A Publication of the Nantucket Historical Association

Spring 2011

Volume 61,No. 1HistoricNantucket

75 MAIN STREET:TheHenry

CoffinHouse

Board of TrusteesJanet L. Sherlund, PRESIDENT

Kenneth L. Beaugrand, 1STVICE PRESIDENT

HamptonS.Lynch Jr., 2NDVICE PRESIDENT

Thomas J. Anathan, TREASURER

WilliamR.Congdon, CLERK

William J. Boardman

ConstanceCigarran

FranciN. Crane

DenisH.Gazaille

NancyA.Geschke

WhitneyA.Gifford

GeorgiaGosnell, TRUSTEE EMERITA

SusanZisesGreen

Nina S.Hellman

Kathryn L. KetelsenFRIENDS OF THE NHA REPRESENTATIVE

MaryD.Malavase

SarahB.Newton

Anne S.Obrecht

ElizabethT. Peek

ChristopherC.Quick

LauraC. Reynolds

DavidRossFRIENDS OF THE NHA REPRESENTATIVE

L.Dennis Shapiro

NancyM. Soderberg

BetteM. Spriggs

JasonA.Tilroe

EX OFFICIO

William J.TramposchEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Editorial CommitteeRichard L.Duncan

Peter J. Greenhalgh

Amy Jenness

Cecil Barron Jensen

Robert F.Mooney

ElizabethOldham

Nathaniel Philbrick

BetteM. Spriggs

James Sulzer

Ben SimonsEDITOR

ElizabethOldhamCOPY EDITOR

EileenPowers/JavatimeDesignDESIGN AND ART DIRECTION

NANTUCKETHISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

| HistoricNantucket

Spring 2011 | Vol. 61, No. 1

HistoricNantucketA Publication of the Nantucket Historical Association

HenryCoffin: A Portrait

BETSY TYLER

The youngwhale-oilmagnate,horticulturalist, and traveler buildsaMain Streetmansion.

4

ALegacy inBrick:TheHomeofHenryCoffin

MARK AVERY AND ANDY BUCCINO

The tale of a building from its constructionbymaster builder Christopher Capen in the1830s to the present restoration.

6

HenryCoffinCarlisle’sAtticMuseum

MILES CARLISLE

ANantucket enthusiast creates a privatemuseumand gamming area.

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TheGarden at 75Main Street

KATHRINA PEARL

HenryCoffin creates one of the firstornamental pleasure gardensonNantucket.

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From theExecutiveDirectorWILLIAM J. TRAMPOSCH

NHANewsNotes

ON THE COVER:Henry Coffin Carlisle’s AtticMuseumwith gammingchairs. Photo by Jeffrey A. Allen.

HistoricNantucketwelcomesarticlesonanyaspectofNantuckethistory.Original research; firsthandaccounts; reminiscencesofislandexperiences; historic logs, letters, andphotographsare examplesofmaterials of interest toour readers.

©2011by theNantucketHistoricalAssociation

HistoricNantucket (ISSN0439-2248) ispublishedby theNantucketHistoricalAssociation, 15BroadStreet,Nantucket,Massachusetts. Periodical postagepaidatNantucket,MA, andadditional entryoffices.POSTMASTER: Sendaddress changes toHistoricNantucket, P.O.Box1016,Nantucket,MA02554–1016; (508) 228–1894; fax: (508) 228–5618, info@nha.orgFor information log on towww.nha.org Printed in the USA on recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks.

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F R OM TH E E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

OfPrivateMuseumsandPassionateCollectors

WILLIAM J. TRAMPOSCHExecutive Director

ANTUCKET HAS MANY MORE

museums than onewould

guess. Tucked into attics,

parlors, and backyard sheds aremore

“domesticmuseums” per capita than

anywhere in the country. I ammost

fortunate to have been invited intomany of

these “cabinets of curiosities”: Behind one

door is a world-class collection of Asian

antiquities; behind another, several period

rooms appearmuch as they did in the

nineteenth century; and over there is a

beguiling collection of twentieth-century

Americana.We are an island of collectors.

I want to tell you about the attic at 75

Main Street, where Imademy first visit

several years ago.

Miles Carlisle, former owner of 75Main,

is the great-grandson of its builder, Henry

Coffin (1807–1900), whichmakesMiles a

ninth-generation descendant of Tristram.

Youwill read all about Henry and his

brother Charles in this issue ofHistoric

Nantucket, so I will not dwell on

biographical details. Miles and his father

are really what this is about. In the 1950s,

Miles’s father, Henry Coffin Carlisle, created

amuseum in the spacious beamed attic.

His aimwas to recreate the ambience of the

great whaling era, onNantucket and

beyond, so he filled the space with half-hull

models, flags, harpoons, lances, crew lists,

maps, scrimshaw, quilts, etc. In the center

of the attic, amidst these scattered

treasures, was a round knee-high table,

surrounded by seven captain’s chairs. The

table was laid with decanters of port and

sherry, glasses, and open books. It felt as

if a gamhas just ended or another to

begin—only that a slight layer of dust

appeared on everything in sight. Even in

the unpeopled space there was a certain

energy coming from the always

shimmeringmotes of dust—those “gay

motes that people the sunbeams,”

asMilton had it.

This atticmuseumwas verymoving to

me, as it represented one person’s direct

connectionwith the past; a visit there

remindedme of how these places called

“museums” have usually begun—be it

the PealeMuseumor Colonial

Williamsburg, the FordMuseumor

Shelburne. They emerge almost always as

the result of passionate people who are

driven by fervor fueled by an almost

palpable connection they feel for their

own past, coupledwith an intense need

to preserve it for future generations.

Remember that the NHA itself began in a

similar way, in theWest Brick in 1894,

when kindred spirits gathered to ensure

that “island treasures ” were collected

and preserved and remained on

island. Henry Coffin Carlisle’s treasures

have been preserved because his son

Miles donated the entire AtticMuseum

collection to theNHA, where it is

currently being accessioned and

catalogued.

Miles Carlisle was obviously proud of

his father’s atticmuseum; the historical

family collectionwas not, however,

limited to the attic but filled every room

in the house: account books, an original

desk, portraits, currency from early

Nantucket, and period furniture thatmade

it look as if it had hardlymoved since the

last timeHenry, the builder, sat down.

When I first toured 75Main Street,

Miles was thinking about selling it, andwas

obviously concerned about what would

become of this symbolicmonument to

Nantucket’s past.

Miles Carlisle eventually found his

kindred spirit in an avid collector and

preservationist (and, by the way, amember

of the NHA’s board of trustees whowishes

to remain anonymous). The new owner of

75Main has begun aworld-class

restoration of this architectural and

historical treasure and its garden. It has

been a pleasure, in fact inspiring, to

observe these twomen“bond” over their

shared love of Nantucket and American

history.

It is fitting, then, that we dedicate this

issue ofHistoricNantucket to them and to

those who nurtured the passion in them.

NBILL TRAMPOSCH

| HistoricNantucket

Henry Coffin by James Hathaway, oil oncanvas, circa 1840s. Private collection.

Henry CoffinA Profile

BY BETSY TYLER

ENRYCOFFIN (1807–1900)was the youngestchild of one of the richestmenonNantucket—ZenasCoffin, awhale-oil

magnate.Henry grewup in the house at 9 Pine Street, built byhis father around 1812.The large, unadorneddwelling is notone that suggests greatwealth, but Zenas andhiswife, Abial,wereQuakers, and followed that religion’s belief in a subduedaesthetic expression,with clothing, architecture, andfurnishings free of ornament anddecoration. As the youngestof six children,Henry undoubtedly got a lot of attention,particularly fromhis three older sisters—Eunice, Lydia, andMary—whowere the firstborn of the family.Whenhewas tenyears old, his thirteen-year-old brother Frederick died, andhebecame even closer to his brother CharlesG., whowas sixteen.Theywere business partners, neighbors, and close associatesfor the rest of their lives.The best local education, inQuaker schools, was available

toHenry,who also had the opportunity to study at theFriends School in Providencewhenhewas twelve; but forreasonswedonot know, he didn’t stay long. A few yearsearlier, in a letter to a business friend,Henry’s uncle, IsaacCoffin, referred to his youngnephewas“awild genius.” As anadult, Henry appears to have been somewhat quiet andretiring, at least in comparison to his older brother, but heobviously had a lively intellect that particularly relished the

physicalworld. Perhaps he couldn’t sit still, orwas homesick,or foundno challenge in the Providence school, but hereturned toNantucket and learned the family business.MuchofHenry’s real education came from travel. His letters reveal aparticularly keen interest in botany andhorticulture.On a trip toCharleston, SouthCarolina, in 1832,Henry

noted in a letter home that“trees are set out all through thestreets,” andwhenhe visited Europe in 1833, his focuswasstill trees. In his first letter home fromParis hewrote, “Wearrived here last eve at 8 o’clock . . . through abeautiful country& fruit trees full of fruit.” Growing upon abarren island, close-croppedby sheep,Henry had a vision for amore verdantenvironment in his home town, and later in his life he didsomething about it. Hewas one of the primemovers of aplan to plant elm trees onMain Street in 1851, and in 1875hewas a partner in the cultivation of 40,000 slips of pine andlarch trees imported fromScotland andplantednearMiacomet Pond.In 1833, after he returned fromEurope,Henrymarried Eliza

Starbuck, daughter of Levi andElizabeth. Eliza’s father andher brother, Obed,were successfulwhaling captains, andpartof the island“oil aristocracy.”Her first cousinswere theStarbuck brothers, whowould later in the decade occupy theThreeBricks, but the houseHenry built at 75Main Streetpreceded those icons.His brother, CharlesG., had built the

H

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brick house across the street at 78Main just a few yearsearlier, andHenry’s housewas a close copy, except for theaddition of an elegant cupola and the use of light granite triminstead of brownstone.TheCoffin brothers’ homeswere theheight of fashion,muchdifferent from thehouse onPineStreetwhere they grewup,whereQuaker restraint had keptthings simple. A general trend among the elite of the island inthe 1820s and ’30swas to build or remodel houses onMainStreet into elegant expressionsof theirwealth, and the keyplayers in thatmove toMainStreetwere the sons anddaughters of ZenasCoffin andJoseph Starbuck.Not only didCharles and

Henry build impressive housesonMain Street, their three oldersisters also establishedthemselves there. Eunice, theeldest, andher husband,ThomasMacy,were at 99MainStreet; LydiamarriedMatthewCrosby,whobuilt the house at90Main Street the year she died(their four children grewupthere); andMary andherhusband,Henry Swift, remodeled the house at 91MainStreet. Starbuck cousins lived in theThreeBricks, and at 100Main Street, and later at 96 and 98Main. All of those familieswerewealthy,well educated, cultured, andworldly; theirbusiness interests connected themwithmainland cities,European capitals, andports and islands around theworld.One could easily spendmonths studying the business

papers of CharlesG. andHenryCoffin, which take upthirteen linear feet in the vault of theNHA’s Research Library[MS 152]. Described as“relating to shipbuilding, candles,ship supplies, various iron companies, whaling, cordage,whale oil, Nantucket Camel Co., and other businessinterests,” the collection reveals the intricacies involved inthe ownership of a large fleet ofwhaleships, including theaptly namedCharles andHenry, with a particularlynoteworthy crewmember in 1843:HermanMelville,harpooner.These letters andother documents arefascinating, but they tell only a part of the story ofHenryCoffin,whose legacy includes the stately house onMainStreet, six childrenwho lived to adulthood, elms onMainStreet andpines inMiacomet, aswell as land-developmentschemes.AsNantucketmoved fromamaritime- to a tourism-based

economy in the last quarter of the nineteenth century,Henrymovedwith the times, purchasing land anddesigningneighborhoods for seasonal homes. Someof his projectsweremore successful thanothers: SherburneBluffs, in the

LincolnCircle area, proved apopular location; Surfside didnot, although it seemed at the time that the potential wasthere.Henry, alongwith his brother CharlesG., sonCharles F.,and twoother localmen, formed theNantucket Surfside LandCompany in 1873, andproduced amapof the area betweenWeweeder Pond andNobadeer Pond, divided into avenuesand streets dottedwith hundreds of house lots.Theirpromotion of Surfside helped to speed along the development

of a railroad, built in 1881 toconnect the townwith Surfside,where first a depot andrestaurantwere situated, andlater a hotel, but Coffin’s vision ofa summer-cottage communitywas not shared by those lookingfor a seasonal retreat on theisland.Withwealth, energy, and a longlife onhis side, the failure ofSurfsidewas not amajor setbackforHenry,whowas one of thelargest landowners on the island.In 1897, he celebrated hisninetieth birthday,with eightysix-year-old Eliza, five survivingchildren, four grandchildren,

and five great-grandchildrenbyhis side.Three years later,Henrywas eulogized in the Inquirer andMirror:

Hewas distinctly oldNantucket. In every fibre and through

and through.His ancestry on all sides is of and from the first

settlers of the island.Hewas born aQuaker,and though in

later life he tookno partwith the sect,his quiet demeanor,

simple habits and abhorrence ofwar or violence of any kind,

even in speech,disclosed hisQuaker origin. In recent years he

has beennearly the only link connecting us of the present

with those of a glorious past.He is the last to go of all that

goodly company ofNantucket shipownerswho by their

adventurous spirit andunswerving integritymade our island

knownand respected in all the ports of theworld.

[Formore information onHenryCoffin, seeWill Gardner’sTheCoffin Saga:Nantucket’s Story, fromSettlement toSummerVisitors (Nantucket:WhalingMuseumPublications,1949), and the followingNHAResearch Librarymanuscriptcollections: 152: Business Papers of CharlesG. andHenryCoffin, 1829–62; 334: Coffin Family Papers: CharlesG. CoffinandHenryCoffin Business Papers/Carlisle Collection, 1768–1890; and 490: Coffin Family Papers: CharlesG. Coffin andHenryCoffin Business Papers/Carlisle Collection II.]

Betsy Tyler is an NHA Research Fellow and author of twenty-ninehouse and public-buildings histories published by the NantucketPreservation Trust.

75Main Street, 1960s, photo by JohnW.McCalley. P1766.

| HistoricNantucket

The Home of Henry CoffinBY MARK AVERY AND ANDY BUCCINO

Spring2011 |

The original eight-panel shutters and six-over-six windowswere built with lavish attention to detail and remain largely intact;Right:HABS drawing of the window treatment showing the double-hung rolled-glass windows.

t has been suggestedmany times that the history ofNantucket is a direct reflection of the history of America inmicrocosm. Over the centuries, and through the confluence

of circumstances and events, this notion continues to findmerit.After theWar of 1812, Nantucket, like theUnited States itself,

began to emerge from themore tentative colonial period of theprevious century, and as its influence and power in the worldgrew, a new spirit and confidence arose in the population. Thiswas demonstrated in several key ways: through rapid populationand infrastructure growth, amyriad of entrepreneurial businessinvestments, and especially in the construction of publicbuildings and private homes.New architectural styles began to appear—styles that

represented status and symbolism, as well as the practicalaspects of the construction. This new consciousness inarchitecture and engineering date from the time just before theAmerican Revolution, when private homes began to outwardlyreflect a new affluence beyond the simple, rational, colonialshelter. The samewas true for the grander civic and commercialbuildings of this period. A new sense of place emerged, requiring

a new design philosophy and vocabulary that did not simplymimic trends in either the British or Continentalmonarchies. Nolonger satisfied with simply copying current European style, thenew nation, founded on the ideals of democracy, began to findinspiration in the classical world. The burgeoning of what is nowknown as Federal style began, and soon after Greek Revivalbecame the vogue. As the thirteen colonies became theUnitedStates, this newly introduced architecture captured theimagination and the essence of its young, dynamic, andconfident people.At the dawn of the nineteenth century,many of themost

significant American buildings of this type were built: e. g., theMassachusetts State House, theWhite House, andMonticello.Civic buildings and residences of wealthy Americans followedsuit, andwithin a few decadesmany town centers and cityblocks boasted of grand democratic buildings and statelymansions.In a home, the new style offeredmuchmore than additional

living space. Classical detailing such as columns, arches, heavycornices, and balustrades often embellished the façade, and

I

| HistoricNantucket

HABS drawing of the 75Main Street façade.

