Friday, May 5

Preservation Month Opening Ceremony and Keynote Address                                                                             5:30 pm

Sherburne Hall, 11 Center Street

Join the NPA and its member organizations to celebrate of the opening of Preservation Month.  The Keynote Address will be given by PreservatiON Massachusetts’ executive director Jim Igoe.  This year’s Preservation Award winner will also be announced.  Light food and refreshments, supported by the Nantucket Builders Association, will be available.

Saturday, May 6

Amazing Architecture Children’s Walking Tour                                                                                                       10 am

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street

What can buildings teach us about the people who built and used them? Looking at shapes, patterns, and styles

children will learn to how “read” the stories of historic downtown Nantucket.  Children ages 10-12.

 

Mitchell Andrews Fish House Tour                                                                                                                     2 pm

4 Old North Wharf

Building Artisans Valerie and Richard Norton are proud to be the preservationists working with Ginger Andrews in the restoration of the Mitchell Andrews Fish House at 4 Old North Wharf.  Join us for a tour of this significant structure with the historical distinction of the only remaining building dedicated to its original 1846 fishing heritage.

 

Second Congregational Meeting House Trompe l’oeil Restoration                                                                             7 pm

Unitarian Church, 11 Orange Street

The Second Congregational Meeting House, built in 1809 and altered in 1844, has extensive trompe l’oeil decorations applied to the plaster surfaces by decorative painter, Carle Wendte, an immigrant from Germany. These paintings have undergone numerous restorations, the last being in 1984.  Now they again show advancing deterioration. In this one hour presentation, Steven Blashfield, of Chip Webster Associates will detail his studies of the cause and the possible approaches for a more durable restoration.

Sunday, May 7

Nantucket’s Historic Churches Walking Tour                                                                                                     1 - 5 pm

Beginning at Summer Street Church, 1 Summer Street

Join us again this year for the Nantucket Interfaith Council and NPA’s annual walking tour.  This tour explores the

history and development of Nantucket’s many religious institutions.  The tour begins at Summer Street Church and ends at the First Congregational Church on Center Street.  A guide will lead the group, while docents will be available at each church. The Quaker Meeting House will be open all day.

Monday, May 8

Three Hundred Years of Architecture Walking Tour                                                                                             10 am

Meets outside the Unitarian Church, 11 Orange Street

Join architectural historian Pat Butler on a insightful walking tour of Nantucket’s history expressed through the architecture on Orange and upper Main Streets  

Tuesday, May 9

Orange Street and the Fish Lots Walking Tour                                                                                                   10 am

Meets outside the Unitarian Church, 11 Orange Street

Architectural historian Pat Butler leads a tour of bustling Orange Street in the late 19 th century and the quiet lanes, charming houses and gardens off the beaten path.

Wednesday, May 10

Centre Street, Academy Hill and the Lily Pond Walking Tour                                                                               10 am

Meets outside the Methodist Church, 2 Centre Street

Join architectural historian Pat Butler on a insightful walking tour of the rebuilding the Town after the Great Fire of 1846, and an exceptionally preserved cultural landscape around Lily Pond.

Thursday, May 11

Brant Point Walking Tour                                                                                                                                   10 am

Meets at Children’s Beach Pavilion, on Harborview Way

Architectural historian Pat Butler leads a tour of late nineteenth and twentieth century architectural styles including

Victorian, Shingle, and Bungalow.

Friday, May 12

‘Sconset Walking Tour                                                                                                                                       10 am

Meets at the Bus Shelter across from ‘Sconset Post Office

Join architectural historian Pat Butler on a insightful walking tour of the village’s whale houses, 19 th century resort architecture and recent development.        

 

‘What’s New at the Nantucket Life-Saving Museum?                                                                                               2 pm

 

Nantucket Life-Saving Museum, 158 Polpis Road

Join the staff of the Nantucket Life-Saving Museum as they discuss their new exhibit Lonely Outposts: Lighthouses and Lightships of Nantucket, featuring materials on the wreck and 50th anniversary of the Andrea Doria.

