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NHA E-Newsletter September 2008
In This Issue
� Friends Purchase Paintings
� 10 Places to See
� 1800 House Classes
� Record Breaking Attendence
� Oldest House Garden
� Compass Rose Restoration
� Quaker Meeting
� Bill Staines & Chuck Colley Trio in Concert
� Walden Chamber Players
� Summer Exhibition: 'Sconset...02564
� Nantucket Presidential Papers
� Landmarks! Online
� Explorations heads to New Zealand!
� Museum Shop
� NHA Properties
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Hours & Information

Research Library
Located at 7 Fair Street, the library is open year-round.
 
Hours June to mid-October: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.; Tuesdays opening later, 11 A.M. - 4 P.M.
 
Closed all legal holidays & weekends.  Closed Wednesdays October to June. Call 508-228-1894 ext. 4, or e-mail [email protected].
 
Administrative Offices
Located at 15 Broad Street, the administrative offices are open Monday - Friday, 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. Call 508-228-1894, ext. 0, or e-mail [email protected].
 
For a printer-friendly PDF of this newsletter, click here.
 
If you wish to discontinue receiving this e-newsletter from the Nantucket Historical Association, please email [email protected].
The Whaling Museum and Historic Sights are open daily!
 
The Whaling Museum (13 Broad Street) is currently open Sunday - Saturday, 10 A.M.- 5 P.M.
 
The Hadwen House (96 Main Street); Oldest House & circa 1700 Kitchen Garden (Sunset Hill); Old Mill (50 Prospect Street); Quaker Meeting House (7 Fair Street); Fire Hose-Cart House (8 Gardner Street); and the Old Gaol (15R Vestal Street) are open Monday - Saturday 10 A.M.- 5 P.M., and Sunday noon-5 P.M. 
Walking Tours of Downtown Nantucket
Monday - Saturday, 11:15 and 2:15, Sunday, 2:15
 

Eighty-minute tours depart from the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street
 
Free for NHA members: tickets are $10, adults; $4, children (ages 6-17)
Host your special event in the Whaling Museum - Exceptional events begin with unforgettable
venues. . .
 
Include the Whaling Museum when planning your social events! A great location for weddings (welcome parties, rehearsal dinners, and receptions); cocktail parties; staff gatherings; and corporate parties.  Celebrate life amid Nantucket treasures at the Nantucket Whaling Museum. Immerse your guests in Nantucket history at our world-class museum, located in the heart of Nantucket Town. The space accommodates both small and large gatherings-a perfect mix of state-of-the-art and old-world design. Surround your guests with elegant art and important objects that bring the story of Nantucket's past to life. Your guests will enjoy breathtaking views of Nantucket harbor, town, and beyond from the rooftop observation deck. Call Susan Beaumont for details about hosting a memorable party in the Whaling Museum or other NHA properties. 508-228-1894, ext. 131
Bookworks Benefits:
A program that gives back to the NHA, among others.
 
Nantucket Bookworks, at 25 Broad Street, has chosen nine partners to benefit from its new pilot program. It is a two-tiered process: 1) Every time your accumulated purchases total $200, you'll receive a $10 coupon from Bookworks toward your next purchase; 2) Bookworks will then donate the value of 1% of your purchases to the organization you've selected. The NHA is one of the organizations that Bookworks has chosen; all you need to do is sign up in the store and put the NHA down as your affiliate. This is a most gracious community-minded program, and we are grateful to them for including us as one of their nonprofit partners. Now get out there and buy those books (and whatever else you can find in Bookworks' eclectic collection)!
Give the gift that lasts an entire year

The NHA is a member-based organization, receiving no municipal, state, or federal moneys; your membership enables the NHA to continue its mission of preserving the island's history and connecting the island's residents to Nantucket's unique past.   

 A one-year membership (which includes unlimited admission to the Whaling Museum, Old Mill, Quaker Meeting House, Oldest House, and Hadwen House; free use of the NHA Research Library; subscription to Historic Nantucket; 10% discount at the Museum Shop; discounts on certain classes and Explorations trips; and invitations to special events, concerts, and lectures). A perfect birthday, hostess, or anniversary gift.  Please call 508-228-1894, ext. 116 (Beth) for additional membership information, or go to our website.

Please support the Businesses that support the NHA!
 
Business Leaders:

Accessible Dental
The Beachside at Nantucket
Cape Air/ Nantucket Airlines
Congdon & Coleman Insurance
Cuddy Associates
James Lydon, Sons & Daughters
Johnstons of Elgin Cashmere
Killen Real Estate
Laura Munder Fine Jewelry
Lyman Perry Architects Ltd.
Marine Home Center
Mind's Eye Productions
Murray's Toggery Shop, Inc.
Nantucket Bank-A division of Sovereign Bank
Nantucket Bike Shop
Nantucket Island Resorts
Novation Media
Sylvia Antiques/Four Winds Craft Guild
Thirty Acre Wood, LLC
Trianon/Seaman Schepps
Young's Bicycle Shop
 
Business Sponsors:

Atlantic East Real Estate
Botticelli & Pohl, P.C.
BPC Architecture
Brass Lantern Inn
Cape Cod Express, Inc.
Centre Street Inn
Congdon & Coleman Real Estate
Design Associates, Inc.
Dujardin Design Associates, Inc.
Dunton Property Management, LLC
Hatch's Package Store
The Inquirer and Mirror
Kathleen Hay Designs
Leslie Heiden Design Consultants
Nantucket Butter Company
Nantucket Electric/ National Grid
Nantucket House Antiques & Interior Design Studio
Nantucket Pharmacy
Norton Preservation Trust
Philbrick and Avery, LLP
 
Business Partners:
 
A Taste of Nantucket
A. B. Norton Construction
ACKBBQ
ACKtivities
American Seasons
Arno's at 41 Main Street
The Art Conservancy of Nantucket
Benji's Boutique
Brant Point Inn
Brien, Inc.
Cape Cod Life Publications
Cary Hazlegrove Photography
The Cellar
Chase Canopy Company
Coffin Real Estate  & 'Sconset Real Estate
Cross Rip Outfitters
D. Neil Parent Associates
Denby Real Estate
The Downyflake
Edith Delker Real Estate
The English Trunk Show Company
Even Keel Caf�
Fenwick House Design
Flowers on Chestnut
G. S. Hill Gallery
Hoorn-Ashby Gallery
Javatime Design
Le Languedoc Restaurant
Lindsay, Inc.
C. Richard Loftin, Attorney at Law
Madaket Marine
Mary Keller, Classical Harpist
Nantucket Architecture Group, Ltd.
Nantucket Carving & Folk Art, Inc.
Nantucket Catering Company
Nantucket Country
Nantucket Event Media, Inc.
Nantucket Frameworks
Nantucket Inn
Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
Nantucket Office Products
Nantucket Party Rentals
Nantucket Real Estate Company
Nantucket Storage Center
Peter Beaton, Inc.
Pinwheels
Placesetters, Inc.
Sandcastle Construction, Inc.
Sankaty Head Golf & Beach Club
Simply With Style Catering
Soir�e Floral
Spanky's Raw Bar
Stubby's / Island Coffee
Surfing Hydrangea Nursery
Susan M. Warner Catering
Swain's Travel
Sweet Inspirations
Topham Designs, Inc.
Twig Perkins, Inc.
The UPS Store
Vis-A-Vis
The Wade Cottages
Water Street
The White Whale
Zero Main

Volunteer opportunities at the NHA Research Library
 
Interested in indexing scrapbooks, digitizing photographs, or transcribing ships' logs? The NHA Research Library has an abundance of work that needs to be done. A description of these and many other tasks is available on our website, or you may receive a packet by mail; just let us know your address! Please contact Georgen Gilliam Charnes,
Curator of Library & Archives 508-228-1894, ext. 301
Looking for a gift that lasts an entire year?
 
The NHA is a member-based organization, receiving no municipal, state, or federal moneys; your membership enables the NHA to continue its mission of preserving the island's history and connecting the island's residents to Nantucket's unique past.  A one-year membership (includes unlimited admission to the Whaling Museum, Old Mill, Quaker Meeting House, Oldest House, and Hadwen House; free use of the NHA Research Library; subscription to Historic Nantucket; 10% discount at the Museum Shop; discounts on certain classes and Explorations trips; and invitations to special events, concerts, and lectures) would be a perfect back-to-school, birthday, hostess, or anniversary gift.  Please call Beth, 508-228-1894, ext. 116 for additional membership information, or go to our website. 
Friends of the Nantucket Historical Association purchase two important Nantucket Paintings
 
Two remarkable oil-on-canvas paintings-Ship Spermo Trying with Boats among Whales on California, 1821 and Spermo Cutting in Whales on Japan, 1822 painted by Nantucket whaler-artist John Fisher-were purchased by the Friends of the Nantucket Historical Association on Saturday, August 16, at the Northeast Auctions sale.
 
Both paintings are oversized 18 �" x 24 �" canvases and depict the Nantucket whaler Spermo cutting in whales on the Japan grounds and whaling off the California coast. Ben Simons, NHA Robyn and John Davis Chief Curator, was present at the auction and bid on behalf of the Friends.   "These unique depictions of active whaling scenes by a self-taught Nantucket artist, who was also a whaling master, are not only island treasures, but important American marine paintings," said Simons. "The paintings are first-class whaling portraits by a known and rare Nantucket artist and are surely among the earliest and liveliest of their genre. We are thrilled that they have returned to Nantucket after all these years."
 
The Spermo sailed out of Nantucket on its sole whaling voyage from 1820 to 1823, in consort with the John Jackson and the Pacific. Nantucket whaling captain John Fisher, who helmed the John Jackson, created six known whaling canvases, of which two small paintings of the Pacific are already in the NHA's collection, and a large canvas showing the Spermo in a storm is in the Nantucket Atheneum collection. For twenty-plus years they have been in the well-known J. Welles Henderson collection, one of the most illustrious American private collections of marine art and artifacts. The paintings are said to have been owned originally by Alexander Starbuck.
 
Simons believes that these works are in a league of their own for early depictions of American whaling, and Nantucket whaling in particular, by a known Nantucket artist, with an excellent, highly dramatic style (whaling scenes from the 1820s are rare). The Friends also hired Lydia Vagts, a paintings conservator formerly of the MFA in Boston, to provide a condition report prior to the auction. The gifts are currently being cataloged. 
 
Whaling Museum listed in "10 Places to See Before You Die."

This summer the NHA was named number two in Andrew Harper's "10 U.S. Places to See Before You Die."  Harper, recognized as the ultimate authority on luxury travel, has been wandering the globe and writing travel reviews for over a quarter-century. He also produces an independent monthly publication, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report, with a target audience of more than 25,000 affluent and sophisticated members.
 
"Keeping the island's history alive is the goal of the Nantucket Historical Association," writes Harper. "Many of the museums and historical sites on the island fall under the NHA's umbrella, which makes it an excellent place to start when taking a tour of Nantucket. Purchase a membership to receive admission to all the NHA sites and immerse yourself in the island's past - individual memberships provide far more benefits other than just museum admission fees."
 
Harper believes the Whaling Museum is wonderfully evocative of the 19th-century whaling era, and touts "the out-of-season Nantucket town with its Greek Revival mansions and cobblestoned streets as equally enchanting."  Needless to say the staff is thrilled with this exciting acknowledgement!  So for those of you who think of the NHA as simply a tourist destination now is YOUR chance to come and see number two in the ten destinations. 
Head Back to School at the NHA's Historic 1800 House:
Take an autumn class in Early-American Arts & Crafts!

Cooler days, a quieter pace, an autumn nip in the air-the perfect time to head inside and enjoy the coziness of a restored period home while learning a new craft. September classes include: chair caning and fiber-rush seating with Peter Wilson; painting on canvas with Elizabeth Gilbert; scrimshaw with Lee Papale; shorebird woodcarving with Bill Sarni; and reverse painting on glass with Margaret Emery and Mary Lacoursiere. Please go to the NHA Web site for full class listings  or call 508-228-7785.
 
And don't forget about our new "Bring a Friend" program. Any NHA member who has previously registered in a class at the 1800 House can sign up for a 2008 class with another NHA member, who has not yet participated, and both members will receive a 10% price reduction for that class.
Number of Visitors to Whaling Museum breaks all records! 

On Wednesday, August 6, 2008,  1,405 guests toured the Whaling Museum and enjoyed its daily offerings. This is the largest number of visitors for one day, surpassing even the number of guests on the first day of the Museum's grand re-opening,  in June of 2005! 
Up Close and Personal: Oldest House Kitchen Garden Tours "Inch By Inch, Row by Row"
Fridays & Saturdays at 3:00 P.M., Oldest House, 16 Sunset Hill. Through  September 27

Learn about the herbs and plants and their uses that are growing in this replicated 1700s kitchen garden. Discussion led by NHA staff member Kathrina Pearl, who is currently completing a certificate program in Historic Landscape Preservation at the Landscape Institute of Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum. Pearl researched and designed the garden, and will provide an overview of a period kitchen garden and the orchard at the Oldest House.

Free for NHA members, $6 Historic Site pass
Compass Rose Restoration
Ralph Lauren Building, 16 Main Street
Wednesday, August 6, 7:00 P.M. Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St.

Born In conjunction with the NHA and the HDC, Ralph Lauren is currently working to conserve the now famous Compass Rose island landmark. The NHA holds a preservation restriction on the sign, which will be returned as closely as possible to its 1930s original design. Honoring the request of the HDC, Ralph Lauren has funded the efforts to restore and ultimately replicate the mural to its original form. The Philadelphia firm of Milner + Carr Conservation has been hired to complete the restoration; they have been involved in a number of island projects, including the Whaling Museum, and restoration of the Oldest House after it was hit by lightning in 1987.
 
The "Compass Rose Collection" of merchandise designed to preserve and honor this significant piece of Nantucket history include T-shirts, hats, and caps are available exclusively at the Nantucket Ralph Lauren store, and 100 % of all proceeds from the Compass Rose products continue to benefit the Nantucket Historical Association. 
Experience Quaker Meeting

All are welcome to join in the living legacy of Quakerism on Nantucket at the weekly Friends Meeting at the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Fair Street. Meetings are held Sundays through September from 10 to 11 A.M. Quaker meetings take place in a respectful silence without a presiding minister. All in attendance are welcome to speak when so moved by the "inner light." When visiting, please respect the traditions of Quaker silence, and enjoy the experience of participating in this living tradition.
Bill Staines and Chuck Colley Trio in Concert
Saturday, September 13, 7:30 P.M., Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street
 
An American songwriter and New England folksinger, Staines is well known for composing children's songs and folk songs with a timeless quality. Nantucket's own Chuck Colley Trio will accompany Staines. Please call 508-228-1894 for further information.
 
$10 for NHA members, $25 for the general public.
Walden Chamber Players in Concert 
Friday, September 26, 7 P.M., Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.
 
The renowned Walden Chamber Players return for an exceptional concert featuring an assortment of classical delights and popular favorites. Founded in 1997, the Walden Chamber Players present educational curricula and concerts designed to showcase rarely heard works by composers of the past as well as music by contemporary composers. Comprising twelve dynamic artists in various combinations of string, piano, and wind ensembles, the Walden Chamber Players "highlight the belief that music is the human experience translated into sound." Based in New England, the ensemble performs in New York, New Hampshire, and throughout Massachusetts.
 
$5 for NHA members, $15 general public
 
Walden Chamber Players features Nantucket Student in Concert
Sunday, September 28, 1 P.M., Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street.
 
If you missed them on Friday the 26th, we invite you to come and enjoy the Walden Chamber Players' talents as they perform with a Nantucket student-musician for a noteworthy afternoon of music.
 
Free for NHA members, $15 general public

Summer Exhibition: 'Sconset  02564: A Celebration of the Patchwork Village
In the Peter Foulger Gallery, through November 11

The exhibition features the history, architecture, personalities, and "character" of this unique village at the eastern end of Nantucket, often described as the most charming in America, following its evolution from a fishing village to a world-renowned summer resort.
 
Peter Foulger Gallery, 13 Broad Street 
 
Purchase a souvenir of the 'Sconset Exhibition to take home with you!

The NHA Museum Shop is pleased to be offering a number of exclusive take-away gifts recalling the unique exhibition, 'Sconset 02564. These assorted gifts, designed especially to complement the 'Sconset show include: Souvenir 'Sconset Chocolate Bars, $2.50; Detailed working Nantucket Club Car (exactly like the one in our exhibition), $65.00; 'Sconset 02564 Lapel Pins, $3.00; Desk-sized 'Sconset twelve-month Calendars featuring historic images of  'Sconset in various seasons-many never before published, $6.95; 'Sconset Short-Sleeve White Tee Shirts, discrete 'Sconset 02564 on the front, and old-style postmark on the back, $20.00  (adult sizes only), and same-style long- sleeve White Tee, $24.00 (adult sizes only); 'Sconset soft-cover Book, 'Sconset: A History, by Betsy Tyler and other contributors,  $19.95;  Rhodium "silver" Railroad Ornament (reproduction of the Schlesinger's sterling silver ornament from the 1980s) $20.00 and 02564 Car Magnets for $4.00. Secure a keepsake for yourself, or stock up for family and friends that love the little village at the eastern end of Nantucket! 
 
Nantucket Presidential Papers: From Washington to Franklin D. Roosevelt
July 3-November 7 
In the Whitney Gallery at the Research Library, 7 Fair Street
 
American presidents have been concerned in the affairs of Nantucket Island from the days of the nation's founding.  The collections of the Nantucket Historical Association hold documents signed by almost every president beginning with George Washington. In recognition of election year, the NHA will present an exhibition highlighting some of the more remarkable items in the collection. Some of the notable documents include: appointment of Inspector of the Revenue for the Ports of Nantucket and Sherburne, signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson; ships' papers signed by John Tyler, James Polk, Franklin Pierce, and others; Abraham Lincoln's appointment of George Hussey Tracy as first lieutenant in the Fifteenth Infantry Regiment; a letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow; and a letter from Franklin Delano Roosevelt (as Acting Secretary of the Navy) regarding the naming of a torpedo-boat destroyer in honor of Nantucketer Reuben Chase. The exhibition is made possible by the generous support of Susan R. and L. Dennis Shapiro. Open during regular NHA Research Library hours. 
Exciting digital exhibition: Landmarks!
 
During the summer and fall of 2007, more than thirty Nantucket sixth-, seventh-, and eighth- graders participated in the NHA's first student-curated photographic exhibition, Landmarks of Nantucket!  This digital exhibition showcases what the students considered to be their cherished Nantucket landmarks. This collaborative exhibition-organized by the NHA, the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and Sustainable Nantucket-was on display in the Whaling Museum's Candle Factory from May to November. The full panels are now available for viewing online.
Explorations heads to New Zealand! February 2009
Join the NHA on a journey through maritime, whaling, Maori, and European history in New Zealand.

