The Oldest House on Nantucket Observes Its 300th Birthday

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The Oldest House on Nantucket Observes Its Three Hundredth Birthday

THE WEEKEND OF OCTOBER three, marked the beginning of the Nantucket Historical Association's observance of the 300th birthday of the Jethro Coffin House - the oldest house on the Island. Known to most everyone in Nantucket, this venerable old structure's very existence entitles it to recognition as an historic landmark. Accorded a ranking as a place of history by the United States, this dwelling has been twice restored and is yearly visited by thousands who pay homage to the founders of the clans which continued it in use over its first 200 years of existence.

It should be more properly called the Coffin-Paddack house, as the latter family lived in it longer than its founders. Built in 1686 by Jethro Coffin and his bride Mary Gardner Coffin, it was occupied by that family until the year 1708, when Jethro moved to Mendon, Mass., and sold the house to Nathaniel Paddack on September 21. The Paddacks lived here for over a century and a quarter. They were famous as whaleship masters. One of them, Captain Paul Paddack, was the first Nantucket man to take command of a London whaleship, the Royal Bounty, and take her on a voyage to Greenland. Among the Nantucket crew members were Thomas Delano and Charles West, the latter who was to marry Hepsabeth Paddack, the daughter of Captain Paul Paddack. Their three sons became outstanding whaling masters.

With the decline of whaling, the house was sold to George and Mary Coleman Turner, who lived in it from 1840 to 1881. For several years near the end of the Turner occupancy, it was virtually abandoned, but the year 1881 saw the revival of the ancient structure. It was the time of the now famous Coffin Reunion, held at Surfside. In that year, Judge Tristram Coffin, of Poughkeepsie, New York, who had come to attend Clan Coffins' get-together, saw the old dwelling on the hill abandoned, and resolved to make some restoration and open it to the public as a museum. It was a wise decision. Judge Coffin's action saved the Jethro Coffin House from an inevitable ending.

In 1923, the Nantucket Historical Association stepped into the picture. Through the generous support of many people, it was encouraged to continue its work of preservation, and in 1924, with the financial support of Judge Coffin, the Association took over the ownership of the property. In January, 1926, another Coffin entered the story of the house. Winthrop Coffin, of Boston, offered to finance the cost of restoration of the "Horseshoe House," as it had been called (due to the outline of the restoration of the brick face on the front of the chimney), provided the work be done under the supervision of William Sumner Appleton, then Secretary of the Society For The Preservation of New England Antiquities, who had offered his services. The offer was promptly accepted by the Association.

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William Appleton and the architect for the reconstruction, Alfred Shurrocks, meeting and agreeing that the first work to be accomplished was the complete restoration of the chimney. Isaac Blair, a mainland contractor who specialized in such work, was engaged. Work began on June 8, and the entire chimney was raised by steel beams, and a solid foundation placed at its base. Arthur Williams, a local mason, was engaged to complete the refurbishing of the chimney, fireplaces, flues and other details.

The carpentry was accomplished by Archibald Cartwright, another local artisan, who worked diligently until the job was completed. The sills of the house had to be entirely replaced; the roof carefully attended to, and the walls of each room were rebuilt. Whenever possible, replacement materials were taken from the nearby Paddack House, recently razed, which stood close by to the south, and which provided studding, laths, and other necessary wood. It was appropriate that a house so closely allied to the Paddacks of the Oldest House could be so used. Work on the lean-to portion of the house extended this section to its original lines of 1686.

The big question in the restoration was brought about through the use of two gables, planned to be constructed on the front roof of the structure. Architect Shurrocks spent some time contemplating the installation of these gables. Among those protesting was Contractor Cartwright and other Nantucketers who claimed that if there were gables originally, (and there was no concrete evidence of them), they did not exist very long. It was finally decided by Messrs. Appleton and Shurrocks not to incorporate these into the restoration.

Mr. Shurrocks designed casement windows appropriate to the original house to replace the double-hung sash which had replaced the first windows. By the spring of 1928, the work at the Oldest House was completed, and Fred V. Fuller, Chairman of the special committee for restoration, was able to report the successful conclusion of the efforts. The single donation of Winthrop Coffin of $8,000 was the contributing factor in the work.

On July 30,1928, some two hundred interested people gathered at the Oldest House for "Rededication" ceremonies. President William F. Macy, in addressing the group, expressed the Association's gratitude to Winthrop Coffin, William Sumner Appleton, and Alfred F. Shurrocks for their efforts, and also thanked the contractors for their careful and dedicated work. In respect to possible criticism, Mr. Macy stated: "All that can be done is to study the few surviving examples of the period and such illustrations, plans and descriptions as are available, and leave the matter to experts who have made such researches their life work. Such experts, fortunately, we have had, and we are safe in assuming that the restoration is as nearly correct as it was humanly possible to make it. I, for one, believe that if

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Jethro Coffin, son of Peter, son of Tristram, could see it today, it would look to him very much as it did on that day two hundred and forty-twb years ago when he brought Mary Gardner, daughter of John, to live in it." "Trustum and His Grandchildren", by Harriet B. (Turner) Worron, was the first publication, in 1881, concerning the story of the Jethro Coffin House. Based on the traditions and lore of the ancient dwelling, this charming book was written by the daughter of George and Mary (Coleman) Turner, who lived in the house as a child.

Over the years there have been several volumes written concerning the Jethro Coffin House. In 1905 appeared a volume titled "The Oldest House on Nantucket Island", prepared by Tristram Coffin, of Poughkeepsie, New York, with Anna Starbuck Jenks, one of the early custodians, contributing. In 1911 a second edition was published, with L. Gardner Coffin, assuming the copyright. Part H of this edition was the work of Anna Starbuck Jenks, die gifted custodian who remained with the house until 1923.

William F. Macy published "Nantucket's Oldest House" in 1929, which was condensed and republished by the Nantucket Historical Association in 1966. In this same year, the Historical American Buildings Survey published photographs and measured drawings of the house. In 1969, the Jethro Coffin House was designated a National Historic Landmark, and a bronze plaque was placed in the front hallway of the structure upon being issued by the U.S. Department of the National Park Services.

In July, 1986, the Tercentennial Chronology of the Jethro Coffin House was written by Mrs. Helen Winslow Chase. Titled: "The Jethro Coffin House Chronology," it is the definitive study of the house, and thoroughly documents the Oldest House and its occupants for the three centuries of its existence. Not only does it bring the house to the reader but it brings out the various changes in its unusual history. Mrs. Chase has written a study which will prove invaluable to researchers as well as all interested in the full story of the Jethro Coffin-Nathaniel Paddack House.

In January, 1986, Dr. Elizabeth A. Little published a title search of the Jethro Coffin House in Mendon, Mass., where Jethro Coffin and his wife and family removed in 1708, shortly after his sale of the old house in Nantucket to Nathaniel Paddack. It was intended to determine whether there were any architectural links between the Mendon and the Nantucket properties; also, to investigate whether Jethro Coffin's Mendon activities were related to his proprietary interests in Nantucket and to its whaling industry. In April of the same year, Mrs. Little and Margaret Morrison, of Mendon, published their study, entitled: "The Mendon-Nantucket Connection: 1708-1737".

The Nantucket Historical Association planned a busy weekend - October 3 through October 5 - in celebration of the Jethro Coffin's House 300th Anniversary. On Friday, October 3, mainland guests registered at the Jared Coffin House, where a wine and cheese reception was held

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at 5:00 in the afternoon. On Saturday morning, a series of informal lectures were held at the Unitarian church, starting at 10 o'clock. The first speaker was Abbott Lowell Cummings, the Charles F. Montgomery professor at Yale University's American Decorative Arts department. Mr. Cummings spoke on "Inherited Building Patterns of 17th Century New England."

Mr. Cummings gave a graphic picture of the 17th century dwellings in New England, with illustrations of the old English houses, mostly from Suffolk, and spoke at some length on the blending of "climate and carpentry" which developed the New England counterparts. He brought in the basic structure of the Oldest House, showing the elevations and details of its construction. He credited William Sumner Appleton, who supervised the restoration, for its faithful adherence to the tradition of its builders. His lecture was a clear exposition of the 17th century styling of the early New England dwellings.

Morgan Phillips, Architectural Conservator of the Society For The Preservation of New England Antiquities, was the next speaker, and he spoke on the details in the restoration of the Oldest House. Using illustrations from the mass of materials which William Sumner Appleton bequeathed the society, Mr. Phillips brought out the several features in Mr. Appleton's research in his development of the restored old dwelling. Such important facts as the cuts in the forward plate showing where the dormer joists fitted; the cuts in the framing to show where the sashes for the diamond paned window sashes were positioned; the collar beams which ran across the house to give credence to the lean-to—the long, sloping roof at the rear, were carefully brought out. It was a fascinating glimpse into the research that went into the complete restoration.

A picnic on the grounds of the Oldest House, with tours of the dwelling, were the next order of the day. The weather cleared remarkably, and the occasion was enjoyed thoroughly by the visitors. From 2 to 4 in the afternoon was devoted to visits by the gathering to the several exhibit buildings and houses of the Association.

At 4:00 o'clock, a lecture on "Horseshoe House Families" was presented by Helen Winslow Chase, of Nantucket, a member of the Historical Association's Council and a Nantucket historian. She spoke on the families of Jethro and Mary Gardner Coffin, of the Paddacks, and of the Turners, who lived in the house from 1686 to 1867, giving the names of the children born there and other details of their lives. The Paddacks lived in the old house for over a century, and included such famous whaling masters as Captains Nathaniel, Paul and Daniel Paddack, plus Captains West and Delano. It was a thoroughly delightful hour and Mrs. Chase gave her listeners a clear picture of the lives of the inhabitants of the old house. Mrs. Chase has written "A Chronology of the Oldest House," which was published by the Historical Association, and may be obtained from the Museum Shop or the main office of the Association.