 1 Vestal Street
Maria Mitchell Library Vestal Street
Maria Mitchell Observatory Vestal Street (pending)
American Legion 21 Washington Street
Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts (Sea View Farm) 23 Wauwinet Road
Surfside Life Saving Station 31 Western Avenue
Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin Lancasterian School 4 Winter Street
Mitchell-Andrews Fish House (pending) 4 Old North Wharf
Boston-Higginbotham House 27 York Street
HIGHLIGHTS
FIGHTING AGAINST DEMOLITION
In 2024, NPT executive director Mary Bergman introduced a citizen’s warrant article at the 2024 Nantucket Special Town Meeting to extend the demolition delay period. NPT advocated against demolitions of historic buildings at the HDC, including a formal appeal of the demolition of a 1950’s era cottage on Commercial Wharf.
SALVAGE SHOWCASE
In partnership with SA&C Inc., we presented a Salvage Showcase over Daffodil Weekend in historic Sherburne Hall. We spotlighted historic examples of architectural salvage and building reuse on Nantucket, and SA&C sold wares from their line of products made from reused materials.
AWARDS
In 2024, NPT marked the eighteenth consecutive year of its awards program, which has honored dozens of owners, preservationists, and craftspeople. Over one hundred members, members of the preservation community, and award recipients and their families attended the September 26th awards ceremony held at historic Sherburne Hall.
NPT’s CORE PROGRAMS, MARKERS, HISTORIES, and EASEMENTS
provide the opportunity to educate, document, and protect the island’s historic properties. In 2024, NPT continued to research and document historic properties across the island.
Salvage Showcase at Sherburne Hall, 2024
PRESERVATION IN PERPETUITY
In 2024, NPT recorded a new preservation easement at 23/25 Fair Street, the historic George G. Folger House. Read more about the history and future of our easement program on page 62.
SCHOLARSHIP
Nicky Sheriff was awarded the Mary Helen and Michael Fabacher Scholarship to attend the Boston Architectural College’s Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation.
FUND AND FRIEND RAISERS
We hosted a sold-out August Fête on West Chester Street, highlighting the historic North Shore neighborhood. Our Sense of Place Auction accompanies the Fete. In December, we welcomed members and friends to a Stroll open house at historic Sherburne Hall.
Annual August Fête Westchester Street, 2024
23/25 Fair Street
Kenneth Louis Beaugrand, 1938–2024
Kenneth Louis Beaugrand, 1938–2024
Few people were as dedicated to the preservation of the Nantucket community as Ken Beaugrand, Nantucket Preservation Trust’s longtime Board Chairman. A founding member of Nantucket’s Community Preservation Committee, Ken understood that preservation of the island community encompassed far more than buildings. Ken was a passionate advocate for both affordable housing and historic preservation, and his expertise in real estate helped serve both issues.
Ken’s leadership of NPT, first as President then as Chairman, helped the organization hold the first of many multi-day symposia on historic preservation, starting in 2017. With Ken’s wise counsel, NPT navigated the retirement of longtime Executive Director Michael May at the end of 2019 and the global pandemic in 2020. Ken’s enthusiasm for historic preservation resulted in the recruitment of many dedicated Board members.
Ken looked to the past while planning for the future of the Nantucket community. We work to continue his legacy.
Diane Woodyatt Bowman Coombs, 1933–2025
Diane Coombs was committed to maintaining Nantucket’s architectural and cultural heritage. A longtime member of the Nantucket Historic District Commission, Diane was a fierce preservationist. She served on many town boards and committees, including the Select Board, Community Preservation Committee, the Nantucket Historical Commission, Historic Structures Advisory Board, Planning Board, Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board, Cable Television Advisory Committee, and the Pond Management Committee. Diane worked for the United States Postal Service, serving Nantucket for 25 years.
Even after her many terms on the HDC, Diane lent her guidance and encyclopedic knowledge of Building with Nantucket in Mind to the Historic Structures Advisory Group, meeting weekly online to review HDC applications, which she did up until the week before her passing. We will miss her tenacious spirit.
With thanks to our supporters
SENSE OF PLACE SOCIETY
The Ainslie Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Alan F. Airth
Ms. Anna Fink, E.D.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bailey, Jr.
The Margaret Ritchie R. Battle Family Charitable Fund
Mr. and Mrs. C. Marshall Beale
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bousa
Ms. Susan P. Burke
Ms. Carolyn Thayer
Ms. Amanda B. Cross
Ms. Dorinda Dodge
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Foley
Mr. Andrew Forsyth and Ms. Kelly Williams
Mr. Mark H. Gottwald
Ms. Susan Zises Green
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Greenberg
Mr. and Mrs. James Hagedorn
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Hale
The Harriet W. Backus Charitable Trust
Mr. and Mrs. Christian M. Hoffman
Mr. and Mrs. Amos B. Hostetter, Jr.
Ms. Wendy Hubbell
Ms. Betsey Von Summer and Mr. John Moller
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Karp
Mr. Jon M. King and Mr. John H. Ehrlich
Mr. Grant Laughlin, Pres.
Mr. and Mrs. David Lilly, Jr.
Mr. Charles W. Loeb, Jr. and Ms. Sandy Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Maffeo
Mr. and Mrs. Peter McCausland
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Menschel
Mr. Albert S. Messina and Mr. Ken Jennings
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Craig H. Muhlhauser
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel P. Phelan
Mrs. Ella Wall Prichard
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Ryan
Mr. Charles R. Lenhart and Mr. Robert C. Newman, Sandcastle Construction, Inc.
Ms. Lynda Mead Shea
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Spivy
Mr. and Mrs. John Sussek, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. James Treyz
Ms. Louise E. Turner
Ms. Pam Waller
Mr. and Mrs. F. Brand Whitlock
Mr. Harry W. Wilcox, III and Ms. Patricia Hambrick
Mr. and Mrs. David S. Wolff
Leadership members
Mr. James W. Abbott and Ms. Debby Vander Woude
Mr. and Mrs. Leigh J. Abramson
Mr. Jeffrey Allen and Ms. Betty Browning
Mr. and Mrs. Edgar D. Ancona
Mr. and Mrs. Chris W. Armstrong
Mrs. Anne D. Bailliere
Mr. and Mrs. Michael B. Ball
Mr.William Klein and Ms. Blue Balliett
Ms. Mary-Randolph Ballinger
Mrs. Kenneth L. Beaugrand
Ms. Joanie S Bentzin
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Besecker
Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Boling, Jr.
Ms. Joan R. Bolling
Mr. Joseph Bonacci
Mr. and Mrs.Victor H. Boyajian
Mr. Steven L. Boynton
Ms. Christina A. Bresani and Mr. Michael R. Struble
Mr. Guy Bristow and Ms. Barbara Presta
Mr. and Mrs. David S. J. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Brownlee
Ms. Lisa-Margaret Stevenson Bryan
Mr. and Mrs. Kurt Buechle
Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Callahan
Ms. Kathleen Cannon and Mr. Brian Kelly
Ms. Caroline Cole
Ms. Carolyn Thayer
Ms. Christine Carpenter
Mr. John B. Carroll
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Champion
Mr. Alan Chapple and Ms. Katherine L. Krill
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chasin
Ms. Andrea Sáenz, Pres & CEO
Mr. Eugene H. Clapp
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Colliton
Ms. Susan M. Cosper and Mr. Brian Bartlett
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Craven
Ms. Hilary H. Cunniff
Mr. and Mrs.Wayne F. Davies
Ms. Anne Delaney and Mr. Calvin Carver, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Bradford Dimeo
Ms. Sascha Douglass
Dr. and Mrs.William H. Druckemiller
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Dubois
Ms.Trudy Dujardin
Mr. Lee Dunn
Ms. Ann G. Ellicott
Dr. and Mrs. George C. Ellis
Mr. Michael P. Elzay
Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Fabacher
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Fahrenkopf
Mr. and Mrs.W. Gerard Fallon
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Filipski
Mr. Eric Finger and Ms. Jascin Leonardo Finger
Mr. and Mrs. Johan F. Firmenich
Mr. Andrew Forsyth and Ms. Kelly Williams
Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Fowler
Mr. Robert Franklin and Mr. Charles Mappin
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew S. Fraser
Ms. Sarah Gemmill and Mr. Erik L. Knutzen
Mrs. Charles M. Geschke
Mr. and Mrs.Thomas Giovine
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gosh
Ms.Toby A. Greenberg
Ms.Victoria A. Greenhood and Mr. Robert B. Remar
Mr. Peter J. Grua and Ms. Mary O’Connell
Ms. Elizabeth F. Guardenier
Ms. Ellen H. Hakes
Mrs. Donald C. Harris
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Hay
Ms. Sara M. Hazelwood and Mr. Raul F.Yanes
Dr. Paula Henderson
Ms. Heide Hendricks and Mr. Rafe Churchill, Hendricks Churchill Studio
Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Heyda
Mr. Peter B. Holmes
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Holt, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Holt
Ms. Gloria Jarecki
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jennison
Dr. Ann L. and Mr. Charles B. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Kelly
Dr. Keith M. Kerman and Dr. Debra S. Leizman
Mr. and Mrs. Marshall T. Keys
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Kinsley
Mrs. Kimberly Leibsohn Klein
Mr.† and Mrs. Arie L. Kopelman
Mr. Daniel L. Korengold and Ms. Martha Lyn Dippell
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew D. Kotchen
Mr. and Mrs. Eric Kraeutler
Mr.William P. Kupper, Jr.
Ms. Michelle Langlois
Mr. Christopher Larsen
Mr. and Mrs. Edward P. Lawrence
Ms. Sherry A. Lefevre
Ms. Priscilla P. Lentowski
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Lochtefeld
Mr. and Mrs. G. Philip Nowak
Mrs. Ann B. Oliver
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Paduch
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Paul
Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Peterson
Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Phelan
Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel D. Philbrick
Mr. and Mrs. J. Scott Pidcock
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Pierson
Ms. Diane Pitt and Mr. Mitch Karlin
Dr.William Porter and Ms. Peggy Davis
Ms. Alison Potts and Mr. Mark T. Groenstein†
Mr. David A. Pumphrey
Ms. Lisa Quattrocci, Edward H. Benenson Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Philip W. Read
Ms. Susan L. Renzulli
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy P. Richardson
Mr. and Mrs. J. Barton Riley
Ms. Katherine M. Logue and Mr. Jonathan Nyland
Mr. and Mrs. Brandon W. Lower
Mr. Richard W. Lowry
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Lucier
Mr. Angus S. MacLeod and Dr. Dianne Coscia
Ms. Miriam Mandell
Ms. Marilee B. Matteson
Mr. Michael May and Mr. Housley Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Edward McCarthy
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin M. McGrath
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene G. McGuire
Mr. and Mrs. Martin McKerrow
Mr. James Meehan and Ms. Patricia White
Mr. Jason L. Michel
Mr. and Mrs.William C. Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Earl B. Mix
Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Moore, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs.W. Christopher Mortenson
Mr. and Mrs. George R. Mrkonic, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Roach
Ellen and David Ross
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas H. Rutherford
Mr. J.Wood Rutter
Ms. Linda L. Saligman
Mr. and Mrs. Luke Salisbury
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sayer
Mr. and Mrs. Cary M. Schwartz
Ms. Sara G. Schwartz and Mr.William E. Hannum, III
Mrs. Nancy Tower Scott
Mr. J. Douglas Self, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Robinson West
Mr. and Mrs. Ross Silverstein
Mr. and Mrs. James W. Simpson
Mr. and Mrs. Harris Stone
Mr. and Mrs. Jordan M. Stone
Mr. and Mrs. John Sussek, III
