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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

Preservation Easement Recorded at 4 Old North Wharf

March 20, 2026

The end of March means the end of scalloping season on Nantucket, and for decades, scallopers have opened their catch at 4 Old North Wharf. A preservation easement recorded today on the shanty means that this humble but important structure, the last 19th century building that remains an active part of the island’s working waterfront, will…

10 Sherburne Turnpike Donated to Nantucket Preservation Trust

November 25, 2025
10 New Whale Street Demolition Appeal Set for November 5

October 24, 2025

Read all of the news »

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

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Stay Connected with NPT

We're excited to welcome designer and author Hutto

We're excited to welcome designer and author Hutton Wilkinson to Nantucket for NPT's 2026 Summer Lecture and Luncheon on Tuesday, July 21st! Hutton will present "A Phoenix Tale of Rebirth and Continuance: Saving Dawnridge," followed by a delicious three-course lunch.

The Summer Lecture and Luncheon sells out every year, so don't miss your chance to join us! Click the link in our bio for more information and tickets.

A new preservation easement has been recorded on t

A new preservation easement has been recorded on the @mariamitchellassociation 's Vestal Street Observatory! The brick Observatory was constructed in 1908, and connected to the c. 1790 Mitchell House by the construction of the brick Astronomical Study in 1922.

Join NPT, the MMA, and @nantuckethistoricalassociation for the collaborative Four Centuries Walking Tour this Saturday at 10 am and learn more about the evolution of the MMA's Vestal Street campus, and how changes in domestic life shaped Nantucket's architecture. The tour meets at the Oldest House, and advance registration is required - register at the link in our bio.

Happy Daffy! At our 2025 August Fête, we auctioned

Happy Daffy! At our 2025 August Fête, we auctioned off a specialty selection of daffodils, more than 20 varieties chosen by the Daffodil Queen herself, Mary Malavase, and planted by NPT volunteers last fall. Now, the side garden and backyard of the c. 1750 Daniel Myrick house are filled with cheerful golden blooms!

This auction item was so popular that we will be bringing it back this year. Mark your calendar for August 6 to attend the 2026 August Fête and come ready to bid!

The New York Herald’s wireless station in ’Sconset

The New York Herald’s wireless station in ’Sconset helped speed up the paper’s reporting of the shipping news in the early part of the 20th century. (’Sconset summer visitors were also able to follow NY Giants baseball games via the station’s unofficial daily updates.)

But the most important call that came through this station happened 114 years ago tonight, April 14, 1912, when the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean at 11:40 PM, ship’s time. Matt Tierney, the Nantucket station’s wireless operator, was the first American to receive distress calls from the ill-fated ship. He worked continuously alerting all other stations of the tragedy and in the days after the sinking to relay messages that assisted in the rescue of the survivors.

Today a residence, swipe to see the wireless station as it appeared in 1901, from the collections of @nantuckethistoricalassociation.

There's a new house marker at 34 York Street! The

There's a new house marker at 34 York Street! The house was built c. 1836 for James Ross, Jr. James was recorded as a mariner when he purchased a lot of vacant land for $40 in 1836, but by the 1850s he operated a boarding house on Silver Street. James' younger sister Eunice is better known to Nantucket history. A standout student at Nantucket's African School, in 1840 Eunice passed the entrance exam for Nantucket High School, but was barred from enrolling, sparking a years-long fight to integrate Nantucket's public schools.

The second photo shows 34 York Street in the 1890s. Manuel S. Santos, an Azorean immigrant to Nantucket, purchased 34 York Street from the Ross family in 1892, and it is most likely members of the Santos family shown in the photo, courtesy of @nantuckethistoricalassociation.

The end of March means the end of scalloping seaso

The end of March means the end of scalloping season on Nantucket, and for decades, scallopers have opened their catch at 4 Old North Wharf. A preservation easement recorded today on the shanty means that this humble but important structure, the last 19th century building that remains an active part of the island’s working waterfront, will be preserved forever.
The Mitchell Andrews Fish House was built c. 1847 and has been in near-continuous maritime use since then. The easement will preserve not only its architectural features, but also that maritime usage. It’s preserving the building and an important part of Nantucket’s cultural heritage, and we applaud owner Ginger Andrews for her foresight!

House moving on Nantucket is in the news! NPT rece

House moving on Nantucket is in the news! NPT recently spoke with @boston about the island's history of house moving and how the practice can be part of our resilient future. Click the link in bio to read the article.

Image: a house move on Cliff Road earlier this year.

📣 Big news! Nantucket Preservation Trust is thrill

📣 Big news! Nantucket Preservation Trust is thrilled to announce we have received the generous donation of the historic home at 10 Sherburne Turnpike from donors who wish to remain anonymous.

Built c. 1930, 10 Sherburne Turnpike is the first property to be owned by NPT. The architectural design of the house is attributed to Helene Clayton Hindley. She and her husband Charles Thomas Hindley were its first owners. The house is a remarkably well preserved example of a Colonial Revival summer home, and it retains historic character defining details on both the exterior and interior, features which are protected forever by a preservation easement recently recorded with the 'Sconset Trust.

"We are profoundly grateful to the donors of the Hindley House," said NPT Executive Director Mary Bergman. "It is extremely gratifying to know NPT's work resonates with the stewards of the Hindley House, who have taken thoughtful care of the property for decades. We look forward to being its next steward."

To read more about the donation and the house, click on the link in our bio!

Advocacy alert! The Nantucket Select Board will he

Advocacy alert! The Nantucket Select Board will hear our appeal of the Historic District Commission's vote to approve the demolition of 10 New Whale Street on Wednesday, November 5. Constructed in 1927 for use in coal gasification for the generation of electricity, 10 New Whale Street is a contributing building to the Nantucket National Historic Landmark District, and it is one of the last remaining vestiges of Nantucket's industrial waterfront.

The HDC did not follow the demolition policy described in its guidebook, Building With Nantucket in Mind, and public comment was improperly limited in the final meeting where the demolition application was approved on a 3-2 vote.

Your voice can make a difference in the preservation of this building. Join us at the November 5 Select Board meeting at 5:30 PM, 4 Fairgrounds Road, or write a letter to the Select Board. Click the link in our bio for more information!

Liberty Street was laid out in 1678, as part of th

Liberty Street was laid out in 1678, as part of the division of the Wesco Arces Lots. As we enter the darker part of the year, it's easy to see why on Nantucket in the seventeenth and much of eighteenth centuries, houses were customarily constructed to face south, to capture the most light and heat from the sun. On Liberty Street, this means that the houses on the north, or odd numbered, side of the street tend to be older than the ones built on the south side.

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