HABS drawing of the east elevation showing the 1860s ell additionin the rear.

usually a strict symmetry was imposed on thewhole. Buildingmaterials, such as brick, becamemore common as well, adding anair of permanence to the structure. The use of brick was alsopreferred for its obvious fire resistance, especially in denser urbancenters. The placement of symmetrical chimneys in endwallsallowed them to be incorporated into a continuous brick surface.Typical floor plans also changed considerably in this time,movingfireplaces and chimneys to the outside walls fromwhat had been themore efficient central areas of the house, opening up the entireinterior and providing space for grand central-staircase halls andback-to-back parlors that could open into one another. Fireplacesurrounds, interiormillwork, and even the plaster ceilings becamemuchmore thanmerely functional; they became expressions ofwealth and taste for all visitors to see.Throughout the early nineteenth century, Nantucket’s whaling

trade commanded interests from around the globe.Much of theglobal economy and international trade throughout the earlynineteenth century started and endedwith what the whalingindustry provided. At the peak of the industry, fewwhaling familieswere as successful as the Coffins, widely considered to be among the

wealthiest entrepreneurs in the country. Upon their father Zenas’sdeath in 1828, Henry and Charles G. Coffin inheritedmuch of thatwealth andwith it the family enterprises.The brothers assumed that charge with dignity and a lively sense of

responsibility. Each built his grand brick house opposite the other at78 and 75Main Street, begun in 1831 and 1833 respectively. Upontheir completion, the Coffin family legacy was established.Henry Coffin was well traveled, as the bounty of the sea had

afforded him adventures on the family whaleships. Just twenty-sixyears old in 1833, Henry had returned toNantucket on one of thosevessels after a lengthy sojourn in Europe, and brought with him acosmopolitan incentive that he applied to the construction of hishouse, whichwould stand in contrast to his brother’s Quakersensibility.We know fromCoffin’smeticulously kept account books that 75

Main Street cost $8,200 to construct, including all materials andlabor. Although a few brick commercial structures existed—e.g., thePacific Club at the foot ofMain Street (1774) and the Pacific Bank atthe top (1818)—brick houses were rare onNantucket when theCoffins built theirs. The first use of brick for a residence in the townwas a Federal-style, gambrel-roofed house at 5 Orange Street (ca.1774). At the time of its construction, it had brick endwalls only,incorporating the chimneys, but the front façade and rear wall wereof traditional wood framing. The front wall of the house was“bricked” later, in the 1830s, as brick came intomore common use.The blossoming of this type of residence began in earnest when ahandful of brick houses were well in the planning and constructionphases at the start of the 1830s, which is when Charles G. Coffinbegan 78Main Street (1831)—a stately house, but fairly restrained inits brownstone detailing. In 1831, Phillip Folger had begun building abrick house at 58Main in a new style, common in Boston, withcurved bays flanking the brownstone portico entry. Ground had beenbroken in 1829 for another large brick residence,Moors End at 19Pleasant Street, being built byHenry’s first cousin, Jared Coffin, andnot completed until 1834.This was the context in whichHenry Coffin began construction of

his own new house at 75Main. He employed the samemastermason, Christopher Capen, as his brother Charles had, and, indeed,almost replicated the floor plan of 78Main. Here, however, is wheredissimilar elements in the two houses begin to emerge. Henry did notascribe to the same restraint of detailing as did Charles, and althoughthe interiors of 75 and 78Main are almost identical, 75Main ismoreflamboyant in the rich detailing of the front entry, the use of graniteinstead of brownstone, parapeted endwalls, ornate balustrade andcupola, and so on. Henry spared no expense in construction anddecoration, and the house wasmasterfully crafted.Much of theoriginal fabric of the house remains, a standing testament to the highlevel of craftsmanshipNantucket Island had available, andmaintainsto this day.The house rises up out ofMain Street supported byVermont-

quarried granite. The stonewas highlighted on all elevations of theexterior, including the parapets and chimneys. The cupola stands astately fifty-five feet overMain Street, affording the family panoramicviews of the harbor and a lookout for its fleet of whaleships.Christopher Capen,mason for both brothers’ houses, was a native

of Dorchester,Massachusetts; he had arrived inNantucket in 1830,

Spring2011 |

staying in a boarding house beforeprocuring work onMain Street; Henry and Charles G. Coffin werehis first patrons. Building brick houses onMain Street was to be hislivelihood for nearly a decade, for after his success with the Coffinhouses, Capen proceeded upMain Street to build theThree Bricksfor the Starbucks. Hemarried, and eventually built his own house(not of brick) on India Street.The post-and-beam skeleton of 75Main shows in the exposed

roof framing. The joinery was executedwith assured precision andstands uncompromised 175 years after construction.Wrapping theframing is the brick structure and façade, for which 30,000 Englishbricks were imported, perhaps serving as ballast in a whaleship.The brick is a foot thick, and between it and the plaster and lath is

a six-inch framing cavity. Eighteen inches of buildingmaterialbetween the exterior and the living space provide a fine insulator,helping to keep its occupants cool in the summer andwarm in thewinter. Beyond the construction fabric no insulation practices wereapplied.Including the now sealed kitchen fireplace, the house had eleven

fireplaces, six of themburning coal. The four coal-burningfireplaces on the first floor are cappedwith identical French cast-iron surrounds, now being painstakingly restored byDouglasPinney, a local preservation artisan. The ornamentation of thesurroundsmade themno less practical, as they created aconcentric flue for the rather small firebox that assured a cleanburn from small amounts of coal. In addition, a coal stove in thecenter of the basement heated the core of the home, with chutesleading to a storehouse in the basement.With completion of the ell on the north elevation in the 1860s, the

house was now adornedwithmore than fifty-five windows, theirframes crafted of rosewood and old-growth pine. They are of thefinest craftsmanship,madewith rolled glass andmaintaining theirintegrity to this day. A dozenwindows in the foundation provideabundant light for a basement kitchen and for the nerve center ofthe approximately four-thousand-square-foot original house. Therugged yet refined hardware came from local blacksmiths; originalsash locks, door and shutter hinges, and fireplace ironwork are stillin place.A pump in the yard provided the house with water. It is not yet

known if the pumpwas from a functioning well in the yard orsupplied the house from a cistern in the basement. The attic alsohad a pump, pulling water from the basement and gravity-feedingthe lower floors. A luxury, the upper-level pump is a testament tothe foresight the buildersmaintained as decades passed andnecessity dictated upgrades for the Coffins.The large rooms are fitted with well-crafted six-panel fir pocket

doors that serve both for privacy and to close off sections of thehouse thatmay not have been used during the wintermonths. Theinterior shutters were significant for the same reasons: eachdouble-hungwindow throughout the house has a six- or eight-panel interior shutter system.When they are closed and combinewith the paneled surrounds of the window itself, a beautifullyconceived twelve-panel system—from the floor to the head of thewindow casing—serves as excellent weather proofing during thewintermonths and outperforms even the best double-insulatedwindows of today, though admitting no light.

Detail of the design forthe ornamental cornice.

The detailing throughout the house is simple yetrefined; with eighteen- and twenty-foot- highceilings, the grand size of themain living spacesmakes an opulent statement.The first-floor roomsmade up for their lack of

light in the winters and evenings with anotherhighlight: ornamental gas-burning chandeliers.Each had gas jets with four controls per chandelier,affording light in the evenings for dining andentertaining. To accent their importance, a roundplaster detail set them against the ceiling.An ornamental plaster cornice, nearly a foot wide,

makes up the ceiling-to-wall transition in the first-floor rooms. The original template is still in thehouse, crafted from copper on awooden right-angleguide.The house is extremely well documented in both

Henry Coffin’s personal records and the extensivefiles in theNHAResearch Library, but it is stillloadedwithmystery. This issue ofHistoricNantucket is a testament to the scope of researchtalent the Coffins warrant, but questions are leftunanswered. It is a puzzle that will demand the fullattention of the professional preservationists whoare bringing the house back to life. The craftsmenwho built it weremeticulous in their attention toevery detail. Detecting and reproducing theirintentions require the highest levels of skill anddedication.With the completion of his house at 75Main

Street, Henry Coffin, alongwith his brother Charlesat 78Main, had architecturally defined bothNantucket’s whaling heritage and the island’s imagefor centuries to come.With the construction of theStarbucks’ Three Bricks seven doors upMain Streetand the FrederickMitchell house at 69Main, thebrick house had become amonument to thewhaling industry. Henry Coffin’s house standsresolutely, virtually unchanged, and seemingly aspermanent as the image he aspired to 177 years ago.

Mark Avery is director of historic properties at the NantucketHistorical Association.Andy Buccino is overseeing the 75 Main restoration projectfor its owner.

| HistoricNantucket

Henry Coffin Carlisle’sATTIC MUSEUM

BY MILES CARLISLE

P

Spring2011 |

A corner of the attic with a mahogany cradle, a spinningwheel,a music box, and other items. Left:A carpet bag, the 1858WallingMap,yarn winder, and other items.

House flag of the Charles G. and Henry Coffin whaling fleet; chests, tools, andwhaling implements at right.

A table coveredwith a miscellany of whalebone pestles, an ivory swift clamp,a lignum vitae dead-eye, a whalebone rolling pin, a block of spermaceti wax,and other items.HOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY A. ALLEN

| HistoricNantucket

Photos of Henry Coffin (1807–1900) and the AtticMuseum’s creator, Henry Coffin Carlisle (1886–1964),hung above the attic entrance.

Seventy-Five Main Street (the Henry Coffin House) is presently

undergoing a major restoration designed to return it to its original

grandeur. This article provides some background on the house,

highlighting a prior renovation in the 1950s undertaken

by Henry Coffin’s grandson, Henry Coffin Carlisle,

who was my father. This also serves as a remembrance and

tribute to my father—a remarkable Nantucket enthusiast.

wnership of the house passed fromHenry Coffin’s widow,Eliza (Starbuck) Coffin, to their daughter,Mary Swift Coffin

Carlisle, and at her death to her daughter, Elsie Carlisle. On Elsie’sdemise in 1951, ownership was conveyed tomy father (her brother)with the agreement and support of their brother, G. Lister Carlisle.The house—uninhabited formany years—requiredmajor repairsand renovation, andmy father took the project onwith his usualenthusiasm and energy. An engineer who had goneWest after college(Yale and Columbia) to pursue a successful career inmining, he wasthen able to spend summers on-island to supervise and oftenparticipate in the work at hand. Challenges included the lack of aground-floor kitchen (the original had been in the basement);bathrooms (only one existed); as well as deteriorated or substandardroofing, electrical systems, plumbing, bricks, andmore.Also, the house was not fully furnished, asmuch of the original

furniture had been distributed over the years to other heirs of HenryCoffin and not replaced.With generous support fromhis brother,Lister, and Lister’s wife (owners at the time of OldNorthWharf),appropriate furniture was procured—all consistent with the historicintegrity of the house.My father’smost significant contribution to 75Mainwas the

creation of the unique AtticMuseum.He assembled and displayed inthe unfinished attic—with its original beams and high ceilings—anextensive collection of whalingmemorabilia and other items ofhistorical interest from aNantucket perspective. Every itemwasfound either in the house or in one of two small buildings on theproperty—the “shop” and the chaise house.Examples of the collection are harpoons, nautical charts, period

clothing, an original survey of the Nantucket railroad, books, whalingpapers, decoys, chests, and quilting bars. A recent appraisal identifies121 items.While only one logbook surfaced,more than sixty lettersfromwhaleship captains to the Coffin owners—constitutingmuchmore interesting reading—were discovered and transcribed intotype. One letter refers to HermanMelville, who sailed on a Coffinship for sixmonths in the Pacific.Also, a wedding skirt—over three hundred years old andworn by

five generations of Coffin brides—was found in perfect condition inan attic chest. It was given to theNHA bymy brother andme and isnow on display at “that othermuseumdown on Broad Street.”My father was enthusiastic about every aspect of Nantucket,

especially its history and its inhabitants. Upon completion of theAtticMuseum, hewould invite selectedNantucketers—especially

old-timers—over for a gam.Theywould gather at eleven in themorning for an attic tour and then be seated in a circle to tell stories.Althoughmy parents were not at all heavy drinkers, the custom onthose occasions was formymother to appear at noonwith a tray ofmartinis (straight up). The stories thereby becamemore expansive, ifnot also a tad taller.My father was one of the first—if not the first—to record interviews

withmany (I recall over thirty) islanders who had some particularexperience or interest to describe; one of themwas the last towncrier. He gave all of the recordings to theNHA, where they have beendigitized and are available online.With the death ofmy father in 1964, the house wasmaintained by

his wife,Mary Carlisle, until 1985, and subsequently bymy brother,Henry Coffin Carlisle Jr., andme. I bought his interests in 1998, and Ibecame the sole steward.During that time, house tours continued and the AtticMuseum

remained verymuch in business—with a few improvements,although essentially asmy father created it. I know hewould bepleased indeed to know that everything in themuseumwasdonated to theNHA. Hewould also appreciate that the new owner ofthe house is undertaking amajor restoration project consistent withthe historical integrity of every element of the structure. This willprovide the basis for the house standing proudly for another centuryor two—or longer.

Miles Carlisle, great-grandson of 75 Main Street’s builder, is a ninth-generationdescendent of Tristram and Dionis Coffin.

O

Spring2011 |

Counter-clockwise from left: Framed documents including the1835 probate of Zenas Coffin’s estate, a stock certificate for theNantucket Railroad; a map of the Pacific Oceanwith routes ofmajor navigators; half-hull model of the Charles G. and HenryCoffin whaleship Constitution; photo of Henry Coffin Carlisle’soriginal gamming circle from the 1950s; “City of the Sea”survey chart depicting Great Neck and Smith’s Point andcharting a “Maddequet” subdivision of 2,000 lots that werenever built; the original 1880s Surfside Syndicate subdivisionsurveyor’s map.

| HistoricNantucket

By Kathrina Pearl

THE GARDEN AT 75 MAIN STREET, FIRST LAID OUT AROUND 1834 AS THE

HOUSE WAS COMPLETED, WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OF A NEW TYPE OF GARDEN ON

NANTUCKET—THE ORNAMENTAL GARDEN, OR PLEASURE GARDEN, THAT

EMERGED TO COMPLEMENT THE MANSIONS OF TOWN IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH

CENTURY. IT WAS A CLEAR EXPRESSION OF THE DEEP INTEREST IN HORTICULTURE

THAT A YOUNG HENRY COFFIN HAD ALREADY DEVELOPED, AN INTEREST ONLY

RECENTLY BROADENED AND FURTHER FUELED BY A TRIP TO EUROPE IN 1833.

