The Nantucket Historical Association is beginning the next phase of restoration work on Nantucket’s iconic Old Mill, built in 1746. The NHA purchased the mill in 1897. In 1992, it was designated as a historic mechanical engineering landmark and is believed to be the oldest working windmill in the United […]
Recent Posts
Saving Our Heritage at Risk of Being Lost
By Suzanne Daub Tucked away on our small island 30 miles off the coast of Massachusetts, one of the most consequential craft preservation programs in the country is carrying on traditions that stretch back centuries. The Heritage Craft program, operated by the Nantucket Historical Association, is making Nantucket a focal […]
Atheneum Shares a World of Ideas with 2026 Geschke Series
Since 2005, the Geschke Series has brought some of the most distinguished voices in journalism, science, literature, education, and culture to the Nantucket Atheneum, continuing its legacy of thoughtful dialogue dating back to 1834. More than just a series of talks, the Geschke Series is a carefully curated intellectual experience. […]
A Special Plant with a Great Name
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhDDirector of Research & Conservation at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Nantucket is home to many rare plant species, but few bear its name. Nantucket Shadbush (Amelanchier nantucketensis) is a globally-rare shrub that was once thought to be limited to our island. This small shrub […]
Sing It with Me
by Steve “Tuna” Tornovish Sing it with me, my fellow fishing types: “It’s the most miserable time of the year…” We Nantucket fishers have been watching for weeks as the striped bass migration moves slowly north from the Chesapeake Bay. Then into the Connecticut River. Throughout the Rhode Island costal […]
NHA Brings The Wider World to Nantucket
This April, the Nantucket Historical Association opened an exciting new Featured Exhibition in their Nantucket Whaling Museum that is designed to take visitors on a trip around the globe. The traveling exhibition The Wider World & Scrimshaw is expansive and culturally far-reaching. Surveying carving traditions that emerged along whaling routes […]
Golden Anniversary
There’s magic that happens on Nantucket in mid-April. The gray days of winter finally give way, the harbor begins to shake off its deep chill, and, seemingly overnight, millions of golden daffodils bloom across our island.
Semper Fi, Michael
If you’re not smart, you need smart friends. Yes you do. And that has long been my motto, the key to whatever limited success that I’ve had over these many years. Thank you, smart friends. You know who you are, I’m sure!
Caterpillar Cacophony
It’s daffy season once again and Nantucketers and visitors alike celebrate this sure sign of spring. As the weather warms up, however, another sign of the season will emerge. Rather, they will hatch. I’m talking about one of my favorite native species, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar (ETC). I have written about the ETC before explaining the natural history and amazing ecology of the species. However, it’s worth mentioning again since this year will be a boom year.
Nantucket Historical Association Launches Social Impact Research Study
The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) is proud to announce the launch of the Measurement of Museum Social Impact (MOMSI) research study, a year-long research project developed to measure how museums impact their communities through education and engagement. This project will be conducted over the course of the year, recruiting local and seasonal […]