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Our Mission

Nantucket Preservation Trust’s mission is to protect, promote and preserve the island’s unique architectural heritage and sense of place.

Protect a Historic Property

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House Histories and Markers

Every historic Nantucket house has a story.

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An individualized preservation program

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The Fanlight – NPT News

NPT Statement on the Proposed Demolition of 10 New Whale Street

October 29, 2024

Nantucket Preservation Trust is opposed to the proposed demolition of the c. 1927 former Nantucket Electric Company building at 10 New Whale Street, one of the last remaining buildings of […]

Demolition Delay Bylaw FAQ for Special Town Meeting

September 13, 2024
Congratulations to the 2024 Preservation Award Winners!

September 9, 2024

Read all of the news »

SUPPORT & MEMBERSHIP

Your gift allows us to continue our work promoting and protecting Nantucket’s historic character.

Nantucket Preservation Trust
11 Centre Street PO Box 158 Nantucket, MA 02554
508-228-1387
info@nantucketpreservation.org

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We're excited to announce that a new preservation

We're excited to announce that a new preservation easement has been recorded on 23/25 Fair Street! 🎉
The easement will preserve in perpetuity the c. 1837 George Folger House, as well as the adjacent open space at the corner of Fair and Charter Streets, the former site of a Pence School that was moved to Quince Street in the late 19th century. The George Folger House will be preserved thanks to the stewardship of owner Philip Carpenter, whose parents, Mary Grace and Charles Carpenter, Jr., restored the house after purchasing it in 1963. Phil was featured in a New York Times story about preservation easements on Nantucket earlier this year; you can read more about NPT's easement program and find a link to the Times' story at the link in our bio. 📰

Though Herman Melville had never set foot on Nantu

Though Herman Melville had never set foot on Nantucket prior to the publication of Moby Dick on this day in 1851, his description of the island endures: "a mere hillock, and elbow of sand; all beach, without a background." When Melville finally made his way to Nantucket in July 1852, he met George Pollard, captain of the whaleship Essex, whose ill-fated final voyage inspired Moby Dick's plot. Captain Pollard resided at 46 Centre Street, pictured here. Swipe to see a photo of the house as it appeared in the late-19th century, courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association.

What's scaring us this Halloween? The proposed dem

What's scaring us this Halloween? The proposed demolition of the c. 1927 former Nantucket Electrical Company building at 10 New Whale Street. We agree with the opinions expressed by members of the Historic District Commission at their Tuesday meeting that this building, a contributing resource to Nantucket's National Historic Landmark and one of the last vestiges of our waterfront's industrial history, should be stabilized and rehabilitated, not demolished.
Read more on our blog at the link in bio, and thank you to Van Lieu Photography @nantucket_architecture for the photo!

Tonight we celebrate our 18th annual Preservation

Tonight we celebrate our 18th annual Preservation Awards! 🎉 Congratulations to the 2024 winners, who inspire us with their dedication to historic preservation and Nantucket. Read more about each winner at the link in our bio.

The Michelle Elzay Architectural Preservation Award: Leslie Mayer, 14 Broadway, ’Sconset

Historical Renovation Award: Michele Kolb, 27 N Liberty Street

The John A. and Katherine Lodge Stewardship Award: Frances Karttunen, 67 N Centre Street

Traditional Building Methods Award: Aaron Beck, Blacksmith

The Caroline A. Ellis Landscape & Garden Award: The Nantucket Garden Club, Saltmarsh Senior Center Garden, 81 Washington St

Nantucket's long history of house moving and house

Nantucket's long history of house moving and house recycling was overwhelmingly supported by island voters at last night's Special Town Meeting.

The passage of Article 8, which NPT put forward, extends Nantucket's existing demolition delay waiting period from 2 months to 6 months. This means that people with the capacity to move residential structures with reuse potential that are slated for demolition have more time to secure the necessary approvals to complete a move. Another change in Article 8 is that buildings will be advertised as available to be moved only after the Historic District Commission has issued a certificate of appropriateness for their move or demolition.

We are hopeful these changes will allow for more houses to be saved and used for housing rather than demolished and sent to landfills.

Thank you to everyone who supported Article 8, whether by signing our petition to get the article on the Town Meeting warrant, talking about it, or voting last night!

📷: @townofnantucket

Attention Nantucket voters! Nantucket Preservation

Attention Nantucket voters! Nantucket Preservation Trust is sponsoring a citizen warrant article aimed at saving houses from demolition and preserving existing housing stock at Nantucket’s Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, September 17. We’re proposing to amend the existing demolition delay bylaw within the Town’s Zoning code to clarify when a building that is slated for demolition but has housing reuse potential must be advertised for reuse, and to extend the amount of time that an interested party has to complete a house move. To learn more, visit the FAQ at the link in our bio.

In December 2023 this c.1935 cottage was saved from demolition in Madaket and moved to create year-round housing on Larrabee Lane.

Labor Day has come and gone, but there's still tim

Labor Day has come and gone, but there's still time to join a Nantucket Preservation Trust walking tour this year! Join one of our 'Sconset walking tours, offered Thursdays at 3 PM through October 10, to learn about how Front Street and other village lanes evolved, or sign up for a downtown Main Street tour, at 3 PM on Tuesdays through October 8. Advance registration is required; visit the link in bio for more information and to register!

Did you know that Sherburne Hall was built in only

Did you know that Sherburne Hall was built in only five months, shortly after the Great Fire of 1846 destroyed almost all of Nantucket's commercial downtown? The second floor space where NPT has our offices originally served as a meeting hall for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been home to @ufhpp's Preservation Institute Nantucket, one of the oldest summer field schools for historic preservation in the US, since 1987.

Our 19th-annual August Fête was a sold out succes

Our 19th-annual August Fête was a sold out success! 🎉Thank you to all of the attendees, leadership supporters, business sponsors, auction donors, committee members, volunteers, and especially our hosts and honorary chairs, Karli and Jim Hagedorn, who contributed to a magical evening!

Save the date for next year: August 7, 2025!

This Typical Nantucket style house was built c. 18

This Typical Nantucket style house was built c. 1807 for Gideon Folger, a part-owner of the whaleship Essex, the ship whose tragic last voyage inspired Moby-Dick and is thrillingly recounted in @natphilbrick's award-winning history In the Heart of the Sea.

You can win a sail with Nat about his 38 foot yawl at the live auction at our Annual August Fête on Thursday, August 8! Lucky for you, the chances of being stove by a sperm whale on a two hour sail around Nantucket harbor are much lower than on a whaling voyage to the Pacific Ocean in 1820.

Click the link in bio for more information and to purchase August Fête tickets!

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