Spring2011 |

Garden and rear of house showing ivy-covered ell,1950s. P12186

THIS GARDEN, and the broader range ofhorticultural pursuits that would interest Henry Coffinthroughout the century, were also a reflection of social andeconomic trends on the island and even farther afield.As a youngman, before hismarriage to Eliza Starbuck in

November 1833, Henry had the opportunity to travel. Fromsurviving correspondence and a diary (now in theNHA’smanuscript collection), it appears that these trips wereundertaken partly (perhapsmostly?) to improve his health—especially the trip to Europe, which included stays inMadeira,London, Rouen, and Paris. Henry Coffin’s letters and travel diaryare filled with descriptions of the boats onwhich he traveled,weather conditions, routes taken, business contacts, shippingnews from the ports of call, and “news of the fleet” (the fleet ofwhaleships of which hewas co-owner with his brother Charles).But these writings also contain descriptions of the landscapesthroughwhich he traveled, the gardens and parks he visited,and the unique flora he encountered in faraway places. It is anincomplete record and the horticultural references are brief.Yet,they provide an immensely valuable insight intoHenry Coffin’sfascinationwith plants, gardens, crops, and landscapes and adeeper understanding of how this would find expression onNantucket. They indicate, too, Henry’s wide-ranging interest,which gave equal weight to themost ornate of gardens and thehumblest stand of wildflowers.Henry took advantage of his travels and theweb of sea

commerce of which hewas a part to do some plant collecting.In a letter to brother Charles fromProvidence (datedOctober5, 1831), Henry described a pleasant passage and noted histime of arrival in Providence. Then, “I have sent by Capt. Swaina bundle of cloathes [sic] & a small paper of roots please takecare of them.” After his signature, he added“the rootsmay beput down cellar as they are, in the paper.” Letters fromCharleston, South Carolina, to the family (“DearMother,Brothers & Sisters”), sent in April 1832,mention a ride out to theBotanic Garden threemiles from townwhere he “saw some rareflowers.” He also noted, as he later would fromParis, that “treesare set out all through the streets.” Henry departed for Europeon the Coffin brothers’ new ship, theCharles andHenry, in thelate fall of 1832, leaving the ship atMadeira while she sailed onto the Pacific. He remained inMadeira until late April. Thismust have been awondrous experience for a youngmanwhohad grown up on an almost treeless, windswept island, and adiary entry conveys a sense of awe. After attempting to describea trip into themountains on horseback, he wrote: “The fewwords that I ammaster of fall so far short of a correctdescription of the scenes that I will say nomore.” Another diaryentry gives a long list of trees that he had seen, using commonnames and also botanical Latin (presumably where he couldascertain the scientific names). And, on“4mo. 17thWednesday,”he “went and saw a handsome garden &many fine rareflowers.”

Of particular interest, and also concerning the futureNantucket garden, is a letter to “Dear Brother Charles,” datedMarch 10, 1833, fromMadeira. Here, Henry is shipping avariety of items “by the schooner StephenOlneyCapt.Lincoln bound for NewYork” and is instructing Charlesabout their proper distribution upon arrival at Nantucket.There are quarter casks of fine wine, one each for Charlesand himself and one each for brothers-in-lawThomasMacy,MatthewCrosby, andHenry Swift. There are also casks of“newwine,” and boxes of nuts and preserved citron to bedivided among the family; and gifts for the children—Henry’snieces and nephews. And then: “3 and½bbls [barrels] ofroots shoots and plants these are for Eunice. . . . I have wrote[sic] the particulars in Eunice’s letter.” This is indeed telling ofthe depth of Henry’s interest in plants—to have gathered somuch to be sent home in barrels to Nantucket, andinteresting, too, that they were sent to Eunice. Eunice wasHenry’s oldest (and, at this stage, only surviving) sister, whowasmarried toThomasMacy, also an avid gardener. Some ofthe plants sent in barrelsmay have been forThomas andEunice, but Henry was undoubtedly entrusting this preciouscargo to people whomhe knew had the skill and interest tocare for themuntil his return.

| HistoricNantucket

“We PASsedthrough a fine country and

small towns and on either side

was a rowof fruit trees all the

way and orchards of cherry

trees redwith ripe fruit, apple,

pear, walnut, apricots ripe, and

all kinds of fruits, fields of grain

and grass and all unenclosed. . .”

AfterMadeira, Henry spent some time on the Portuguesemainland, near Lisbon, where he spent his time“visiting allthat is curious,” and again took the opportunity to ship “a tubof plants,” aroundMay 13, 1833, on the brigHerald, headedfor Boston. Diary entries from this period includemanyobservations on farms, gardens, and the broader landscape.He admired a fine garden of orange trees, choice grapes,pears, and olives: “This was a pleasant place andwe sat downunder the arbour on seatsmade of corkwood and fancifullyornamented.”Yet he also noticed (and duly recorded) thesmaller details of cultivation, such as how the grapevines werepruned, and the simple beauty of wildflowers growing amongMoorish ruins.The voyage fromPortugal to Portsmouth, England, took

twenty days because of unfavorable winds; then hewas inLondon seeing the sights on foot and by omnibus—Westminster Abbey, theTower of London, St. Paul’s. Hestrolled through St. James’s Park—“a fine place to walk underthe trees and see the fashions,”—andHyde Park.After crossing the English Channel to France on June 19, he

noted the “wild and romantic scenery,” as his boat sailed upthe river Seine for Rouen. From there, on the stagecoachjourney to Paris, “We passed through a fine country and smalltowns and on either side was a row of fruit trees all the wayand orchards of cherry trees redwith ripe fruit, apple, pear,walnut, apricots ripe, and all kinds of fruits, fields of grain andgrass and all unenclosed, the ground under tilthmade it lookvery pleasant.” Paris, where he arrived on June 24, struck himinmuch the sameway that London had: “I cannot name onehalf the curiosities there is to be seen.” Andwhat a sightVersaillesmust have been for him: “ [We] went through thegardens ofmany acres extent all regularly laid out in walksand the trees trimmed in fanciful forms then took a view ofthe Orangery where are large trees in 4 feet square boxes, andmany now in bloom and aremoved under cover in coldweather.”Yet, the following entry perhaps indicates thatsomething far humbler than the splendors ofVersaillesmayhavemeantmore to him: “The trees are thick enough all overthe city to draw the birds and their [sic] is constantmusic.”Henry Coffin returned to London to book his passage for

NewYork and, according to his diary, spent a busy weekmeeting with business acquaintances andmakingpreparations for the long voyage home, before departing onJuly 10. It is interesting that in themidst of this busy period heagain visitedHyde Park, a place he had been to less than amonth before. Themanicured scenery of the park and themature trees and ornamental plantingsmay have impressedhim enough to find time for another visit. At that time also,American cities had yet to build their first public parks,making London’s parks a novelty to visiting Americans. Henryarrived home toNantucket on August 18, 1833, soon to beginhis own house and garden.