 

Signs: Past, Present and Future                                                                                                                         7 pm

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street

Gain new perspective on downtown Nantucket at the NHA’s new exhibition, “Signs of the Times: Nantucket Signs.”  Join an NHA curator, a contemporary sign-maker, and a member of the Historic District’s Commission’s Signs Advisory Council for a panel discussion on the history, creation, and current standards of this subtle, yet powerful commercial art form. Free for NHA members, $5 for non-members.

Saturday, May 13

Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Nantucket                                                                                                       10 am

Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street

Explore Nantucket history from the rise and fall of the whaling industry to the growth of tourism.  Using the physical evidence of the built environment, learn how the island’s social and cultural development was shaped by its economy.

 

Maria Mitchell Association’s Vestal Street Observatory Tour                                                                               11 am

Join the Director of the Maria Mitchell Association Observatories, Dr. Vladimir Strelnitski, for an open house tour of the historic 1908 MMA Vestal Street Observatory and a tour of our universe.  Meets in the Observatory garden on Vestal Street next to the Mitchell House.

 

“Interviewing” the Pacific Club                                                                                                                               2 pm

Join Brian Pfeiffer, Managing Director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, on a working tour of the Pacific Club

Building.  The best way to develop an understanding of historic buildings is through careful, direct observation.  The tour will guide participants through ways of observing and recording the building to develop their knowledge of architecture and traditional building practices.  Participants should bring clipboards, flashlights and clothing suitable for crawling through the odd corners and angles of an interesting old building.

Sunday, May 14

‘ Sconset Trust House Tour                                                                                                                             1-3 pm

The Corners , 8 Center Street / Wade Cottages (the Main House), 35 Shell Street / Hedged About , 10 Sankaty Road

Join the ‘Sconset Trust for their annual house tour.  This event, a favorite of Mother’s Day, is a great opportunity to see inside classic ‘Sconset houses.  For more information on tour sites, contact the ‘Sconset Trust at 508-228-9917.

Wednesday, May 17th

Marbles and Medicine Bottles: Nantucket's 19th century black community                                               Noon and 6 pm

African Meeting House on Nantucket, 29 York St

Archaeologist Dr. Cheryl LaRoche and the Museum of Afro-American History’s Director of Education L’Merchie Frazier bring to life the power of Nantucket's 19th century black community through some key archaeological finds. They will examine what medicine bottles tell us about African American health concerns and what marbles tell of their learning components. This presentation will help us understand the impact these artifacts have in the way we think about

African American History. Call 508-228-9833 for more information.

Thursday, May 18

Wooden Boats and Boatbuilding                                                                                                                           2 pm

73 Bartlett Road

Join the Egan Maritime Foundation and Nantucket Community Sailing for an open house at the boat shops of Eric

Finger, naval architect and owner of Finger Boatworks and Matt Rives, wooden boat builder and owner of Nantucket Boatworks.  Eric Finger currently maintains wooden and fiberglass sailboats on the island, particularly those of the Alerion class. Matt Rives currently builds the Alerions and restores wooden boats.  The Alerion is based on an original design by Nathanael Herreshoff, originally modified and built by islander Alfred Sanford.

Saturday, May 20

Preserving the Monuments of Our Ancestors: How to Properly Clean Historic Gravestones                                   10 am

4 Vestal Street

Join the Maria Mitchell Association for a free workshop on historic gravestones.  The  class will begin with a discussion about stone monuments and their conservation, followed by a visit to Prospect Hill Cemetery where participants will learn how to properly clean stone monuments using the Mitchell family gravesite as the example.  The class will be hands on and led by conservationist Shelley Sass of Sass Conservation, Inc., the conservator who has been working on Community Preservation Act funded projects in the Mitchell House.  As space is limited, reservations are necessary .  Please call the MMA Science Library at 508-228-9196.   Please dress appropriately. 

 

Please note that this workshop is conducted with the permission of the Prospect Hill Cemetery and Mitchell family members.  Individuals should not attempt to complete such work without proper training and the permission of a cemetery and other officials.  THIS WORKSHOP HAS BEEN FUNDED BY THE COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT.