Administrator's Report

6

Mrs. John A. Baldwin has consented to become chairman of our newly acquired Christian House. Being a long-time friend of Mrs. Christian she is well acquainted with the house and is exceptionally well qualified to instruct the Receptionists about the house and contents when it becomes open to the public this summer.

Paul C. Morris, Jr., will be chairman of a committee consisting of John Gilbert, Richard Swain, H. Mitchell Havemeyer and John Welch for the new Archeology Department. They will have headquarters in the Old Town Building and are planning to become active as soon as the weather permits. Plans are being formulated whereby any interested member may participate.

Sale of the Chatham Grounds, $1.25 including tax and postage, and the Coffin Family, $10.50 including tax and postage, continues active. The latter is a beautiful 575-page, cloth bound, genealogy of the Coffin family. Many people are buying this for young children who may some day be interested in their ancestry. Should you not purchase a copy or copies while they last?

The first of a series of Historic Lectures by our distinguished Historian, Edouard A. Stackpole, was held at the Peter Foulger Museum on February 17th with good attendance and great interest. Dates for others will soon be announced.

The Whaling and Peter Foulger Museums will be open every Saturday from 2-5 p.m. The exact date of opening all buildings has not been determined but presumably will be about June 12th plus special arrangements for Memorial Day and visiting groups.

We are most grateful to a number of people for valuable gifts to our exhibits. Since January 1st from the Abiah Folger Franklin Chapter DAR, three dishes once owned by Benjamin Franklin's mother; from Robert Taylor, a fire hose and cart; from H. H. Kynett, whaling tools; from Miss Alice Beers, pictures; from Bancel LaFarge, scenes of Tuckernuck and decoys; from Bernard Grossman, a large collection of carpenter's tools; from Mrs. Weston Howland, Richard Maloney, and K. S. McCann, various books; from Charles P. Kimball, eighteen rare marine books, quadrant, and shipmaster's liquor cabinet; from Mrs. Dorothy Swift, stereopticon views of Nantucket; and from George Burgess, an ice cutting saw.

I cannot too strongly urge others with items of Nantucket historical importance to contribute these to us in order that they may be seen and appreciated by this and future generations.

ADMINSTRATOR'S REPORT 7

The Council sent a letter to the Historic Districts Commission, in behalf of our Association, complimenting them on their accomplishments during the past sixteen years in preserving the historic appearance in the original district and urging them to act wisely and with courage to continue to protect us against the encroachment of buildings of radical design.

We have already received our supply of hand-dipped Nantucket candles to sell in the museums this summer. These also may be obtained by mail from us at $1.50 a box plus 25c tax and postage. The spermaceti are, of course, pure white, and the cranberry and bayberry their natural color and all are about 10^2 inches long. A box of these, which carries a short legend about the candles, makes a most attractive gift.

Leroy H. True