Administrator

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Administrator's Annual Report

My quarterly reports in Historic Nantucket have covered most activities of the association and chairman reports will again mention these in greater detail so I will be brief. I urge interested members to ask for more information whenever desired.

Two generous gifts, one from the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, and the other from Dr. Selina Johnson, and the cooperation of Mr. Arthur Dean and the Conservation Foundation, have made it possible to launch our archaeology program. Mr. Daniel G. Crozier will explain more about this at the annual meeting. We also are greatly indebted to Mr. Beinecke for space to set up the lab which will be a necessary part of the operation.

Our financial situation has remained good thanks to many contributions, a large membership, income from the recently established Capital Fund, and admissions to our museums. Because of this we have been able to make major repairs on several buildings. Only those of you who own old houses can imagine how great the cost is for what often seems a simple repair job, and what seems simple at the start becomes major before completion.

Some things like the work at the mill, shingling at the 1800 House, painting at the Christian House, etc., can be seen and the cost appraised but putty and paint on the several hundred windows we have, or the upkeep of an acre, more or less, of floors can go unnoticed by the average person.

We also have expensed out the estimated cost of three major jobs, painting the east side of the Hadwen House, restoring a sizable number of our portraits, and a new roof at Fair Street.

For the first time, all of our buildings will be open seven days a week. Revenue does not justify this but we know many visitors have been disappointed at not being able to get into some of the buildings on Sundays.

We have had a number of changes in our personnel, already reported, so I will only comment by saying that although we are extremely pleased with the work of the replacements we miss and feel the loss of the several devoted people who, over the years, have given so much of their time and talent.

The number of volunteers now working for us has increased and is greatly appreciated. We have a job for anyone willing to help. Whatever your interest or ability, we need you; addressing envelopes, counting booklets, doing a painstaking repair job, either carpentering or painting, relieving hostesses at noon, lettering display signs, and many others.

Mr. Stackpole, our historian, presented four well-patronized programs for members during the winter and has lectured to a large number of adult and school groups at the Peter Foulger Museum. He is constantly called upon for help by the ever-increasing number of people doing research, or writing in from all

ADMINISTRATOR'S ANNUAL REPORT

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over the world. Having him as a full-time historian has been our most forward step in recent years.

Our invested funds are now in the hands of the Pacific National Bank and their consultants, Standish, Ayer, and Wood. All transactions are subject to final approval of our ExecutiveFinance Committee. A professional opinion on the condition of our portraits, pictures, and etchings has been received and unfortunately, although not a surprise, it is not good. We have already expensed a sizable sum to remedy this and will need more, but the money must be found before the damage increases.

The property "Greater Light," left us in the will of Miss Hanna Monaghan is still in litigation but we expect this to be straightened out soon.

The amount of unpaid pledges to the Capital Fund Drive is sizable and of considerable concern but we are still hopeful that most of these will eventually be paid.

We have not abandoned the desire for a full size replica of a whaleship. A group in Boston are having one built of the Beaver, one of our ships in the Boston Tea Party, and we thought this might eventually be moored in Nantucket but investigation indicates that it would not be suitable for exhibit here.

We also have been unsuccessful in securing a sponsor to have the large Macy house flag restored. For years this has hung in the center of Sanderson Hall and was a great attraction but its deplorable condition makes it mandatory to have it repaired, at a sizable cost, or removed from exhibition.

We must soon start planning the Bicentennial Celebration if Nantucket is to have one of significance, and we should. Volunteers would be appreciated at this time, and ideas on what to do would be welcomed.

Mr. Chace has started a program of improving the identification of various artifacts in the Whaling Museum by more attractive, more easily read and more effective descriptive cards. This needs to be done in most of our other museums also but we are talking of hundreds of cards at a prohibitive cost. People with talent and imagination or even patience and a desire to help could make a great contribution to this effort.

I think you will agree that the grounds around many of our ouildings have been greatly improved. The heather and lilac bushes planted at the Oldest House by the Nantucket Garden Club are doing well and Mrs. Satler's garden is beautiful. I wish more people would observe these and that we could get some color around the other buildings. Please encourage your friends to visit the museums. Leroy H. True