No contemporary record or plan has been found for themaking of the (now vanished) original garden 75MainStreet, although details of labor andmaterials involved inbuilding the greenhouse survive inHenry Coffin’s accountbooks. For the garden, fortunately, we haveMary CoffinCarlisle’s notes written about 1925, in which she describesthe original layout of her father Henry’s garden. (Thehandwritten notes, on hotel stationery, are also in theNHA’smanuscript collection.)Mrs. Carlisle states that her father“brought with him on his return to his native island ofNantucket, the intention of reproducing an English houseand garden for his future residence,” and describes it asfollows: “The gardenwas in the beginning laid out in a largecircle, with the usual tall fir tree in the Centre, and straightwalks with, in time, thick box borders, running from thecircle, through the entire grounds.” The beds and borderswere plantedwith “choice” and“rare” plants, including thoseshipped home fromEurope.Mrs. Carlislementions inparticular the beautiful laburnum trees, “then rare in theeastern states,” and English ivy. Such an arrangement of box-edged beds would indeed have been fairly typical of aGeorgian town garden,many of whichHenry had surelyencountered in London (and elsewhere). Planting the bedswith a selection of rare and choice plants was also thetendency of sophisticated gardeners in an age of increasingplant availability through commercial nurseries. This,however, was something new for Nantucket, andMaryCoffin Carlisle’s comment that her father was “not so strict” a

Spring2011 |

1935 HABS drawing ofMary and Henry Swift’s garden at 91Main Street, which also had a boxwood terrace and lower terracewith fruit trees,2010.17.1, gift of Jill Wolfe Hill.

Quaker as her Uncle Charles, probably has some relevancehere. There is no record of ornamental gardening of this typeonNantucket prior to the nineteenth century. Thedevelopment of such “ornamental” or “pleasure” gardenscoincides with the era of consolidated fortunes and alessening of Quaker influence that became known asNantucket’s “Golden Age.” Of the few detailed accounts thatremain today of those gardens (besidesMrs. Carlisle’sdescription), two are of gardens onUpperMain Street, andboth of thembelonged to sisters and brothers-in-law of HenryCoffin. As previouslymentioned, ThomasMacywas anenthusiastic gardener. The garden he and Eunice(Coffin)Macy tended at 99Main Street was described as threeterraces of box-edged beds, filled with flowering shrubs and

fruit bushes, with hothouses at the lower endwhere oranges,lemons, and delicate tropical plants were grown.The gardenat 91Main Street, begun byMary Coffin (who died in 1827)and her husband, Henry Swift, also had a boxwood terraceand a lower terrace where fruit trees were grown. It survivedinto themid-twentieth century, andwasmeasured anddrawn byHABS surveyors in 1935 (see illustration above). Thegarden at 75Main Street was therefore one of several laid outin a similar style at that time. The gentlemen and ladies ofNantucket’s business elite also enjoyed their greenhouses.There are records ofmany such structures around town, andHenry Coffin was no exception. Fromhis account books andamaterials list, it is clear that Henry had a greenhouse at 75Main as early as 1836. Although the greenhousemay have

| HistoricNantucket

This photograph shows the greenhouse of Samuel King,florist, at 61 South Pleasant Street, circa 1897.PH53-N2

AlthoughThe greenhouse may have

changed form over the years

through many cycles of repair

and rebuilding, it is obvious

from the materials list that this

was a vinery, or grape house.

changed form over the years throughmany cycles of repairand rebuilding, it is obvious from thematerials list that thiswas a vinery, or grape house. It would have been a glass- andwood-framed structure, four feet high in front, with a wideroof sloping back toward the high brick wall at the back of thegarden, to which it was attached.Mrs. Carlisle alsomentionsin her notes that the greenhouse ran along the back wall ofthe garden, along Liberty Street.We can be certain that Henry Coffin grew grapes in this

greenhouse as they are part of thematerials list: “18Grapevines@75 cents.” And, according toMrs. Carlisle, herfather also grew peaches, plums, and figs in his garden. Thelarge variety of pears that Henry Coffin eventually grew andexhibited at the annual fairs of the Nantucket AgriculturalSocietymust surely have been grown on the other land andfarms owned by him, considering that this relatively smallgarden already containedmany ornamentals, boxwoodhedges, fruit bushes, and the greenhouse. Indeed, a glancethrough the annual transactions of the NantucketAgricultural Society (founded in 1856) would appear toindicate that there was some kind of fruit-growing craze onNantucket in themid-nineteenth century. Consider thefollowing entries:

1857:Pearswere in the ascendant, in quantity, in the

number of varieties,and in the quality of fruit.

Thirty kindswere on exhibition.

ThomasMacy exhibited beautiful specimens of President

peach.

A beautiful orange tree, in fruit,was sent in by Thos.Macy,

and added an exotic feature to the products of our

colder climate.

1861:Very good Isabella grapeswere shownbyHenryCoffin.

1863: James Thompson exhibited 23 varieties of pears,

Henry Coffin,21 varieties.

1864:Henry Coffin exhibited thirteen varieties [of pears].

Charles G.Coffin,25 varieties.

The variety of fruit being grown at the timemight astonishus today but, in fact, the gentlemen horticulturists ofNantucket weremerely part of a wider regionalphenomenon. After the organization of the first horticulturalsocieties in the early nineteenth century, an intense interestin the cultivation of fruit developed. Fruit breeders andnurserymenwere developing hundreds of varieties,providing the almost perfect (and productive!) pastime forthose with the time,money, and space. OnNantucket,however, this elite hobbywas tempered by a very real senseof urgency, as islanders began to search for ways to avert alooming economic recession. Encouraged, no doubt, by thesuccessful cultivation of fruit byHenry Coffin and his peers,the Agricultural Society attempted to promote this endeavoras something for everyone: “The necessity of fruit, for the

Spring2011 |

A LISTA list of shrubs and flowers

growing in east andwest

gardens, within the past five

years in bloom at different

seasons of year”.

health ofman, and consequently for his perfection,physically, morally, and intellectually, is generally admitted;and therefore, every personwho can command a rod ofearth, should do something toward increasing its production.. . .Thousands of dollars go fromhere annually for fruit, toenrich the people of other places, who have no better soil oradvantages of any kind for the culture of fruit, thanwe have.Instead of being importers, we should be exporters.” HenryCoffin was also one of a small group ofmen (most of themmembers of the Agricultural Society, as he was) who usedsome of their land to attempt to establish forestry plantationsand shelter belts; he grew Scotch pines and larches on landhe owned atMiacomet. The exhortations andexperimentations of theAgricultural Society wouldcontinue until losingmomentum in the last quarter ofthe nineteenth century.But Henry Coffin’s lasting

horticultural legacy to the townof Nantucket would be theplanting of the street trees, thegraceful elms that would reachperfection as the century cameto a close. Henry and his brotherCharles were the driving forcebehind the first street treeplanting program onNantucket.The elms, which the brotherspurchased as a gift to thetown, were planted alongMain Street beginning in 1851;other streets were planted in thefollowing years. The developingleafy canopymust have been of immensesatisfaction to themanwho had once so admired the parks ofLondon and the boulevards of Paris that he commented “Thetrees are thick enough all over the city to draw the birds.”Within the enclosure of his own garden at 75Main Street,

Henry Coffin tended his fruit trees and vines, and enjoyed thelong succession of flowers provided by bulbs, perennials,shrubs, and roses, in the box-edged borders. There is a sheetof paper tucked in withMary Coffin Carlisle’s notes on thegarden. It is a nursery order form, headed: “Pitcher&Manda(Inc.), Nurserymen, Seedsmen, and Florists, Short Hills, N.J.,Order Sheet 1895.”The order form is blank, but on the reverseside, in what appears to beHenry Coffin’s hand, is thisheading: “A list of shrubs and flowers growing in east andwestgardens, within the past five years in bloom at differentseasons of year,” followed by a list of some fifty differentspecies, including peony, lilac, weigela, deutzia, laburnum,andmany bulbs and perennials. So it appears that this is

Henry Coffin’s record of whatwas growing in his garden atthat time, written sometimebetween 1895 and his death in1900. The reference to an“east” and“west” gardenprovides another clue as towhat the earlier nineteenth-century garden actuallylooked like. The 1887 Sanbornmap of Nantucket does in factshow a division of the gardeninto three spaces: a largespace on thewest side and asmaller one on the east, withpresumably a work or utilityarea in themiddle. Thisseparation of a utility yardfrom the garden areas wouldmake perfect sense as the wellwas (and still is) located in this

area and access to the basement is on this east side of thehouse. Deliveries to the house were probablymade throughthe gate between the sheds on the Liberty Street side.Withthis arrangement of space, the formal boxwood designdescribed byMrs. Carlisle wouldmost likely have beenlocated in the larger west garden, withmore fruit trees andflowers (and perhaps space for the children to play) in theeast garden. And, in the heyday of the garden, was the longgreenhouse along the brick wall in the back, with itsespaliered fig trees and draperies of grapevines.It was a garden of order and variety, beauty and utility,

peace and contentment.Mary Coffin Carlisle touched on theuniversalmeaning of gardens when she said of her father’s:“This gardenwas his especial joy through life.”

Kathrina Pearl is landscape and garden manager at the NantucketHistorical Association.

The 1887 Sanborn Fire Insurancemap shows75Main Street and garden.

History in themaking!was once anold livestock barn, and the pigpen is nowa

dining room!Twogirls . . . two girls built this house,”waswhispered throughout the town in the early 1930s,whenQuakersistersGertrude andHannaMonaghanbought the 1790 barn at8Howard Street and converted it into a summer homeand artstudio, naming it Greater Light.Greater Lightwill be one of three featuredhomes on theNHA’s

newHistoricHouseWalkingTour slated to beginMay 28, leavingfrom theHadwenHouse each afternoon at 2:15. From July 20 toSeptember 30, Greater Lightwill also host anOpenHouse for visitorseachWednesday andFriday, 4–5 P.M.The charming restored gardenwill be open to the public daily for quiet relaxation and reflection.Through the generosity of itsmany supporters and a grant from

theNantucket Community PreservationCommittee, theNHA isnowcompleting the two-year project of restoringGreater Light andits garden, to be ready for the opening dedication and celebratoryevents, including anoriginal theatrical performance and anexhibition and auction ofworks byNantucket artists inspired by theproperty.TheMonaghan sisters believed that artwas an expression of the

Inner Light, and thus embellished their homewith architecturalflourishes that included a gilded fireplace surround, decorativepillars, andmassivewrought-iron gates opening onto the summerpatio.Visitorswill find anumber of the items from their eclecticcollection of furnishings and art again displayed throughout thehouse, and inHanna’s fully restored bedroomandparlor—whilealso experiencingNantucket’s early art colony era through vividhistoric imagery, an intimate art exhibit, and oral histories presentedon a touch-screen computer.Greater Lightwill offer both a reflection of the past and a glimpse

into the future, telling the story ofNantucket’s emergence as an artcolony and resort in the early twentieth century; it will be a place forthe arts to flourish, and a venue for lifelong learning aswell as amagical location for small community gatherings that extol the artsand culture,much as it was usedby theMonaghan sisters.

TheNHA is continuing efforts to secure $300,000 of additionalfunding to complete the conservation of the interior and fullydevelop educational programs.Formore information aboutGreater Light or to contribute to the project,please call(508) 228–1894,ext.114,or go towww.nha.org.

| HistoricNantucket

G r e a t e r L i g h t

Greater Lightwill open in July,offering a rare glimpse intoNantucket’s art colony.

TheMonaghan sisters, right, with their sister Florence, left, their nieceAnne, and their parents on the patio of Greater Light, circa 1930s.PH37-N17

HannaMonaghan’s bedroom. P9809

“It

NewsNotes&HighlightsAPRIL 15 – DECEMBER 31

Spring2011 |

Majornineteenth-century genrepainter, portraitist, and chronicler ofAmerican life, Eastman Johnson firstvisitedNantucket in 1869, and soontookup seasonal residenceonisland, purchasing ahomeandartiststudioonNorth Street (nowCliffRoad) in the area knownasTheCliff—on theNorth Shore facingNantucket Sound.The artist’s island sojournswould inspire someof hismostenduringworks, includinghismasterpiece,TheCranberryHarvest, Island ofNantucket (1880).With the completionofTheCranberryHarvest, the artist turnedhis attention to

portraiture, taking advantageof the community of grizzled veterans of the seawhohauntedNantucket in the twilight of thenineteenth century. LivingonTheCliffsurroundedbyneighborswho included retiredmariners, civic officials, andpracticingartists, Johnsonusedmanyof his new islandacquaintances as the subjects of hispaintings.During thepost-whaling era of the 1870s–90s, other prominentAmerican artists

weredrawn toNantucket for its antiquated charmandpicturesque vistas. Johnson’smajor contemporariesGeorge Inness andWilliamTrost Richards visited the island—joining the ranks ofNantucket-descendedW.FerdinandMacy and Johnson’s friendandneighbor JohnAlexanderMacDougall Jr.—inportraying the island’s lushnaturalsettings, interesting characters, andalluring seascapes and landscapes.

Themajor exhibition in theWhalingMuseum’s Peter FoulgerGallerywill beNantucket A toZ:The Island’s Cabinet of Curiosities. InspiredbyNantucket’searlymuseums, especially theoriginal“Fair Street Rooms,” the exhibitionwillshowcase iconic curios, oddities, andother island treasures from theNHAcol-lections, presenting anencapsulated“A toZ”overviewofNantucket history.Such curios as themodel of theNantucketCamels; thebell from the railroadengineDionis; the tiller of thewhaleshipLima; the famouswaxdoll of LouisXVII,Dauphinof France, brought backby aNantucket captain; andmanymore itemswill be taken fromstorage andplacedondisplay for the first time inyears. Another exciting component of the exhibitionwill bemovies fromoldNantucket, including footage from the 1930s to 1950splayingonanantiquetelevision in a 1950s living roomsetting.Visitorswill have a chance to enterJosiahFreeman’s Photo Studio andhave their portrait taken, to smell sperma-ceti andambergris, to color a copyof theTony Sarg Alphabet Bookwith theirchildren and families; to sendaNantucket postcard to friends; and revisit themodel of theNantucket railroad.MembersPreview,May26.

2011APRIL 15 – DECEMBER 31

AnExhibitionof

Late-Nineteenth-CenturyMasters

onNantucketWHITNEY GALLERY

NHA RESEARCH LIBRARY

MAY 27 – NOVEMBER 7

NantucketA toZ:

The Island’sCabinet ofCuriositiesPETER FOULGER GALLERY

THEWHALING MUSEUM

• Members Opening Reception,May 26

JULY 20 – SEPTEMBER 30

Greater LightWEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS

GREATER LIGHT OPEN HOUSE, 4 – 5 P.M.

8 HOWARD STREET

EXH IB I T ION DATES

Eastman JohnsonandHisContemporaries:AnExhibitionof Late-Nineteenth-CenturyMastersonNantucketTHEWHITNEY GALLERY

RESEARCH LIBRARY, 7 FAIR STREET

NantucketA toZ:The Island’sCabinet ofCuriositiesPETER FOULGER GALLERY,WHALING MUSEUM, 13 BROAD STREET

In the Fields (1778–79), oil on canvas, gift of theFriends of the NHA

MAY 27 – NOVEMBER 7

WineAuctionDinner toBenefitNHA

| HistoricNantucket

NewsNotes&Highlights

34thAugustAntiquesShowAugust 5 – 7,2011,at Bartlett’s Farm

TheNantucketWine Festival’sWineAuctionDinner—whichbenefits theNHA—will be held on Saturday,May 21, 2011, at theWhite Elephant.This elegant dinner is considered themarqueeevent of this year’s festival, andwill feature the cuisine of BrookeVosika, executive chef at the Four SeasonsHotel, Boston.Theeveningwill showcase thewines ofVeuveClicquot Ponsardin andNewtonVineyards ofNapaValley.According toDenisToner,NWFpresident and founder, this year’s

exciting auctionwill feature large-format bottles andnumerousunopened cases in their originalwooden crates. “We are delightedonce again to have theNantucketHistorical Association as charitypartner andbeneficiary of theWineAuctionDinner,” saidToner.“TheNHA is central to preserving the history and traditions ofNantucket, just as history and tradition are essential to understandinggreatwines.”On another highnote,TimMondavi of theRobertMondavi

Winery family, and owner of ContinumVineyard,will be receivingthe respected Luminary Award at this year’s dinner. Proceeds from theWineAuctionDinner support theNHA’s expanding schedule ofeducational programs for children.For further information,please contact Stacey Stuart at

(508) 228–1894,ext.130,or sstuart@nha.org. NantucketWine Festival artwork by artist Kerry Hallam

Known formany years as one of the best shows on the east coastand a highlight of the Nantucket summer social season, the 34thannual August Antiques Show is slated to open on August 5 andrun through August 7.The show and preview party will once again be held under a

festive white tent at Bartlett’s Farm, 33 Bartlett FarmRoad, wherevisitors from across theUnited States and abroad travel toNantucket Island to view and purchase the exceptional Americanand English furniture, fine art, Oriental rugs, books,maritimeantiques, folk art, andNantucketmemorabilia that can be found atthe show.Themajor fund-raising event forTheNHA’s preservation and

education programs, this year’s show is being chaired by SaraB.Boyce and vice chair AnneMarieBratton.The Antiques Council—an organization dedicated to ensuring the quality of antiques andhistorical works of art—will continue tomanage the AugustAntiques Show.Antiques Showweekwill kick off onTuesday, August 2, at 6 P.M.,

with a lecture sponsored by the Friends of the Nantucket HistoricalAssociation, held in theWhalingMuseumwith a receptionimmediately following. For the eighth consecutive year, the August

Antiques Show Preview Party issponsored by EatonVanceInvestmentCounsel. OnThursday,August 4, from 6 to 9 P.M., guestswill enjoy their first glance of theseworld-class antiques whilecocktails and passed horsd’oeuvres will be provided bySimply with Style.New for this season, Saturday’s

gala dinner will be heldsurrounded by the dealers’ boothsunder the tent at Bartlett’s Farm. Trianon/SeamanScheppsis graciously underwriting the dinner for the thirteenthconsecutive year.The August Antiques Showhours are Friday and Saturday,

10 A.M.– 5 P.M.and Sunday,10 A.M.–4 P.M. ,Bartlett’s Farm,33 Bartlett FarmRoad.Formore information about the 34thAugust Antiques Showor to reserve tickets,please contact StaceyStuart at theNantucketHistorical Association: (508) 228–1894,ext.130,or sstuart@nha.org,or visit www.nha.org.

Sara B. Boyce

“Nantucket is an island filledwith treasures great and small.Treasures come in all shapes and sizes. It canbe things thatwe can see, ideas thatwe value, or people thatwe love.”TheWhalingMuseumwas filledwith the sounds of excited

childrenwhen theNHAhosted, “Nantucket: ATreasureIsland” during the February school vacationweek.TheNHAis extremely grateful to theNantucketGolf Club Foundationfor providing grant support for this important familyprogram,which attractedmore than three hundred guests.Throughout theweek,GosnellHall was transformed into a

circa 1830 representation of thewharves anddowntownarea,including a shoponPetticoat Rowand a café that served realsnacks and juices.TheHadwen&BarneyCandle Factory featured

nineteenth-century dress-up clothes and a carte-de-visite(similar to a calling card of the era) and the second floor heldthe popular representation ofMrs.McCleave’sMain Streethousemuseum.Thedaily offerings allowed visitors tovisually explore, andphysically interactwith, artifacts andtreasures from theNHA’s collections.

Nantucket:NHA’s filmbyRicBurnsPremiereson July2

Spring2011 |

Nantucket:ATreasure IslandProgram is a huge success

1800HouseProgramsofferArt InspiredbyNantucketHistory

Filmmaker Ric Burns

In the distinctive Burns style, this film shortwill capture thehistorical significance of this “elbowof sand,” asHermanMelvillecalled it, andwill weave an engaging and transporting tale of theisland’s place in national andworld history.The filmwill premiere onJuly 2, and thenwill be showndaily in theWhalingMuseum’sGosnellHall,making it a“must-see” experience for visitors and residents alike.Ric Burns, an internationally recognized documentary

filmmaker andwriter, has beenwriting, directing, andproducinghistorical documentaries for nearly twenty years. Educated at bothColumbia andCambridgeUniversities, he haswonnumerousawards for his filmwork, including twoEmmys for hiswork onTheCivilWar, aswell as the Producer of theYear Award from theProducersGuild of America.He founded Steeplechase Filmsin 1989.InMay of 2010, Burns released the documentary film Into the

Deep:America,Whaling& theWorld, and theNHA—incooperationwithWGBH-FMandSteeplechase Films—had theopportunity to broadcast the national premiere of the filmat theWhalingMuseum. Into theDeep is a fantastic sea adventure and a

mythic saga ofman andnature as itrelates the harrowing tale of thewreck of thewhaleshipEssex.Portions of the filmwere shot in theWhalingMuseum’sDiscovery Room,and anumber of artifacts from theNHAcollectionwere used in themovie.Burns andhis company first

approached theNHA in 2007with aninterest in filming a documentary onthe history of the Americanwhalingindustry; theNHAworked closelywith him throughout the initialresearch anddocumentation of the film.During that time, theNHAbegandiscussionswithBurns about producing a filmexclusively for theNHA—tohighlight the island’s history andnatural beauty—which thenmorphed into this summer’s releaseofNantucket.

Dedicated to celebratingand revivingNantucket’srich tradition in historicEarly American arts andcrafts, 2011marks theseventh seasonofeducational programs at theNHA’s 1800House. Classeswill begin on June 29 andrun throughmid-October.Participants can look

forward tomore diverseclass offerings, lectures intheWhalingMuseumby course instructors, and one-dayworkshops designed to accommodatebusy local residents. Additional one-day classeswill be offered in the fall.Among the classes are: bent-willow furniture, italic calligraphy,

sailors valentines, folk-artwhirligigs, historic bargello ditty bags, and anest ofshaker boxes. A number of one-day andholidayworkshopswill also beoffered.Class size is limited in some instances.Fee includes allmaterials.

Reservationsandprepaymentare required,NHAmemberdiscountsavailable.Please go towww.nha.org/1800house for full course listingsand registration information.

Primitive painting at the 1800 House

| HistoricNantucket

Barbara Hathaway, 2010August Antiques Show Chair

PeriodicalPOSTAGE PAIDat Nantucket, MAand AdditionalEntry Offices

P.O. Box 1016, Nantucket, MA 02554-1016 www.nha.org

THE HERITAGE SOCIETYTHE HERITAGE SOCIETYwith Tax-Free Gifts from IRA Accountswith Tax-Free Gifts from IRA Accounts

For more information, consult with your personal financial advisor and contact Cristin Merck, director of development,508 228 1894, ext. 114 email: cmerck@nha.org

oin themembers of the Nantucket Historical Associa-

tionwho are taking advantage of legislation that allows

certain individuals to make charitable gifts directly to the

NHAfromtheir IRAaccountswithout incurring incometax.

If youareage70½orolder, youcantransferupto$100,000

from a traditional or Roth IRA directly to the NHA through

December 31, 2011. This amount would be excluded from

your income and federal taxes, and it would count toward

yourmandatory IRAwithdrawals.

Aswith other gifts, you candirect your charitable IRA

rollover to an area of particular interest at theNHA—the

annual fund, endowment, or a special project or program,

such as the restoration ofGreater Light, collections and

exhibitions, or educational programs.

WarrenJagger

T