Historic district in Massachusetts, United States
United States historic place
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Nantucket Historic District
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Main Street, Nantucket
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Location
| all of Nantucket Island,
Nantucket, Massachusetts
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Area
| 30,000 acres (12,000 ha)
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Built
| 1686 to 1849
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NRHP reference
No.
| 66000772
[1]
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Added to NRHP
| December 13, 1966
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Designated NHLD
| November 13, 1966
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The
Nantucket Historic District
is a
National Historic Landmark District
that encompasses the entire island of
Nantucket, Massachusetts
. The original December 13, 1966 listing on the
National Register of Historic Places
included only the historic downtown core and the village of
Siasconset
, but was expanded in 1975 to include the entire island, as well as the islands of
Tuckernuck
and
Muskeget
.
[2]
At over 30,000 acres, it is the largest conventional historic National Historic Landmark District by area in the
contiguous United States
.
Much of the district was originally designated as a
local historic district
in 1955, making it one of the earliest historic districts in the
United States
, along with the
Charleston Historic District
in
Charleston, South Carolina
, and the
Vieux Carre Historic District
in
New Orleans
. Since 1955, the Nantucket Historic District Commission has been the governing authority charged with overseeing the island's preservation.
[3]
[4]
History
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edit
]
Nantucket is a uniquely preserved
New England
seaport, largely developed during the late 18th and early 19th centuries when the
whaling
industry dominated the town's economy. By 1774, Nantucket accounted for about sixty percent of the New England whaling fleet. In 1840, the town's population peaked at roughly 9,000. However, during the years that followed, several events occurred that resulted in a dramatic downturn in the island's fortunes. By this time, the nearby mainland port of
New Bedford, Massachusetts
had surpassed Nantucket as the leading whaling port in the nation. Also during this time, the formation of sand bars prevented the increasingly larger ships from entering Nantucket Harbor, forcing the industry to shift to nearby
Edgartown
on
Martha's Vineyard
. Another blow came in 1846, when a great fire destroyed much of the town's commercial center and wharves. By the end of the 19th century, when much of the country was experiencing dramatic growth, Nantucket's population had fallen to just 3,000. Thus, the existence of Nantucket's historic buildings is largely due to the island being forgotten for more than half a century, as its architecture survived through neglect. In 1894, the first preservation efforts on Nantucket occurred with a campaign to save the "Old Mill", a 1746 windmill built by Nathan Wilbur. In 1897, the mill was purchased at auction and donated to the Nantucket Historical Association.
[5]
During this period, new construction began to reflect the island's historic character.
[6]
The oldest buildings within the historic district date from the late 17th century. Built mostly of wood, they are utilitarian in style with little ornamentation or detail. In the period that followed the
American Revolution
, with the rise in whaling wealth, more ornate buildings were constructed by sea captains and merchants in the
Federal style
. Among these is the Second Congressional Meetinghouse, built in 1809. The most outstanding buildings are situated on Main and Orange Streets, such as the Hadwen-Wright House at 94 Main Street. Immediately following the devastating fire of 1846, the entire commercial district was rebuilt with new two and three-story brick buildings.
[7]
The rebuilt area is dominated by the predominant
Greek Revival
style of the 1840s.
[8]
It was not until the 1990s that Nantucket's population surpassed its 1840 peak of 9,000. The island's economy is now mostly based on seasonal tourism, which has put increased pressure on its historic properties. In 2000, the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
placed Nantucket on its 2000 list of
America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
, noting that while "Nantucket has a long history of commitment to preservation, an upsurge in the destructive practices of "teardowns" and "gut rehabs," along with the inappropriate sizing and siting of new homes, are dramatically altering the heritage, cultural landscape, and quality of community life on the island."
[9]
Contributing properties
[
edit
]
A partial list of
contributing properties
within the Nantucket Historic District includes:
See also
[
edit
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References
[
edit
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External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Nantucket
.
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41°16′59.61″N
70°05′51.29″W
/
41.2832250°N 70.0975806°W
/
41.2832250; -70.0975806