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Swanson
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Swart
The Honorable and Mrs. R. James Nicholson
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Nopper, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. David Northrup
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Norton
Mr. and Mrs. Al Novissimo, Novation Media
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Sweeney
Mr. R. Scott Taylor
George and Marie Chabot Charitable Foundation
Mr. Dexter Blackwell
Mr. Garrett Thornburg
Ms. Lara Trafelet
Ms. Anne W. Troutman and Mr. Aleks Istanbullu
Mrs. Jane Tyler
Mr. and Mrs. David J. Urban
Mr. and Mrs. Robert I.Veghte
Mr. and Mrs. E. Geoffrey Verney
Ms. Lynda Vickers-Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Wacaster
Ms. Suellen Ward and Mr. John H. Copenhaver
Ms. Maryann Wasik
Mrs. Cynthia H.Webber
Mr.Todd K.West
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas D.Wheat
Mr. and Mrs. Edward I.Wight
Mr. and Mrs. Jay M.Wilson
Mr. Bryan Wright
Dr’s Robert A. and Elaine E.Yordan
Mr. and Mrs. JohnYozell
† Deceased
*Every effort was made to ensure the above and following lists are complete and accurate. If an error of omission was made at press time, please don’t hesitate to let us know by emailing us at info@nantucketpreservation.org. Thank you.
general Members
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Abbey
Ms. Joan P. Albaugh
Ms. Karen Maeda Allman and Ms. Elizabeth Wales
Ms. Amanda Amaral
Mr. and Mrs. Pennel C. Ames
Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Anderson
Mrs. Gale H. Arnold
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Austin, III
Ms. Helen Joan Badie
Mr. Robert Selfridge Bailey, Jr
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Bailey
VADM and Mrs. John A. Baldwin, USN (RET)
Ms. Carolyn R. Barg
Ms. Jennifer Barker
Mr. Curtis L. Barnes
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Barney, III
Mr. and Mrs. David Beardsley
Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Bearer
Mr. Bruce Beni
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Bennett
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bloomfield
Ms. Judith C. Blume
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Boardman, II
Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Boasberg
Ms. Ann P. Bond
Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Boucai
Ms. Marilyn M. Bromley
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Deck
Mr. Patrick Guthrie
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Dolan
Mr. Stephan J. Dolling and
Ms. Charlotte Faltermayer
Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Durkes
Ms. Marsha L. Fader
Ms. Maia Farish
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew G. Fee
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Ference-Gray
Prof. J. Scott Finn and Mr. Charles Caldwell
Ms. Ingrid Francis
Mr. J. Pepper Frazier, II
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Fremont-Smith
Mr. Roland M. Frye, Jr. and Ms. Susan M. Pettey
Ms. Marie D. Gildehaus and Mr. Bradley M. Henke
Ms. Lisa Grady
Mr. Richard N. Gray and Ms. Joanne T. Lawrence
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Groff
Mr. and Mrs. Philip G. Gulley
Mr. and Mrs. Roy C. Gustaveson
Mr. and Mrs. Jay M. Hammer
Ms. JoAnn Hanson
Ms. Cary M. Hazlegrove
Mr. Joseph P. Helyar
Dr. Marcia J. Browne and Dr. Jeffrey W. Clarke
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Bush
Ms. Margaret Capone Butler
Mrs. Martha H. Butler
Dr. and Mrs. George P. Butterworth
Mr. Charles Byrne and Ms. Ellen Mitchell
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Camalier, III
Ms. Lisa Carter
Mrs. Susan H. Cavanaugh
Mrs. Eugene Collatz
Ms. Hope Collins
Ms. Marion Roland Conley
Ms. Elizabeth S. Connolly
Mr. Robert Scott Cooper
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Creem
Ms. Elizabeth K. Hillger
Mrs. Christopher F. Holland
Mr. and Mrs. Peter K. Hurd
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Irwin
Ms. Diane H. Karper