Fly Fly to New Zealand! February 9 -25, 2009: Come fly with the us as we explore the country of New Zealand with our hosts Bill and Peggy Tramposch, who lived there for eleven years before moving to the island when Bill joined the Nantucket Historical Association.  Travel includes 16 nights of accommodations with stays in Wellington, Picton, Kaikoura, Christchurch, Bay of Islands, and Auckland. Package also includes daily breakfast, 5 lunches, 7 dinners, transportation within New Zealand, sightseeing and gratuities. Price is based on double occupancy, land only: $6,599 (per person). Supplement based on single occupancy: $1,500 additional (per person).
$1,000 per person is tax deductible.

A $1,500 deposit is due upon registering (of which $500 is nonrefundable). Rates are based on a minimum of twenty participants. Travel to and from New Zealand is NOT included. For add-on flight information, please contact Swain's Travel at 508-228-3201.  Call Julie for more information or to make a reservation, 508-228-1894, Ext. 0.  For additional information, visit www.nha.org/nz.html
 
Call Julie for more information or to make a reservation, 508-228-1894, Ext. 0.
 
NHA Museum Shop - 2008 MARKS ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY!

A companion piece to the 'Sconset 02564:  A Celebration of the Patchwork Village exhibition, the soft-cover book 'Sconset: A History, is a comprehensive look at the history of 'Sconset written by Betsy Tyler with contributions by numerous other longtime residents. Made possible by the generous support of the Judy Family Foundation, the book is available for $19.95. Also new this year, after receiving permission to reprint, we have the Commemorative Edition of Greater Light on Nantucket: A Memoir, written by Hanna D. Monaghan in 1973, available for $16.00. The exhibition catalog The Nantucket Art Colony, 1920-1945 is also available for $29.95.  For those who loved last season's summer exhibition, this is the book for you. The catalog gives in-depth descriptions of each painting in the exhibition, with a foreword by NHA executive director Bill Tramposch. For these gifts and many others, you may shop on-line by visiting the website, or place orders by calling 508-228-5785.

The NHA owns and operates twenty-two historic buildings and sites. Part of our mission is to preserve these exceptional properties and share them with the public through educational programs and timely interpretive presentations.

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street, built in 1847, acquired in 1929

1800 House, 4 Mill Street, built in 1801, acquired in 1951 

Eleanor Ham Pony Field, 10 Mill Street, acquired in 1979
 
Fire Hose-Cart House, 8 Gardner Street, built in 1886, acquired in 1960
 
Folger-Franklin Memorial Fountain, Madaket Road, site dated 1663, acquired in 1900
 
Greater Light, 8 Howard Street, built ca. 1790, acquired in 1970
 
Hadwen House, 96 Main Street, built in 1845, acquired in 1965
 
Little Gallery, 10 Straight Wharf, built ca. 1900, acquired in 1984
 
Mill Hill, West York & South Mill Streets, acquired in 1898
 
Old Mill, 50 Prospect Street, built in 1746, acquired in 1898
 
Macy-Christian House, 12 Liberty Street, built ca. 1745, acquired in 1964
 
Nantucket Historical Association Research Library, 7 Fair Street, built 1904 as the Fair Street Museum
 
"Oldest House" - Jethro Coffin House, 16 Sunset Hill, built in 1686, acquired in 1923
 
The Old Gaol (Jail) 15R Vestal Street, built in 1806, acquired in 1946
 
Old Town Building, 5 Washington Street, built in 1832, acquired in 1968
 
Quaker Meeting House, 7 Fair Street, built in 1838, acquired in 1894
 
Settlers Burial Ground, off Cliff Road at Maxcy's Pond, site date ca. 1700
 
Thomas Macy House, 99 Main Street, built in 1770, acquired in 1986
 
Thomas Macy Warehouse, 12 Straight Wharf, built in 1846, acquired in 1984
 
Tristram Coffin Homestead Site, Capaum Road, ca. 1660, acquired 1981
 
Robert Wyer House, 33 Orange Street, built ca. 1760, gifted in 1987