News and Events for Nantucket Island
Nantucket is a place where, in more ways than one, time seems to stand still. Ageless architecture, timeless tradition, and untouched landscapes make this island unique in so many wonderful ways. Modern technology makes better the life of every person, and, though that is an undeniable reality, there’s certainly something to be said for doing things the old way.
During the first 80 years of the United States of America, the China trade helped our new nation’s growth, economically and commercially. Merchants up and down the East Coast, including from Nantucket, sailed East to trade ginseng, furs, sandalwood, and silver for colorful silks, aromatic teas, exquisitely crafted porcelain, and […]
Our island’s history is rich with tales of drama and courage. The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is devoted to sharing these stories, as Dir. of Education Evan Schwanfelder describes them: “Stories of the high seas that rise from the depths of despair to the peak of human hope and […]
Access to quality medical care is key to keeping a community healthy, particularly on an island where, without a hospital, inclement weather could prevent a patient from getting urgently needed care. Nantucket’s first hospital was founded in 1912 in a homestead on West Chester Street. In 1957, the hospital’s facilities […]
Most visitors expect to see portraits of stiffly-posed sea captains or stuffy businessmen in a museum. However, Nantucket’s history is more than white whaling captains and wealthy merchant families. Nantucket Historical Association’s collection contains thousands of painted portraits and studio photographs of people from many parts of the island’s diverse […]
One of the first questions newcomers to Nantucket ask (after do people live here in the winter? and are there schools on Nantucket?) is often “does Nantucket have a hospital?”
The answer, of course, is a resounding YES. And thanks to years of dedication, determination, and dollars raised by generous donors and local residents, in February of 2019 Nantucket Cottage Hospital’s new facilities opened to patients. Thanks to an unprecedented $120 million capital campaign, the largest in Nantucket history, the new hospital was built entirely through private donations: debt-free, using no taxpayer dollars.
If you know the meaning of ACK, either you love Nantucket or you’re a pilot. It was her love of Nantucket that inspired artist and photographer Susan Fairgrieve to start ACK 4170TM four years ago in 2017.
Susan and her husband first visited Nantucket in 2000: “My husband and I would always go to The Vineyard. When a friend suggested we visit Nantucket, we thought we’d give it a try. We did, and we never went back to The Vineyard!”
For more than 45 years Jean Rioux has advocated for the North Atlantic Right Whale and legislation to protect it. She has spent countless summers set up day and night on Main Street or Federal Street offering education, facts, and ways to help. Jean has collected thousands of signatures and shared her passion with each person signing. When COVID-19 struck the island last year, Jean was undeterred.
