The Project Gutenberg eBook of "95% perfect"

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: "95% perfect"

The older residences at Nantucket

Author: Everett Uberto Crosby

Release date: December 19, 2024 [eBook #74940]

Language: English

Original publication: Nantucket, