Historic Nantucket Summer 2016

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | VOLUME 66, NO. 1

Nantucket H I S TO R I C

A PUBLICATION OF THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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Board of Trustees Janet L. Sherlund PRESIDENT

Kenneth L. Beaugrand VICE PRESIDENT

Kennedy P. Richardson VICE PRESIDENT

William J. Boardman TREASURER

Mary D. Malavase CLERK

Josette Blackmore Maureen F. Bousa Anne Marie Bratton on the cover : brant point with nantucket - designed alerions in foreground , by garth grimmer

William R. Camp Jr. FRIENDS OF THE NHA REPRESENTATIVE

Calvin R. Carver Jr. SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | VOLUME 66, NO. 1

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Nantucket’s Design Heritage

William Little

The Advent of Cottage-style Living

Victoria McManus Franci Neely Christopher C. Quick FRIENDS OF THE NHA PRESIDENT

the sanford boat company

Building the Alerion Class Sloop on Nantucket

“r.

Maria Spears Jason Tilroe

Finn Wentworth

Saving Nantucket’s Historic Interiors the real

L. Dennis Shapiro

Phoebe Tudor

preservation

Kelly Williams Alisa Wood David D. Worth Jr.

by michael may

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Ana Ericksen

Carl Jelleme

right place , right time

by alfie sanford

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Michael Cozort

Whitney A. Gifford

by robert frazier

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Constance Cigarran Wylie Collins

inside the nha

by william j . tramposch

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Olivia Charney

folger ” and

Ex Officio

The Early Origins of Nantucket Baskets

William J. Tramposch GOSNELL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

by stuart frank

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Historic Nantucket nantucket by design

exhibitions

macy - christian house

News Notes

Betsy Tyler EDITOR

Elizabeth Oldham HISTORIC NANTUCKET (ISSN 0439-2248) is published by the Nantucket Historical Association, 15 Broad Street, Nantucket, Massachusetts. Periodical postage paid at Nantucket, MA, and additional entry offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Historic Nantucket, P.O. Box 1016, Nantucket, MA 02554–1016; (508) 228–1894; fax: (508) 228–5618, info@nha.org. For information visit www.nha.org. ©2016 by the Nantucket Historical Association.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

COPY EDITOR

Eileen Powers/Javatime Design DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION

INSIDE THE NHA » from

the gosnell executive director

photography from top to bot tom : ‘ sconset cot tages by eileen powers , library design by suzanne rheinstein , living room design by ike kligerman barkley

Nantucket’s Design Heritage THIS ISSUE OF HISTORIC NANTUCKET

and the Preservation Institute: Nantucket

dovetails, as it were, with the Nantucket

(PI:N) to document historic interiors.

Historical Association’s inaugural offering of Nantucket by Design.

Next, from well-known curator and revered colleague Stuart Frank, we learn

Building on the wildly successful as-

about the iconic Nantucket Lightship

pects of our recent August Antiques and

Basket and, in particular, one that sur-

Design Show, the NHA is delighted to

prisingly has been misidentified. Stuart

present the very first Nantucket by De-

explains why he believes this.

sign from August 2 to 7, a week of engag-

Bobby Frazier of the Artists Associ-

ing and memorable events centering on

ation of Nantucket is a welcome guest

heritage, design, and the stories that in-

in our halls, having curated the well-re-

form our appreciation.

ceived Nantucket Cottage Style exhibition

Nantucket by Design, presented by

two years ago. Bobby pays homage to Bill

Magellan Jets, is now our premier sum-

Euler and Andy Oates, who helped define

mer fundraiser. If you have not already

the term “Nantucket Cottage Style.”

registered, please look to our website,

Finally, we are pleased to present an

nha.org, for complete program infor-

article written by well-known islander

mation. Join us and many of your island

Alfie Sanford. Alfie recounts the histo-

friends in supporting the Nantucket His-

ry of Nantucket’s Sanford Boat Compa-

torical Association and its mission to “tell

ny, birthplace of the distinctive Alerion

the inspiring stories of Nantucket.”

Class Sloops, several of which now grace

The following pages celebrate design

our summer harbor— that is when they

that is so distinctive that it has helped de-

are not gliding over the waters here and

fine us as it has permeated our heritage,

abroad.

design that has helped to define us as an

With appreciation for your support

island. Michael May, executive director of

of the NHA, we hope that you enjoy this

the Nantucket Preservation Trust, writes

issue and trust that we see you often this

about the traditional Nantucket house of

summer on Nantucket.

the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. As well, he describes the enduring collaborative efforts between NPT

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

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A classic old cottage: Wawpawdongo near the beach at Quidnet. photo: robert frazier

EULER AND OATES WERE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME FOR TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A CHANGE IN LOCAL ECONOMY.

Right Place, Right Time

BY ROBERT FRAZIER

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

During 1960s renovations, many of the fishing shacks were temporarily moved off

During a period from the 1960s through the 1970s, when Nantucket evolved from a sleepy summer refuge to

Old South Wharf. Several

a full-scale tourist resort, two men emerged as vital figures

would later house galleries, making the wharf a center

in an arts and crafts movement that played a role in the re-

for artistic activities. S 4 6 4 4

juvenation of the Nantucket economy. Bill Euler and Andy Oates exerted a quiet but healthy influence as innovators in business and promoters of a simple yet elegant lifestyle that continues to be echoed today in the clean designs of both modest and upscale homes on the island.

Like these ladies from the Actors Colony in ’Sconset, visitors came to Nantucket for health and relaxation reasons at the turn of the twentieth century.

Early Seaside Tourism

F4972

ern terms of this being a resort . . . the basic commodity was sunshine and fresh air, the water vistas. [Yet] the town

Before the significant changes of the 1960s, Nantucket’s

blocked itself off from its own waterfront.”

roots as a summer resort were unassuming and low key.

During the later 1960s, Beinecke’s commercial real es-

During the late nineteenth century, city dwellers sought es-

tate venture, Sherburne Associates, spearheaded the res-

cape here from the heat and unhealthy summer conditions

toration of the wharves, including a marina, expanded

that fostered polio or tuberculosis, while a few prominent

mooring opportunities, and rentable commercial proper-

figures in the New York theater scene came to the island for

ty. Nantucket’s tourism economy ramped up with seasonal

rest and inspiration. Many preferred the unsophisticated

restaurants, art galleries, and a busy nightlife. The pressure

life found in rustic cottages and renovated fishing shacks.

for development and change seemed inevitable. “Some,

Some grander dwellings survived from the golden age of

like myself,” recalled Beinecke, “felt that while you could

the whaling economy, but most were far from lavish.

not stop the path of what the country usually calls prog-

Although tourists flocked to Cape Cod after World War

ress, you could at least influence it.”

II, Nantucket’s economy slumbered. For one thing, the di-

Euler and Oates were in the right place at exactly the

lapidated wharves were not attractive to summer visitors.

right time for taking advantage of a change in the local

An ice plant, tanks, and old storage sheds dominated the

economy. Their appreciation of earlier times on the island

view from town. As Walter Beinecke Jr. characterized the

transformed a local weaving studio into an influential arts

times in a 1990 interview, “If you were thinking in mod-

venture.

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Seen in this photograph from 1964, weavers for the Looms division of the Cloth Company worked at 16 Main Street. At left, Andy Oates builds a warp. p h o t o : w a lt l u c a s , c o u r t e s y o f n a n t u c k e t l o o m s

Bill passed away in 1999 and Andy in 2012. The art collection they had built was bequeathed to the Nantucket Historical Association and

Birth of an Artisan Institution In the early 1960s, the Nantucket Historical Trust (estab-

Artists Association of Nantucket in equal shares. photo: courtesy of nantucket looms

lished in 1957 by Walter Beinecke Jr., George Jones, and Henry Coleman “for the purpose of preserving, restoring, repair-

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ing, or maintaining buildings . . . of historical significance or

at Black Mountain College under master weaver Anni Albers—

of educational, aesthetic, or cultural value on Nantucket.”)

while Bill, with past experience as assistant manager at the Plaza

purchased and preserved the iconic downtown building at

Hotel in the Big Apple, segued into a position managing the hotel,

16 Main Street and the old Ocean House hotel at 29 Broad

due to reopen as the Jared Coffin House.

Street. While they were reviewing the progress of the resto-

In 1962, the Historical Trust formed the Cloth Company of

ration of the Ocean House for the trust during the winter

Nantucket and an affiliated division, Nantucket Looms, under

of 1961–62, the Beinecke family dined at the Woodbox Inn.

the management of Andy Oates at 16 Main Street. The company

They were on friendly terms with inn manager William Eu-

crafted bedspreads, draperies, rugs, and placemats exclusively for

ler and his partner and head cook, Andrew Oates, and that

the Jared Coffin House project. With restoration work completed

night the Beineckes sparked a dialog with the two that led

by 1964, the Looms worked for private customers and ramped up

to a lasting relationship. As reported in an Inquirer and Mir-

training classes for potential island weavers. The demand for fine

ror article (3/7/68): “One evening the conversation turned to

textiles and handmade crafts grew steadily. Business prospered.

planned projects that might help build the economy of Nan-

Under the wording of its charter, the trust was “obligated to relin-

tucket. Mrs. Beinecke mentioned the possibility of a weav-

quish control over projects when they are established to the point

ing workshop on the island, and hoped to find someone who

of becoming commercial,” so in April of 1968, Bill Euler and Andy

had a knowledge of weaving and fabric design to manage

Oates gained ownership of the Nantucket Looms inventory and

and teach.” Andy offered his expertise with textiles—honed

established it as a crafts-oriented enterprise.

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

A sample of a bedspread woven in an

the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and planes

overshot pattern for the restoration of

owned by IBM and Mobil Oil. Andy’s linen and ramie fabric

the Jared Coffin House.

was considered one of the top ten textiles of the twentieth

photo: jeffrey allen, courtesy of jeffrey allen

century. Famous customers included Mrs. Paul (Bunny) Mellon, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. With moves like those, the pair’s reputation spread quickly.

The Evolution of a Style Oates and Euler literally lived the Nantucket cottage lifestyle at “The Shack,” their summer home at 40 Madeque cham Road, and their livelihood relied on providing home furnishings that reflected their tastes. The classic design elements of this lifestyle centered around interiors with pastel or white paint schemes coupled with plain wooden floors, board walls, and open ceilings. Furnishings tended to be rustic or wicker furniture embedded in rooms embellished with fine arts and crafts. Paintings and photographs were sometimes small gems that could Cottage style at its peak: The master bedroom in the

be discovered in a nook or corner, often as a source of re-

Madequecham cottage owned by Oates and Euler opened

flection. Textiles were handmade in muted earth colors,

onto low scrubs and a path to the beach.

mixed with fabrics in seaside colors, natural fiber rugs, and

photo: jeffrey allen, courtesy of jeffrey allen

woven or quilted bed covers. Small accents included objets d’art like earthenware vessels, antique tins, oil lamps, bird

Rely on a Pair of Aces

decoys, boat models, and coffee-table art books. Summertime allowed for local flourishes like fresh and dried flowers, white shells, smooth beach stones, and old apothecary

Bill and Andy expanded the small gift shop area within their

bottles holding found feathers. In the bathroom you might

weaving studio to include iconic products such as their mar-

find beach towels rolled up in floor baskets. By the entrance

itime shirts with ivory buttons and woven alpaca throws in

you’d see a rack with an array of hat choices.

pastel hues. By the mid-1970s, they offered a range of acces-

Andy and Bill also championed the intangible essen-

sories for the home as well as locally made crafts including

tials to cottage living: volumes of fresh air, an ambiance of

scrimshaw, tapestries, fine woodworking, and pottery, as well

comfort, and the freedom to kick off your shoes or leave

as oil paintings.

them by the door. Their vision for a life well lived—epit-

When Nantucket Looms began to take on more and

omized by decades of mentoring quality craftspeople as

more textile clients, Andy’s influence spread beyond our

well as fine artists—helped fuel an island lifestyle based on

shores. Fabrics were designed for the LBJ Library in Austin,

the beauty and simplicity of cottage-style living.

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RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

From Businessmen to Collectors With more and more tourists frequenting the quaint accommodations and picturesque waterfront of a revitalized Nantucket town, a new wave of artists armed with modern-art sensibilities streamed to the island in the late 1960s and 1970s. They shook the foundations of local art tradition. As private collectors, attuned to this trend for the contemporary, Oates and Euler became influential. They often purchased exceptional works that were exhibited in their store, but they also collected work by rising stars in the local scene.

The original Main Street Gallery opened across the street from the Looms in 1970, and it quickly set the bar

The staff photograph for the Looms in 1977 (left to right): back

high. Proprietor Reggie Levine welcomed the influx of

row, Lillian Foster, Mrs. Backus, Sam Kasten, Ani Kasten (baby),

artists with open arms, and Euler and Oates were regular

Jane Kasten, Bill Euler, Liz Wolven (Winship); middle row,

patrons. A sizable portion of their collection came from

Debbie Hatch, Mary Maulden, Andy Oates, Anna Worth, Jamie

the Main Street Gallery. A few artists in Levine’s stable also

Gould; front row, Laura Lovett, Linda Darbey.

showed their work at the Looms, and a couple of Andy’s

photo: larry cronin, courtesy of nantucket looms

weavers migrated into fine arts for Levine.

The two men collected arts and crafts the way an amateur builds a collection—based on their love of the work

Mentors and Protégés

rather than its investment value or the name recognition of the artist. They surrounded themselves with ornamental

From the 1960s into the 1990s, Oates and Euler acted as

beauty. Their collection also included numerous antique

mentors to many individuals in the burgeoning arts and

objects that fit into the crannies of their little cottage at

crafts scene. They established a special rapport with their

Madequecham as well as their winter home at 3 Bear Street.

artist consignees, helping to guide the careers of local artisans and fine artists alike.

Margaretta Nettles extended her national reputation as a weaver by creating tapestries and rugs on commission through the Looms. Sam Kasten evolved from Andy’s apprentice to a recognized weaver with an international cli-

“The Shack” in Madequecham painted by artist John Austin. courtesy of artists a s s o c i at i o n o f n a n t u c k e t

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Nantucket Looms painted circa 1980 by one of their

First Lady Hilary Clinton visits Andy Oates (to her right)

artists, John Austin.

and the staff of Nantucket Looms in 1999.

c o u r t e s y o f a r t i s t s a s s o c i at i o n o f n a n t u c k e t

photo: courtesy nantucket looms

entele. Lia Marks designed and sewed the store’s chief petty

Even in winter, Bill and Andy offered a gathering place

officer jacket with Looms textiles, and at the height of her

for many friends and colleagues. The Looms was a warm,

career she would make over three hundred shirts a year. Kar-

welcoming slice of Main Street, especially when most ev-

in Sheppard, Lia’s daughter, learned from Andy Oates and

erything else was locked down and buttoned up. Their up-

Sam Kasten while hanging around the upstairs studio at 16

stairs windows looked out over the town.

Main Street. She worked as a weaver for the Looms until she opened her own studio, now on Old South Wharf.

The list of the Looms artists includes more than just

Special Effect

textile artists. Keith McDaniel wove for Bill and Andy before he kick-started an oil-painting career in the 1980s

Nantucket experienced seminal changes during the

at the Main Street Gallery that produced three paintings

1960s and 70s, but none felt as far-reaching as the recon-

now in the Smithsonian Collection. Pat Gardner was well

struction of the downtown and the subsequent influx of

known as an oil painter on island, but the Looms promot-

artists and artisans that rejuvenated an art colony born

ed her instantly recognizable bird carvings.

a half-century earlier. Andrew Oates and William Euler

Karol Lindquist, a weaver turned basketmaker, crafted

worked at the core of this transformation. They played a key

lightship baskets exclusively for Bill and Andy. Her story il-

role in the restoration of an aging grand hotel. They evolved

lustrates their eagerness to encourage local talent. In the

a weaving studio into an extensive artisan venture. Andy’s

late 1970s, she sought a downtown outlet for her work.

and Bill’s impact upon a generation of Nantucket craftspeo-

After trying the local crafts guild without success, she was

ple and fine artists, and upon the interior decoration of the

walking back up Main Street and thought to stop at the

homes that their artworks graced, continues to be felt.

Looms. Just inside the door, Bill asked about the sample basket she carried. He bought it on the spot and welcomed

ROBERT FRAZIER is Curator of Exhibitions at the Artists Association

her into the Looms family as a regular consignee, for in-

of Nantucket, and was guest curator of the NHA’s 2014 exhibition

deed the two created an extended family from many of

Nantucket Cottage Style: Drawing Inspiration from the Oates-Euler

their artisan protégés.

Collection.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

image of alerions in nantucket harbor by garth grimmer , addit tional images by eilleen powers

BY ALFIE SANFORD

THE ALERION

AS YOU DRIVE BY ON SPARKS AVENUE, notice the building on Sanford Road with the big doors—two big doors opening west, carried on the twelve-foot diameter, semi-circular iron hinges that were forged by Tony Yates in his shop on Delaney Road. The building with the doors is the Sanford Boat Building, built in 1977 to house the remarkable Alerion Class Sloop project. Back in 1981, once a month, the big doors would swing open and a brand new Alerion Class Sloop would roll out on the gantry to be loaded behind the “AleriVan” for delivery off Nantucket to destinations across the U. S., as far away as Michigan, Florida, Texas, and California.

The Alerion Class Sloop project was organized in 1977— by my father, Teeny Sanford, my brother Edward, and me— to accomplish three goals: 1. We wished to reproduce Nat Herreshoff’s brilliant sailboat design, Alerion, which had fallen into undeserved obscurity.

2. We wished to build her in cold-molded wood, a new form of construction we believed worthy of development.

3. And we were going to do it on Nantucket.

All three goals contradicted conventional wisdom.

First, in 1977, most builders were offering their customers cheap, racing-style sailboats typified perhaps by the planing dinghy-hulled J-24. Rather than follow them, we told our customers, “Now it’s your turn” [to sail a boat designed and built by the master for his own personal pleasure.] We

p h o t o : f l i n t r a n n e y , 1992

PH 12-3157

offered a sailing elegance forgotten in the rush into the modern world.

SECOND, BY 1977, MOST BUILDERS were exploiting fiberglass construction and convincing their customers that fiberglass construction made a strong boat that was “maintenance free.” We countered those two wrong ideas by pointing out the strength of cold-molded wood, which made a boat sail better, and its durability, which meant that a cold-molded boat could be depreciated over a lifetime, offsetting its higher initial cost. We pointed out that the purpose of a yacht is not to be cheap but to bring its owner satisfaction. A cheap yacht that was not a pleasure to sail was a waste of money.

Third, in 1977, no one on Nantucket built large, complicated products for sale off island. Perhaps not since the

The Alerivan off to delivery a new Alerion Class Sloop. shop photos: cary hazlegrove / noel berry

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THE ALERION

candle factories of the whaling period had anyone done so. Then, in special factories, teams of craftsmen created and shipped across the world boxes of the finest lighting available anywhere. But those candle-factory owners had near monopoly control of the vital ingredients for their ware—whale oil and spermaceti. Rather than standing alone, their industry rested atop the established Nantuck-

An Alerion Class Sloop

photo: garth grimmer

et whaling industry.

The Alerion Class Sloop project began in October 1977, in the boat house behind Teeny Sanford’s residence on Easton Street. There, my brother Edward, Chris Fraker, and I started the mold for the new boat while we looked for a permanent shop. Not finding one, we purchased a lot from Sherburne Associates between the Boys Club and the then Finast Market. It looked like an especially good deal at the time, because a horse lived on the lot; but, alas, he was gone on the day of the close.

In January 1978, the big doors were finished and we moved in. A building could go up quickly in those days. In July, we launched our first boat, which showed us that, brilliant though the original design was, her steering was flawed.

For good sailing, the helm, where the sailor’s hand meets his ship, must be steady, gentle, true, and effective. We made subtle changes to Herreshoff’s design to give that kind of steering to the Alerion Class Sloop.

We were pioneering in cold-molded construction.

Cold-molding was a new process; there was little to guide us other than the Gougeon Brothers’ books and a few articles in WoodenBoat magazine. Our first effort proved the worth of the technique and inspired us to develop it further.

We did this during the next seven months, producing two hulls and perfecting quite an original structure in boat #3.

We called our creation the Alerion Class Sloop. We were promoting it in national yachting publications, although we had little to show after sixteen months of development and had yet to sell a single boat. Then, on a spring weekend in April 1979, we sold one boat on Thursday, another on Fri12

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

Alfie Sanford stamping the hull identification number.

day, and a third on Saturday. For the next four years, orders were always ahead of production.

In all, we built twenty-one boats in the five years we were behind the big doors. Of those, we sold three on island, seventeen off-island, and kept one for ourselves. In the fall of 1982, the severe national recession stopped our order flow.

The recession did not stop Nantucket, which was just starting its big boom. House shinglers made more than our finest craftsmen. Without orders, we closed the shop. shop photos: cary hazlegrove / noel berry

Matt Rives putting a straight edge on a board of ash.

Richard Benevento varnishing a spreader.

There was to be a second life of the Alerion Class Sloop project. In the ten years after 1982, nine boats were purchased second-hand and brought back to the island. In 1996, with a customer in hand and no second-hand boats available, Sanford Boat Company began again. I rented a garage from Al Silva on North Liberty Street, and with Matt Rives, one of our original hands, began to build again.

We took the opportunity to develop some small but elegant changes, and we delivered ACS #23 to Nantucket in 1998. Rives moved into his own space three years later and built five more boats under license to Sanford Boat Company—four for island ownership. In 2013, he was stopped by untimely death. Today, Sanford Boat builds the Alerion Class Sloop with Pease Boat Works and Marine Railway in Chatham.

photo: garth grimmer

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THE ALERION

plank seams that Richard’s varnish showed off.

Some of these men were islanders. Brad Murray’s family had been here for generations. Some—like Edward, me, Chris Fraker, and Pierre Crosby—were summer people who Several hands finishing assembly

had made the island home. John Arakawa and Matt Rives came to the island just to build the Alerion Class Sloop, Matt from California, John from New York City. They both stayed. John and Matt produced parts and assemblies in the cabinet shop. After we closed in 1982, they each set up cabinet shops for Nantucket’s house-building industry, but

Unlike the candle factories of the whaling era, Sanford

remained attached to boat building—John for his own ac-

Boat controlled no vital on-island ingredient with which

count and Matt for Sanford Boat Company, when he joined

to distinguish the Alerion Class Sloop. Being on Nantucket

me to re-establish the Alerion Class Sloop building in 1996.

did not protect us from competition; rather, it exposed us

We used the best material we could find; the quality of

to it. We had high transportation costs and limited access

work these men did was spectacular and they were rightly

to subcontractors and consultants. On the other hand,

proud of it. Once there was a little pencil knot in a piece of

building on Nantucket had some advantages. We were

plank stock that fell above the waterline where it could be

warned that we would have limited access to customers,

seen. Refusing to ignore it, Arby Kenny, the plank master,

for who would make the difficult winter trip to Nantucket

replaced the knot with a small graving piece. He did such

just to look at a boat? It would be so much easier for a pro-

a surprising job, Benevento and Fraker called me over to

spective customer to drive to some shop in Connecticut,

see if I could find the repair. They shone a bright light on

or even up to Maine, without having to worry about boat

the affected area, but only when Arby, scanning the sur-

reservations. But this problem never materialized. Indeed,

face with his finger, actually touched it, could my eye see

it turned out that people were looking for an excuse to travel to the island off-season. To look at an Alerion Class Sloop was a good one.

The island offered us two other invisible resources: its tradition of sailing and spirit of entrepreneurship that drove us ahead and its wealth of craftsmanship that brought us our special crew. Many of the men who built the Alerion Class Sloop thirty-eight years ago are still in the phone book, running their own businesses, still making beautiful things: Fraker Construction, Sam Hill Construction, Mark Barbour and Sons, John Arakawa the cabinetmaker.

Some were versatile. Chris Fraker, who was with us from the beginning till the end, built the first mold, finished the Sanford Boat building, and developed the Alerion Class Sloop’s composite keel. He became a master at cabinetry, plastic molding, assembly, and rigging. More than anyone else, Chris understood building the whole boat. Some were specialists. Richard Benevento was master of finishes. His hands and brushes touched every square inch of surface on the boats, several times, before they went out the door glistening with varnish and enamel. Arby Kenny, a sculptor in real life, became master of hull planking. He shaped the photo: garth grimmer

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

THE ALERION

the tiny joints along the edges of the graving piece. After

parts from their design and engineering. Once depicted

it was varnished it became completely invisible. It was all

on paper, each element of the boat had definite size, ma-

in the normal course of a day’s work for these men. They

terial, shape, and process of creation. The craftsman was

produced boats of a quality that has never been surpassed,

free to think about his layout, the sharpness of his blades,

before or since.

and the precision of his cuts. He didn’t need to worry about

Over the course of time we got very good at building the

issues beyond his control. The resulting reduction in his

Alerion Class Sloop. We had to, in order to overcome the ex-

stress led to improved building times and high, consistent

tra costs of building on Nantucket. By 1981, six men could

quality. The definition of the parts also made it easy to

build an Alerion Class Sloop in two calendar months, or

build multiple sets of parts for use on different boats. For

forty-four working days. The six men corresponded rough-

instance, when the cabinetmaker built three boats’ worth

ly with the six basic crafts involved: planker, cabinet mak-

of floorboards, he not only cut his time down but eliminat-

er, assembler, plastics molder, painter, and machinist. We

ed mistakes. And it allowed us to develop tooling, jigs, and

began a boat a month and built them two at a time, stag-

fixtures that further improved our times.

gered one month apart. The big doors opened monthly.

So what were the results of the Alerion Class Sloop

We also learned how to maintain our high standard

project, which Teeny Sanford started but did not live to

while building the boats quickly. To do so, we developed

see finished? I offer you three. Today, Herreshoff’s Aleri-

a manufacturing process that included supplies, tooling,

on is no longer obscure. Besides Alerion, still on display

and a strict assembly order. The process was tied together

at Mystic, we have twenty-eight Alerion Class Sloops sail-

by shop drawings that acted as both a memory and a com-

ing, bringing their owners joy. Further, many one-off cop-

munication system.

ies, both cold-molded and plan-on-frame have been built

Remember, it took us three boats and sixteen months

since 1980 by several builders elsewhere. The design has

of trial and error to produce the first true Alerion Class

been copied and produced in fiberglass. And the ubiqui-

Sloop—boat #3. She was exquisite. And when we began to

tous Alerion Express models have spread her name far and

build #4, we found we were wasting a lot of time scratch-

wide, even if they have eschewed her wonderful design.

ing our heads, trying to remember the exact details we had

Cold molding is an accepted technique, and today San-

worked out. There are about a thousand parts that go into

ford Boat has many competitors in the medium. It is the

an Alerion Class Sloop and each has dimension, shape,

predominant building technique for one-off custom-built

material, finish, fasteners, and an assembly order. Any one

sailboats and a few production series. The technique is still

detail done the wrong way will mar the part or disorga-

being developed, getting better each year.

nize its assembly. We needed both a memory and a way of talking about all the parts.

Over the years, many of the Alerion Class Sloops have come back to the island second-hand. Today, twenty-three of them use Nantucket as their hail, some having sailed

THEN, JIM FELCH, A YOUNG ARCHITECT wanting

here for thirty-six years, gracing our waters and bringing

to do boat work, came by. Over the course of six months he

their owners pleasure. These are not just any boats; they

and I documented each part of the boat with 150 sheets of

are, in fact, exquisite works of craftsmanship as fine as any

shop drawings, each specifying an assemblage of parts and

vessel ever built anywhere. The men who built them are

the process for making it. The shop drawings were developed

proud of them. The sailors who sail them are enraptured

from the eighty-odd larger format design drawings in consul-

by them. They reflect on Nantucket’s spirit. They have be-

tation with the crew. They incorporated knowledge from the

come part of her tradition.

Herreshoff design, from Sanford Boat Company’s engineering, and from the shop floor. Over the years, the drawings

ALFIE SANFORD started boatbuilding as a tool holder for his dad at

developed as we incorporated improvements in the boat and

age six and has been designing and building boats ever since. Edu-

its building process. Felch’s name is on most of them, and his

cated at Exeter, Harvard (Mathematics), and MIT (Architecture), Alfie

work was a significant contribution to our success.

has sailed about 125,000 miles in the ensuing years, in Nantucket,

The shop drawings separated the construction of the

the North Atlantic, and Europe.

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

15

BY MICHAEL MAY

NANTUCKET’S VAST, DIVERSE COLLECTION OF HISTORIC HOUSES IS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THE ISLAND’S UNIQUE APPEAL, AND HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED FOR WELL OVER A CENTURY. Interest in historic Nantucket began in earnest in the latter half of the nineteenth century, soon after the decline of the whaling industry.

Visitors to the island marveled at the integrity and raw beauty of its streetscapes and architectural variety, and interest only grew with the 1876 centennial of American independence, when citizens reflected intensely on our colonial past. The large concentration of early houses on island, the seemingly untouched streetscapes, and the overall timeless character of Nantucket’s buildings—inside and out—were key draws during the nation’s emerging tourism industry. This appreciation of the island’s built environment was championed by leading citizens of the day, including arts patron Florence Lang in the 1920s and Walter Beinecke Jr. at mid-century; both restored historic houses, and helped to spur Nantucket’s reputation as a truly special historic place.

16

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

An early photograph documenting the interior of a historic Nantucket house, ca. 1890s GPN 2 8 2 5-O

With the decline of the whaling industry, the island’s economy suffered and stagnated; many left Nantucket (its population fell by more than half between 1850 and 1870—from 8,452 to 4,123) and few who stayed had the means to “modernize” their homes or places of business. One of the few blessings from this dark period of decline, which continued for many into the early years of the twentieth century, was that Nantucket’s architecture—including its historic interiors—remained remarkably intact, as if preserved in amber or frozen in time.

Much of Nantucket’s allure as the island’s economy rebounded was that it was “a place apart,” an island thirty miles from “America” that afforded a unique opportunity for increasingly harried mainlanders to slow down, take time to enjoy family and friends, and to reflect. Just as the slower pace of island life allowed this, so did the architectural integrity of Nantucket’s homes, which early tourists and “summer people” fully appreciated. Houses continued gradually to evolve, of course, typically with the addition of rudimentary plumbing and perhaps an extra bedroom. However, few if any owners of a historic house would have even considered replacing old windows or mantels or chair rails; after all, it was the history and the charm of the island’s old homes that drew them—that spoke to them—in the first place.

The popularity of Nantucket’s historic interiors most likely was a driving force behind the island’s first house museum—the Jethro Coffin House (circa) 1686, which was purchased by the Nantucket Historical Association in 1923 and which continues to fascinate visitors nearly a century later. Several other important historic buildings were donated to the NHA, including the Hadwen House (96 Main SPRING / SUMMER 2016

17

SAVING NANTUCKET’S HISTORIC STRUCTURES

The artist Tony Sarg purchased his own Typical Nantucket

Edgar W. Jenney’s painting captured historic interiors

House on North Liberty Street and furnished it in the colonial

including key architectural elements such as the Greek

revival style popular at the time. Note the parlor’s Federal

Revival–style mantel seen here, ca. 1930s.

1 9 8 9. 14 2 . 1 6

mantel and original paneled door with transom, c. 1930s.

P 2 0122

drastically

altered—“gutted”—

Street, circa 1846); the Macy-Chris-

and many others have been in

tian House (12 Liberty Street, circa

danger of outright demolition,

1745); and Greater Light, a barn built

all in the name of progress. What

circa 1790 and adapted as a summer

those who gut fail to understand

residence by the Monaghan sisters

and appreciate is that the aes-

in the early 1930s. Nantucket’s inte-

thetic values of an intact histor-

riors gained national attention and

ic interior are timeless, and that

were highlighted in magazines fea-

homes with original floor plans,

turing colonial living, as well as in books such as Kenneth

structural elements, doors, windows and trim can be well

Duprey’s Early Houses of Nantucket, published in 1959. In-

suited to modern living and modern taste.

teriors were common subjects of Nantucket’s thriving art

Understanding the character-defining features of a his-

colony, perhaps most notably captured in the watercolors

toric house is critical to protecting the structure’s valuable

of Edgar Jenney and others who summered here in the

interior fabric. Take, for example, the Typical Nantucket

early twentieth century.

House, the most prolific house form in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Nantucket and perhaps the form that

18

THE CONTINUING POPULARITY of seventeenth-,

represents the best of the island’s residential architecture.

eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century interiors is evidenced

The Typical Nantucket House is easily identified on the

by participation in house tours and other events that cele-

exterior, having two-and-a-half-stories and a façade four

brate Nantucket’s remarkable historic structures. In recent

bays wide (four window or door openings per floor), being

years, though, the island’s historic interiors have come un-

crowned by a slightly off-center ridge chimney. The tim-

der considerable threat. Some have come to believe that

ber-frame house form first appeared in about 1760 and

the elements that make a historic interior special—and irre-

soon became the preeminent house type on island. The

placeable—make these interiors old-fashioned and in need

Typical Nantucket House dominated the island’s housing

of “updating” and “opening up” so their rooms more closely

development for nearly sixty years. Clay Lancaster, in The

resemble those of newly built homes on the mainland.

Architecture of Historic Nantucket, notes that of the eight

This unfortunate trend of robbing the island of its ar-

hundred pre-Civil War houses in town there are 175 Typ-

chitectural integrity continues. In the past twenty years

ical Nantucket Houses—by far the largest number of any

or so, many of Nantucket’s historic interiors have been

one house form. Although the Typical Nantucket House

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

SAVING NANTUCKET’S HISTORIC STRUCTURES

A TYPICAL NANTUCKET HOUSE

IS ENTERED FROM THE STREET ELEVATION THROUGH AN ENTRY HALL

THAT IS DOMINATED BY A STRAIGHT-RUN STAIRCASE

A Typical Nantucket House is entered from the street elevation through an entry hall that is dominated by a straight-run staircase with a few winder steps at the top— an improvement over the narrow winder stairways of earlier dwellings. These staircases, usually against the interior wall, often have turned balustrade and decorative runner details, as well as finely carved newel posts (a touch of rich carving in an otherwise restrained interior). In the earliest examples, the entry was narrow and held an enclosed pantry or closet to one side, often with a window along the side wall in addition to a narrow front window adjacent to A Typical Nantucket House with a later rear addition, c 1900.

the door. In later examples, the closet and/or pantry are

GPN2326

removed to create a large hall or sitting area. Interior doors in the entry as well as elsewhere in the house have finely

has long been associated with the island’s Quaker commu-

crafted raised panels and often are topped by a transom

nity, traditionally it was not exclusively a Quaker form and

that provides light to the room and passageway. Rooms in

was found elsewhere in coastal New England during that

the house have a hierarchy, in that public rooms have more

period. The form was perhaps adopted by the community

woodwork and decoration. The public spaces include the

due to its functional nature; in many ways, this form was designed from the inside out—that is, with the interior given priority. The exterior is asymmetrical—from its ridge chimney to its variously sized windows and odd window placement. But from the inside it is simple yet elegant, with clean lines and extraordinary craftsmanship.

IN GENERAL, THE FIRST-FLOOR PLAN of a Typical Nantucket House consists of a side hall or entry with staircase, a front parlor or living room, a small rear chamber directly behind the parlor—today often used as a study— and a room behind the entry that in early examples served as a kitchen and today is often a dining room. These three main rooms are served by a single chimney with a fireplace in each room. The massing of the chimney allows for closets or cupboards along the fireplace walls and a passageway between the front parlor and rear chamber. Later examples were built with a kitchen ell—and many early houses evolved with the addition of the rear wing added to

This plan of a Typical Nantucket House is from Kenneth

keep up with current fashion. The second floor has a simi-

Duprey’s Old Houses on Nantucket. The small chamber on

lar room arrangement, and a garret (attic) often has a small

the first floor has an “outshoot” that was original and was a

chamber along a gable-end wall as well as a ladder stair-

variation of the Typical Nantucket House at the end of the

way to a roof hatch that sometimes leads to a roofwalk.

eighteenth century.

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

19

SAVING NANTUCKET’S HISTORIC STRUCTURES

Interior of 4 Traders Lane: The old kitchen in this house is now a dining room. The view toward the entry (right) shows the old pantry door (center). A mirror board is found on the plaster wall between the window and a more recent doorway that replaced a window at the turn of the twentieth century (left).

Middle: This staircase is typical of those from the mid-to late eighteenth century with a turned newel post and turned balustrade.

Bottom: Staircase and bull’s eye: By the 1820s–30s, more decorative features could be found in the public rooms of a Typical Nantucket House. Note the bull’s-eye corner-block detail in the door surround and the scroll motif along the staircase runner board. photography from top to bot tom : kris kinsley hancock ; staircases by michael may

entry and staircase to the second floor and the front rooms on both floors. By the 1830s, doors and window trim in public rooms, for example, might have corner blocks with bull’s eye detailing. The absence of decorative elements is most evident in the rear ell as one enters more functional and less public rooms such as those in a kitchen ell.

THE PARLOR and the second-floor front rooms have the most details. Interior features include exposed corner posts often with gunstock flares at the top, superbly paneled fireplace walls, cradle boards or paneled chair rails along the interior walls, mirror boards between the windows designed to protect the plaster, and paneled doors crowned with transoms for light. The woodwork might also include a picture railing and in finer houses a cornice.