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob H. Korngold
Ms. Denice M. Kronau
Ms. Kathryn Kubie and Mr. William Winkler
Mr. Paul La Paglia
Mr. Allan LaFrance and Ms. Mary C. Walsh
Mr. Dana E. Landry and
Mr. William F. X. Landry
Mr. and Mrs. Peter D. Lee
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Levine
Dr. and Mrs. Keith M. Lindgren
Mr. Richard C. Crisson and Mr. Rod O’Hanley
Mr. Timothy G. Crowley, Atty at Law
Mr. Chris Dallmus
Mrs. Sheila B. Daume
Ms. Alice I. Davies
Ms. Leslie Linsley-Aron
Mr. Andrew M. Logan
Mr. Ole Lokensgard and Ms. Mary L. Heen
Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Lorenzo
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Lothian
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Lowy
Ms. Janet C. MacKay
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin B. Mahoney
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Maier
Mr. and Mrs. James M. Marinelli
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. McGill, III
Ms. Paula McLeod and Mr. Jamie Pfaff
Ms. Julie Ruddick Meade
Mr. and Mrs. R. Alan Medaugh
Ms. Cristin D. Merck
Mr. and Mrs. Richardson T. Merriman
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Metcalf
Mr. Hal Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Mittenthal
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Montgomery
Mr. Ben Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Craig A. Negri
Ms. Kelley Noonan
Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Ostrander
Mr. Stephen Paluseo
Mrs. Mary Alyce Pardo
Ms. Nancy L. Pasley
Ms. Anne MacLennan Perkins
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Perlman
Mr. Brian R. Pfeiffer
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pinto
Dr. and Mrs. Frank Rand
Ms. Carla Ray
Mr. Zachary Rice
Mr. and Mrs. George M. Rich
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Ringer
Ms. Janet L. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Rose
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Ross
Dr. Philip C. Ross and Ms. Michele Kolb
Mrs. Bonnie J. Sacerdote
Ms. Sandra Schanzer
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Schaperkotter
Mrs. Marissa Schultz
Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. Schwarzman
Ms. Kathryn K. Sheehan
Mr. and Mrs. H. Brooks Smith
Ms. Penny F. Snow
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Snow
Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Sotell
Mr. and Mrs. David Joel Spitler
Dr. and Mrs. Robert Stanton
Ms. Valerie Stauffer
Mr. and Mrs. Harald S. Stavnes
Mr. Peter C. Steingraber
Ms. Danielle I. Strong
Mr. Jonathan C. Swain
Mrs. Merrielou H. Symes
Ms. Alice Taranto
Ms. Marcelle Tessier
Mr. and Mrs. Joel H. Treisman
Mr. and Mrs. W. David Troast
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Tudor
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Tyler
Ms. Clara Urbahn
Ms. Pamela Van Hoven Clark
Mr. and Mrs. Robert von Zumbusch
Mr. and Mrs. A. Charles Walters
Mrs. Barbara C. White
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Whitney
Mr. and Mrs. Mark J.Yacos
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey S.Young
Ms. Konstantina Zaras
Mr. and Mrs. P. Rhoads Zimmerman
Please note: NPT Annual Membership gifts are recognized on a 15-month cycle, including membership renewal gifts from the last quarter of the prior calendar year. Every effort was made to ensure the above and following lists are complete and accurate. If an error of omission was made, please don’t hesitate to let us know by emailing us at info@nantucketpreservation.org. Thank you.
in honor of
Ms. Maia Farish in celebration of The Gaillard Family
Ms. Sandra Schanzer for the birthday of Julie Zelman
Mr. Robert Selfridge Bailey, Jr. for the birthday of Rich Merriman
in memoriam gifts
Mr. Peter B. Holmes in memory of Ann J. Holmes
Ms. Ann G. Ellicott in memory of John V. L. Ellicott
Mr. Stephen Paluseo in memory of Richard Paluseo
Ms. JoAnn Hanson in memory of Ron Neumunz
Grant Funder
ReMain Nantucket
business sponsors & event Underwriters
ACKtivities
Carolyn Thayer Interiors
Choix Home, Inc.
The Dobbert Companies
Dujardin Design Associates, Inc.
Melanie Gowen Design
Gryphon Architecture
Kathleen Hay Designs
M. Sweeney Construction, Inc.
Nantucket Looms
New England Home
Silvercrest Asset Management
TownPool
Weatherly Design, LLC
Visual Comfort
Photo courtesy of Hollis Webb
David
Doug†
Chris
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Abbey
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Abbey
Mr. and Mrs. Alan F. Airth
event leaders
Mr. Daniel L. Korengold and Ms. Martha Lyn Dippell
Mr. Michael A. Kovner and Mr. Jean Doyen de Montaillou
Ms. Mariann Berg (Hundahl) Appley
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Atkinson
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bailey, Jr.
Ms. Mary-Randolph Ballinger
Ms. Carolyn R. Barg
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Beller
Mr. and Mrs. Edward Bousa
Ms. Susan P. Burke
Ms. Christine Carpenter
Mr. and Mrs. Felix T. Charney
Mr. and Mrs. G. David Cheek
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony A. Clifton
Ms. Sian Colglazier
Ms. Susan M. Cosper and Mr. Brian Bartlett
Ms. Amanda B. Cross
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Cummings
Mr. and Mrs. Linwood E. Dame
Ms. Alice I. Davies
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne F. Davies
Ms. Anne Delaney and Mr. Calvin Carver, Jr.
Ms. Dorinda Dodge
Ms. Trudy Dujardin
Mrs. Caroline Ellis
Mr. Michael P. Elzay
Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Fabacher
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Filipski
Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Fowler
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Friedman
Ms. Sarah Gemmill and Mr. Erik L. Knutzen
Ms. Susan Zises Green
Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Greenberg
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin H. Griswold, IV
Mr. and Mrs. Richard T. Grote
Mr. and Mrs. James Hagedorn
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Hale
Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Hay
Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Hedberg
Mr. and Mrs. Christian M. Hoffman
Dr. Douglas Horst and Ms. Maureen Phillips
Mr. Jon M. King and Mr. John H. Ehrlich
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Kinsley
Mr. Patrick Korb
Dr. and Mrs. Keith M. Lindgren
Mr. and Mrs. Josh Littlefield
Ms. Katherine M. Logue and Mr. Jonathan Nyland
Ms. Mary-Adair Macaire
Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Maffeo
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Marshall
Mr. Michael May and Mr. Housley Carr
Mr. and Mrs. Edward McCarthy
Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. McGill, III
Mr. Albert S. Messina and Mr. Ken Jennings
Mr. and Mrs. William M. Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Craig H. Muhlhauser
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Muldoon
Ms. Michelle Holland
The Honorable and Mrs. R. James Nicholson
Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Peterson
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Pollack
Mrs. Ella Wall Prichard
Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy P. Richardson
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Roach
Ms. Janet L. Robinson
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Ross
Mrs. Bonnie J. Sacerdote
Ms. Linda L. Saligman
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew M. Saul
Mr. and Mrs. John D. Sayer
Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. Schwarzman
Ms. Laurie M. Scott
Mr. and Mrs. J. Robinson West
Mr. James D. Shockey and Ms. Mary Farland
Mr. and Mrs, Russell Smith
Mr. Peter C. Steingraber
Mr. and Mrs. Warren A. Stephens
Mr. and Mrs. Harris Stone
Mr. and Mrs. John Sussek, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Greg Swart
Mrs. Merrielou H. Symes
Ms. Carolyn Thayer
Mrs. Cynthia H. Webber
Mr. Harry W. Wilcox, III and
Ms. Patricia Hambrick
Mr. and Mrs. David S. Wolff
Ms. Betsey Von Summer and Mr. John Moller
COMMITTEE MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS
Ellie Allen
Diane Asche
Mary-Randolph Ballinger
Gussie Beaugrand
Craig Beni
Susan Boardman
Paulette Boling
Delaney Cercere
Teal Colliton
Alyssa Corry
Beth Davies
John Ehrlich
Caroline Ellis
Marsha Fader
Adam Fleshman
Jascin Leonardo Finger
Lee Fuhrman
Michael Gault
Aisling Glynn
Melanie Gowen
Susan Zises Green
Suzy Grote
Victoria Hagan
Barbara Halsted
Rene Hanan
Shae Jones
Julie Jordin
Jon King
Carol Kinsley
Katie Kubie
Sheila Lathrop
Meghan Luksic
Angus MacLeod
Michelle Maffeo
Ann Martindale
Joanne Morgan
Kelley Noonan
Brigid O’Riordan
Ella Wall Prichard
Susan Renzulli
Mickey Rowland
Mia Sadler
Mariellen Scannell
Ann Swart
Michael Sweeney
Mackennah Tarmey
Anne Troutman
Pam Waller
Cathy Ward
Beth Wheldon
Paula Williams
Ana Wolfe
Grace Yanes
nantucket preservation trust
Statement of Activities for 2022 & 2023
Photo by Isabelle Hay
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:
Email:_
Address: Summer Address:
State, Zip
Dates at Summer Address:
Tel: ( ) Local Tel: ( )_
□ 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): $10,000 _____$5,000 _____$2,500
leadership
Leadership level members receive acknowledgement in NPT’s annual publication Ramblings.
Student Membership (valid with Student ID)
_____ Enclosed is a check made payable to the NANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST
______ Charge my Visa/MC/Amex #_ Exp in the amount of $_ Name on Card
______ My employer will match this gift. Please enclose gift form. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
EndNote
We applaud the Nantucket Historic District Commission’s renewed focus on policy and procedure. Under the direction of Chairman Stephen Welch, the HDC has spent considerable time on a number of complicated applications. It’s often said that Nantucket’s HDC is the busiest in the state, which wouldn’t surprise us as Nantucket is one of the largest contiguous Local Historic Districts. The commissioners devote countless hours each year reviewing applications during meetings and on their own time, so the additional attention given to demolition applications of historic structures is greatly appreciated.
We commend the HDC for their preservation-minded decisions, especially the denial of the demolition applications for the garage at 43A Union Street and the old electrical company building at 10 New Whale Street.
Appendix C of Building with Nantucket in Mind, the HDC’s guidebook, states: “In determining the existence of the circumstances specified under “Standards for Approval,” the Commission may require such additional information, documentation, or evidence as it determines to be necessary. The Commission may continue a proceeding for such additional time as it reasonably takes an application or agent to comply with the additional relevant documentation or evidence. The Commission will make its decision based up on all of the evidence presented to it at the public hearing or hearings.”
This means that the onus is on the applicant wishing to demolish a historic structure. 10 New Whale Street is one of the last vestiges of the island’s industrial waterfront. As of the time of this writing, the Commissioners have required National Grid, who owns 10 New Whale Street, to furnish a condition report of the building from a preservation mason or preservation engineer. This is the first time in recent memory the HDC has required an applicant to seek the services of an engineer who specializes in restoring historic structures.
Ultimately, when a historic building is demolished, it’s gone forever. It is worth the extra time it takes the Historic District Commission to carefully weigh the evidence presented to them to make a sound decision.
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