We have a precious inheritance in this large group of old houses.
Every effort should be made to keep from harming them when making
changes, and to keep from building dissimilar types of new houses in
the old built-up sections. There is ample room outside of the old
districts or elsewhere on the Island for those who determine to build
a place of modern appearance. Yet one can ride a hobby too hard. The
complete purist is often impracticable. One living in an old house
wants to be comfortable and to have adequate space. There is hardly
an old house in town which has not on its visible exterior--at least
somewhere on its four sides--the marks of modernizing as made by
succeeding generations. Fortunately the fronts as a rule have been
but little marred.
Nantucket can be kept “95% perfect” only by not adding to the visible
detractions on its old houses, and by not building new types amidst
the old. Thus this priceless inheritance will be preserved--and
incidentally the values increased--as such houses become less and
less procurable here and elsewhere. We even venture to hope some of
the present detractions will be removed as time goes on.
So far as more room and modern comforts are concerned, an architect
or builder knowing his old Nantucket can usually plan to provide them
in “doing over” an old house and still not harm its exterior. But all
hope is lost if the roof lines are spoiled by large shed-roof dormers
or a dormer room, and only less disfiguring are large “sun parlors,”
piazzas, exterior chimneys, or flat roofed ells or projections, built
where visible from the front.
To bring home what we mean--imagine that a conflagration sweeps
this town and destroys it. The land would remain, the climate,
sea bathing, sailing, outdoor and indoor sports, and the moors.
Inevitably, however, a part, probably a small part, would be built
up anew and there could be no possible control of the styles. We
would then have a small village like any other modern one along the
Atlantic seaboard, entirely devoid of quaintness, charm or interest.
Nantucket would then be in its second decline, perhaps just as severe
as after the end of the whaling.