“The Typical Nantucket Home”
June 16 and 20 Segment
The most common historic house on island is the 2 1/2 story home with four openings per floor along the building’s front. Known as the typical Nantucket house, these dwellings first appeared about 1760 and became the predominant house on island through the early 1800s. Today more than 175 typical Nantucket houses remain in town–by far the largest number of any house form. Although long associated with Quakers, the house was built by others in coastal southeast New England. It was likely adopted here due to its simple functional form–easily adapted to the town’s lanes and narrow lots.