We herein concern ourselves only with the visible exteriors of
dwelling houses as viewed from the street. The interiors of the
houses and their furnishings are not treated; nor shops nor public
buildings. It will be apparent also that this is not written for the
architects, particularly those experienced in Nantucket traditions
(there are such).
We will not make the customary historical approach to our subject. It
would over-emphasize what is not the primary purpose. Thus we are not
concerned with the following:
The temporary shelters built at Madaket about 1659.
The houses of the very first town. These were located at and in the
vicinity of Capaum Harbour (now Pond) and Hummock Pond, on the north
shore about one and a half miles from the present town. Only one, a
lean-to type, remains.
Such of these houses or portions thereof which were taken down and
removed to what is now the town of Nantucket.
The oldest remaining house, a lean-to dated 1686.
The one brick of the last quarter of the 18th century on Orange
Street.
The seven brick houses of the second quarter of the 19th century with
parapet brick end gables (six on Main Street and one on Pleasant
Street). Also a number of large houses or mansions of about the same
period built of wood.
The two of temple columned type on Main Street.
The one classical type on Orange Street.
These houses are the frosting on the cake but they are not the cake.
They are all of great interest and will be viewed later herein, but
they are too few to constitute the picture of Nantucket town as a
whole, which consists of about 400 old houses.
Then what are the kinds of houses which do constitute our old
Nantucket? To find out, we have taken a census which analyzes each
house on all or much of the length of most of the streets in the old
sections, viz.: Union, Main to Flora; Orange, Main to Lyon; Fair,
the entire length; Pleasant, Main to and including Moors End; Middle
Main, Fair to the Monument; Upper Main, Monument to head of the
street; Gardner, Main to Liberty; Liberty, near Centre to Gardner;
Pearl, near Centre to North Liberty; Centre, Gay to West Chester;
Lily, Centre to North Liberty; Academy Lane, Centre to Westminster;
Gay, Centre to Westminster; Hussey, Centre to North Liberty; Quince,
Centre to Westminster.
Omitted from this census are the thirty-six acres of the central
district which were completely burned out by the conflagration of
1846 and therefore contain no structures over ninety years of age.
It then, as now, included all of the business section. Many of the
stores, as on Centre Street, were rebuilt quickly in an intended
temporary manner, but the decline of the whaling industry and its
attendant prosperity coinciding with this time, much of the temporary
remained permanent. Fortunately, the numerous new styles had not
arrived in 1846 and many of the dwellings built anew in the burned
area were in the old taste, attractive and dignified. This area was
bounded approximately by
South Wharf and Salem Street,
Both sides of Main, Union to Orange,
Both sides of Centre, Rose Lane to Broad Street,
Both sides of Broad, Centre to No. Water (excluding Ocean House),
Both sides of North Water, Broad to Ash and Sea,
Eastward from all the above to the harbor.
Our drawing, numbered 17, shows the outline of this conflagration
district.