The Historic American Building Surveys (HABS), conducted by the National Park Service and other United States private and public agencies, have documented America’s built environment since 1933. Totaling more than 556,900 measured drawings, these surveys include most of the NHA’s historic sites and many other island landmarks. This exhibition highlights the HABS drawings of island historic sites, including Oldest House, Old Mill, Old Gaol, Hadwen House, and more. Each drawing provides a glimpse into a different architectural period and chronicles Nantucket’s dynamic architectural past.
“The NHA has a solid foundation in attracting visitors to its historic sites through tours, programs, and other transformative encounters,” says Sarah Helm, NHA Curatorial and Library Associate. “This exhibit takes that foundation a step further by offering guests the opportunity to appreciate our properties at an artistic and technical level. By focusing on the HABS drawings, which are works of art in and of themselves, we are able to present details that are often overlooked in viewing some of Nantucket’s greatest architectural treasures.”
Architectural Legacies: The NHA’s Historic Sites will be on view at the NHA’s Whitney Gallery at 7 Fair Street through November 2014. The gallery will be open during NHA Research Library hours on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 10 am to 4 pm, and Tuesdays, 11 am to 4 pm. The gallery is closed Wednesdays, weekends and all holidays.