This woodwork was placed prior to the installation of plaster and created a simple, functional, and elegant appearance. At the peak of the whaling industry, the fireplaces often had finely carved mantels with classical details such as columns, punch and gouge work, and dentils. By the 1830s and ’40s, the Greek Revival–style influences called for more simplified features with broad, flat molding profiles. Small details add character, too: chamfered beams and posts, original hardware, and “mortgage buttons” on stairway newel posts, as well as quirks such as crooked doors and wavy glass help distinguish a historic Nantucket house from a new one.

Islanders knew by the 1950s that Nantucket’s historic architecture was endangered, and in 1955 they established 20

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

SAVING NANTUCKET’S HISTORIC STRUCTURES

ISLANDERS KNEW

BY THE 1950S THAT NANTUCKET’S

HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE WAS ENDANGERED

the local historic district ordinance, which to this day protects the exteriors of all historic buildings on island. Appreciation of the island’s architecture continued to grow, and in 1966 Nantucket became one of the first National Historic Landmark (NHL) Districts in the country.

However, neither the historic district ordinance nor the

The University of Florida’s 3-D laser-scanning program documents streetscapes and individual buildings. The scans

island’s NHL status provide protection for historic interi-

can produce photorealistic perspectives (seen here) as well as

ors. In 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation

building sections, plans, and animated digital walkthroughs of

listed the island of Nantucket and its historic built envi-

an interior. PI:N

ronment on its list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, in large part due to the increasing loss of historic interiors.

and the University of Florida’s Preservation Institute: Nan-

In a rapidly changing Nantucket, a key challenge will

tucket will undertake an “interior baseline study” to iden-

be how to encourage — primarily through public educa-

tify properties that should be targeted for laser scanning,

tion—the sensitive preservation of our historic interiors. This

a state-of-the-art technology that allows for rapid docu-

challenge can be met in several ways, such as through for-

mentation of the interior and development of 3-D images

mal documentation of historic structures, continued study,

and interior plans as well as other protection-based pro-

and dissemination of what is learned to homeowners and

grams. Documentation alone will not preserve historic in-

the Nantucket community at large. Although documentation

teriors, but it will further our understanding, identify what

of Nantucket historic buildings began in the 1930s, historic

remains, and help spread the word about the importance

interiors have been traditionally overlooked both on and off

of Nantucket interiors.

island. Many are surprised to learn that Nantucket does not

All houses evolve over the decades and centuries, but

maintain a list of historic interiors or know how many remain

this evolution can—and should—be sensitive and respect-

intact. Today, the Nantucket Preservation Trust estimates

ful to the unparalleled architecture heritage that earlier

that nearly two hundred of the eight hundred pre-Civil War

Nantucketers have left in our care. Fortunately, the intrin-

house interiors have been lost and scores of others have been

sic value of authenticity has come to the forefront in relat-

seriously compromised, with another ten to twenty historic

ed fields such as art, antique furniture, and even vintage

interiors lost each year.

automobiles. In artwork, the original frame selected by

Over the past eight years, the NPT has visited 180 struc-

Picasso or Hopper adds value, as does the original surface

tures in the old historic district to determine their state of

on an eighteenth-century chest of drawers, and the “barn

preservation, but a complete study of the eight hundred

find” classic car is more treasured now than an “over-re-

building interiors is required to ascertain what remains

stored” example. Many Nantucketers are giving the same

and how best to encourage the protection of the remaining

value to their historic house, and beginning to understand

historic interiors.

that it is possible—and so much more fulfilling—to live

Due to the rapid pace of historic interiors being lost, a

modern lives and respect our historic interiors.

more intensive study will begin this year to better understand which interiors remain fully or largely intact, how

MICHAEL MAY has been the executive director of the Nantucket

they have changed over the years, and which particular-

Preservation Trust since 2006. He holds a Master of Science in His-

ly important intact interiors are endangered. With a grant

toric Preservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of

from the Community Preservation Committee, the NPT

Architecture and Planning.

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

21

Of all the major, minor, and incidental objects and ornaments associated with Nantucket, perhaps the most closely, distinctly, and uniquely evocative of the island are the celebrated Nantucket baskets.

22

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

THE REAL R. FOLGER

Often called (somewhat erroneously) lightship baskets be-

First, to expose the unwitting imposter. Thanks to bad

cause some of them were actually produced aboard lonely

research and the passing along of bad information among

lightships off the Nantucket coast, the specific origins of

collectors, auction houses, and dealers, the wrong man,

the distinctive “round” and “oval” Nantucket basket are

Roland C. Folger (1849–1920), has for years been errone-

(to coin a phrase) shrouded in obscurity. The addition of

ously proclaimed as the maker of the highly desirable bas-

carved or engraved whale-ivory ornaments on those that

kets signed “R. Folger.” Roland, born 24 August 1849, was

have lids and their ready conversion to function as ladies’

the son of Nantucket merchant Alfred Folger (1793–1848)

purses and handbags, are latter-day developments that

and Mary Moores (1805–1888), who were later divorced. He

(welcome though they may be) have little to do with the

spent his childhood on Nantucket but sought his fortune

original concept and purpose. But one thing is certain:

in Philadelphia. According to the 1880 U. S. Census, at age

the early appearance of Nantucket baskets has hitherto

thirty-one he was living there with a Pennsylvania-born

been vastly miscalculated (if it be calculated

wife named Lillie, age twenty-eight, and four

at all), largely because one of the earli-

boarders. His occupation at the time:

est makers — perhaps the earliest

“Drives Wagon.” The wife was Lil-

maker — has long been mis-

lian N. Quinn, whom Roland

identified in confusion with

married in 1879 at the Nine-

another island native who

teenth Street Methodist

had a similar name. Un-

Episcopal Church, which

fortunately, some am-

suggests that he may

ateur

must

have abandoned the

have stumbled upon

Quaker heritage that

the wrong man’s vital

had perhaps attracted

records

historian

stopped

him to Philadelphia in

there, little realizing that

and

the first place, rather

doing so would distort

than, say, to Boston or

the entire history of the

New York. Lillie’s origins

genre. And then the error

and

was passed along to dealers and auctioneers ad infinitum.

activi-

Roland was living in Newton,

Thus, for several decades bas-

Mass., boarding in the household

kets signed “R. Folger” have been at-

of Charles A. Soule, a typesetter, with

tributed to island-born Roland Folger: and that’s the mistake. The real basket-making “R. Folger”

subsequent

ties are unknown. In 1900,

Roland’s marital status now reported as single and his occupation as typesetter. Further infor-

was Rowland Folger, at best a distant relation (if he was

mation is sparse, but the U. S. Census tabulation dated 10

any relation at all). Roland Folger had nothing to do with

January 1920 finds him a patient at the Taunton [Mass.]

baskets and is not known to have produced any; he was

State Hospital. He died of carcinoma of the liver less than

a wagon driver and typesetter by trade and didn’t live on

a month later, on 6 February 1920, and the official death

the island. On the other hand, Rowland Folger was a full

record is unequivocal that Roland C. Folger, seventy-one

generation or two older, lived his whole life on Nantuck-

years, five months, and twelve days (i.e., 1849–1920), was

et, had his own handcrafts business in the village by 1823,

a “Printer retired about 15 years.” He is buried at Prospect

and may have been making baskets almost that early. Ro-

Hill Cemetery on Nantucket. Roland was a teamster and

land Folger was not even born until 1849, by which time Rowland was already producing baskets — many of which

R. FOLGER, MAKER, NANTUCKET, MASS. stenciled inside one

he “signed” with the R. FOLGER template well known to

of Rowland Folger’s baskets.

collectors, curators, and dealers.

2 0 0 7. 3 0. 2 5 c

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

23

THE REAL R. FOLGER

Basket made by Rowland Folger.

2 0 0 7. 3 0. 2 3

Rowland Folger grew up at 8 Pleasant Street, a house built for his parents, Walter Folger Jr. and Anna (Ray) Folger.

P24 5 1

typesetter who, early along, moved off island and eventually came back in a wooden box, to be buried in the sacred soil of his birthplace.

By contrast, Rowland Folger (1803–83), the real basket-maker and perhaps the originator of the basket genre, was a Nantucketer through and through. The son of Walter Folger Jr. (1765 –1849) and Anna Ray (1764 –1844), he may have made the requisite youthful whaling voyage customary among native sons of Nantucket; he assisted in his father’s shop, and he then went into business on his own. When he was starting out, he published a notice in the Nantucket Inquirer of 29 December 1823, proclaiming: “All kinds of ivory work; umbrellas, and bellows made and

Transactions of the Natnucket Agricultural Society, 1859

repaired; combs mended by the subscriber; at the shop near the dwelling house of Walter Folger Jr.” (Walter was

24

clearly known well enough for this to be sufficient to pro-

be a mariner and painter, but there is no evidence that he

vide directions to Rowland’s shop.) At the time the adver-

ever made any baskets. That Rowland Folger Senior was

tisement appeared, Rowland, age twenty, was newly mar-

the actual “R. Folger” who made baskets is irrefutably con-

ried with a baby on the way. In July 1823, he had married

firmed by the 1870 U.S. Federal Census, which unequiv-

Eliza Ann Luce (1807– 80), with whom he evidently had no

ocally names ROWLAND FOLGER (not Roland Folger), age

fewer than four daughters and eight sons. The first child

sixty-seven (thus born circa 1803), husband of Eliza, age

was Rowland Folger Junior (1824 –1908), who grew up to

sixty-three; occupation: “Basket Maker.”

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

THE REAL R. FOLGER

He came from excellent stock. Rowland was a first

himself Nantucket’s Solomon of Public Affairs.

cousin to Allen Folger (1827–1906), who at the ten-

That was quite an act to follow, but Rowland managed

der age of fourteen shipped as a boatsteerer in the

to make his mark as a maker of baskets. His legacy has

whaleship Ganges, a highly responsible and quite

proven equally enduring in the popular mind, and it’s high

dangerous berth usually occupied by a seasoned

time that his actual name is connected with it.

adult half again his age. Allen is said to have dou-

These demonstrable facts alter the perception of Nan-

bled Cape Horn twice and the Cape of Good Hope

tucket basket-making, and the cultural significance of the

once before he left off whaling in 1863 to join the

baskets themselves, in four respects. First, at least one of

Union Army. He afterwards moved to Concord,

what Nantucket antiques dealer John Sylvia calls the “leg-

New Hampshire; was elected to the state legislature;

endary weavers” of Nantucket baskets had only the most

went as a delegate to the International Prison Con-

tenuous of relationships to any actual lightship: Folg-

gress in London in 1872; and was State Secretary of

er’s baskets were produced ashore by a shopkeeper-arti-

the YMCA during 1884– 90. The 1900 U. S. Census

san-entrepreneur and had nothing much to do with the

lists his occupation as “Evangelist” — the prevailing

long, idle, lonely hours of isolation at sea that some of the

focus of his life, which he explains in his book, Twen-

later makers endured aboard lightships. Second, the “R.

ty-five Years as an Evangelist (Boston, 1906).

Folger” baskets were produced a full generation or two

Rowland was also first cousin to Barzillai T. Fol-

earlier than has hitherto been credited, deepening their

ger (1808 –60), the first whaling master to operate off

interest and their significance to the unique circumstances

the Aleutian Islands. Barzillai’s father — Rowland’s un-

of life on the Island in its whaling heyday. Third, the much

cle Aaron (1776–1850) — was a cooper, mechanic, and

earlier vintage implies — virtually guarantees — influence

keeper of the Nantucket Harbor Lighthouse. This may

on the subsequent productions of other basket-makers: it

have been young Rowland’s principal connection to light-

invites newfound comparisons across the entire history of

ships, and perhaps Aaron had something to do with the

Nantucket basket-making. And finally, Rowland Folger’s

genesis of “lighthouse” baskets.

baskets were woven by an enterprising businessman who was deeply rooted and broadly connected to the main-

IT WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED CLAN, but most prom-

stream of Nantucket social, commercial, and intellectual

inent of all was Rowland’s own father, Walter Folger Jr.

circles; unlike the isolated crews sequestered on lightships,

(1765 –1849). According to Nantucket historian Everett U.

Folger had daily contact and interactions with all kinds of

Crosby, Walter “mastered the French language and corre-

folks on the island, and daily experienced the ebb and flow

sponded with many famous scientists. He was recognized

of island affairs. This signifies that Nantucket baskets are

as a philosopher, inventor, artisan, astronomer, mathema-

even more truly representative of the unique circumstanc-

tician, navigator, civil and mechanical engineer, surveyor,

es and cultural effervescence of Nantucket down through

and practiced law for twenty years.” A watch-and-clock

almost two centuries.

repairman by trade, Walter served as a town official, as a judge in the local and state courts, as state senator (1809–

STUART M. FRANK, PH.D., a Research Fellow of the Nantucket

15 and 1822), and served two terms in Congress during

Historical Association, is Executive Director Emeritus of the Kend-

1817– 21. Canonized in local memory as “a mechanical

all Whaling Museum, Senior Curator Emeritus of the New Bedford

and inventive genius,” he is celebrated for having con-

Whaling Museum, former Research Associate at Mystic Seaport, and

structed an elaborate astronomical clock (now exhibited

an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Among his

at the Nantucket Whaling Museum), for making signifi-

books are Herman Melville’s Picture Gallery, Dictionary of Scrimshaw

cant innovations in telescopes and optical instruments,

Artists, and Ingenious Contrivances, Curiously Carved: Scrimshaw in

for shepherding numerous public-spirited improvements

the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Portions of the present article

to the quality of life on the island, and for generally making

were published in Antiques & The Arts Weekly, March 20, 2015.

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

25

A NEW WEEK OF DESIGN EVENTS

NEW NAME, SAME GREAT CAUSE! BUILDING ON THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS OF THE AUGUST ANTIQUES SHOW AND ANTIQUES & DESIGN SHOW OF NANTUCKET, THE NANTUCKET HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION IS PLEASED TO PRESENT THE 2016 NANTUCKET

DESIGN LUNCHEON

BY DESIGN WEEK OF EVENTS, OUR

Wednesday, August 3

PREMIER SUMMER FUNDRAISER,

Tickets: $200 each

PRESENTED BY MAGELLAN JETS.

Great Harbor Yacht Club | 96 Washington Street

|

11:30 a.m.– 2 p.m.

Join us for the fifth annual Design Luncheon featuring John Ike, Thomas A. Kligerman, and Joel Barkley of Ike Kligerman Barkley. The luncheon will feature a champagne reception and a multimedia presentation by the designers, followed by a Q & A session.

NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN August 2 – 7 | Oldest House

WITH MUCH APPRECIATION TO OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR

During this year’s Nantucket by Design week, New York School of Interior Design students will design vignettes to be on view at the NHA’s Oldest House historic property.

26

HISTORIC NANTUCKET

AN EVENING OF DESIGN WITH TOM FAZIO Friday, August 5

ALL-STAR DESIGN PANEL Thursday, August 4

|

6 p.m.

6 – 8 p.m.

|

Tickets: $175 each Whaling Museum | 13 Broad Street

Tickets: $175 each

Join us for an evening of design with renowned

Whaling Museum | 13 Broad Street

golf course architect Tom Fazio of FAZIO Design, followed by a cocktail reception on the Whaling Museum’s rooftop observation deck.

Join us for the sixth annual all-star Design Panel,

With over forty years in golf course design,

moderated by Nantucket- and New York-based

Tom Fazio and his staff of designers have been

designer Susan Zises Green. This year’s stellar

recognized for creating award-winning courses

panel of designers consists of Nancy Braithwaite,

throughout the United States. No living designer

James Huniford, Juan Montoya, Charles Pavarini,

has more credits on Golf Digest’s list of America’s

and Suzanne Rheinstein.

100 Greatest Golf Courses and Golfweek’s collection of America’s Best.

THE NEW PARTY AT THE OLDEST HOUSE Saturday, August 6

|

6 p.m.

A WHALE OF A PICNIC AT THE OLDEST HOUSE

Tickets: $250, $100

Sunday, August 7

Oldest House | 16 Sunset Hill

Family of four: $125; Additional ticket: $25

|

11 a.m.– 2 p.m.

Oldest House | 16 Sunset Hill Building on the excitement of the Antiques Show Preview Party of past years, The New Party at the

This all-ages, family-fun picnic features scrumptious

Oldest House will delight party-goers as never

lunch, crafts and activities, fun games, and so much

before! This fabulous party is a night of sights,

more!

sounds, and tastes, with live music and dancing with the Sultans of Swing, food and drink, and more.

Tickets and additional information at nha.org.

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News Notes & Highlights ON VIEW

Stove by a Whale: 20 Men, 3 Boats, 96 Days

2016 Exhibitions at the NHA Stove by a Whale: 20 Men, 3 Boats, 96 Days Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street It’s November 1820, and the crew of the whaleship Essex take to their boats after an enraged sperm whale destroys their ship. Follow twenty sailors as they attempt to sail thousands of miles across the Pacific to safety with limited food and water. Along the way, learn about Nantucket in its whaling hey-

The Coffin School: A Gift of Education

day and visit islands in the Pacific. See how the survivors’ tragic tale has been retold time and again in classic sea stories, in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, and in the contemporary film In the Heart of the Sea.

The Coffin School: A Gift of Education Whaling Museum, 13 Broad Street English Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin visited Nantucket just once, in 1826, but his visit led to the creation of a school that educated generations of Nantucket children. To mark the 190th anniversary of the admiral’s trip, the NHA invites visitors to come see the striking portrait of the admiral painted by Gilbert Stuart; the journal of Henry Clapp Jr., written aboard the school’s early American training ship; and samples of work from a century and a half of student achievement.

What a View! Nantucket through the Stereoscope Research Library’s Whitney Gallery, 7 Fair Street Stereographs, an early form of three-dimensional photographs, were a major vehicle for popular education and entertainment in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Displaying highlights from the NHA’s collection of over 700 stereographs, this exhibition explores both traditional and modern viewing techniques of this early 3D technology.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

What a View! Nantucket through the Stereoscope

ENTERTAINMENT

Museum after Dark Whaling Museum Saturday, July 23, 2016 9:30 p.m.–Midnight, Tickets: $95

ROOFTOP MUSIC

Summer Sunset Series Mondays in July and August Join the NHA for special evening

All-night dancing to DJ Pete Ahern of Audio Architechs, cocktails, and

performances every Monday evening

light bites. Tickets are going fast!

in July and August on the Whaling Museum’s rooftop observation deck.

Enjoy stunning views of Nantucket Harbor and an evening of unforgetta-

PERFORMANCE

ble music. The series kicks off on July 11 with Nantucket’s popular DJ Audio

Moby-Dick Rehearsed Returns

Architechs and Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation and concludes on August 29 with Nantucket’s reggae band Foggy Roots.

to the Whaling Museum in August Join the NHA and the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket (TWN) for an encore performance of the one-act play Moby-Dick Rehearsed, written by Orson Welles and starring John Shea.

This play within a play is both a celebration of the stage and a testimony of the enduring legacy of Herman Melville’s masterpiece of American literature.

Performances daily August 16–19, Whaling Museum

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News Notes & Highlights NHA PROPERTIES

Macy-Christian House Restored 12 Liberty Street project completed After months of intense rehabilitation, the MacyChristian house is now ready for occupancy by NHA Executive Director Bill Tramposch and his wife, Peggy.

Improvements to the mid-eighteenth-century dwelling include structural stabilization; new HVAC; electrical and plumbing; restored plaster walls; and a repointed chimney and fireplaces. The porch that wraps around the south and west sides of the house is a recreation of a late-nineteenth-century porch that was removed sometime before mid-century. A special adjunct of this project was use of photogrammetry and laser scanning

by Preservation Institute: Nantucket to create a 3-D record of the building.

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HISTORIC NANTUCKET

SUMMER CLASSES

News Notes & Highlights

Summer classes at 1800 House A rich tradition of island arts & crafts Feeling creative? Join us at the 1800 house for summer classes. Dedicated to celebrating and reviving Nantucket’s rich tradition of historic arts and crafts, the 1800 House programs take place in the NHA’s restored nineteenth-century historic property at 4 Mill Street. Learn traditional techniques taught by artisans from Nantucket and across the country. Historic arts and crafts come alive at the NHA’s 1800 House!

For a complete schedule and more inforLeft to right: Ned Symes, Nathaniel Mason, instructor Sunny Wood, and

mation, go to nha.org/1800house

1800 House intern Esther McLaughlin proudly display their handiwork.

or call (508) 228–1894 x 350.

ISLAND HISTORY

NHA Oral History Club Recording and archiving the voices of the island In 2016, the NHA organized an oral history club with a dedicated group

Some members of the club at a Saturday

of volunteers who agreed to attend a series of training sessions led by

workshop: Maria Partida, Julie Kever,

Oral History Fellow Jacob Horton and to devote several hours a week to

Amanda Amaral, Peter Morrison,

collecting and processing oral histories. This enthusiastic group (a.k.a.

Gussie Beaugrand, Oral History Fellow

“The Heard”) has galloped across the island recording voices of islanders

Jacob Horton.

describing the daily routines and operations that move Nantucket, or reflecting on their island experiences. In addition to recording efforts, the

» Sample the NHA’s oral history

NHA responsibly archives these interviews in our digital archive, couples

digital archive at nha.org/library

them with relevant images when possible, and makes them available as public records supporting research, exhibition, and future histories.

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PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT NANTUCKET, MA AND ADDITIONAL ENTRY OFFICES

P.O. BOX 1016, NANTUCKET, MA 02554–1016

A Legacy of Artistry PROMISED GIFT FROM REVA AND MORTON SCHLESINGER

As members of Nantucket’s community of artisans, Reva and Morton Schlesinger left their mark as the island’s only silversmiths since the 1860s.Working in their historic India Street home, they drew inspiration from Nantucket’s early silversmiths, hand-crafting a wide range of sterling-silver pieces, each stamped with their hallmark, an entwined “R” and “M.” Intent that their work should remain on Nantucket as part of its history, the Schlesingers talked with the NHA’s chief curator, ultimately making a generous promised gift of several dozen pieces to the historical association.

With their gift, the Schlesingers became members of the Heritage Society, which recognizes those who make planned gifts or other provisions in their wills for the NHA. Today their silverwork is an important part of the NHA’s collections.

You can become a member of the Heritage Society by including the NHA in your estate plan.

Planned gifts take many forms and can offer tax benefits.

For about the Schlesingers and their work as silversmiths, please visit their oral history at www.nha.org/library 32 moreHISTORIC NANTUCKET

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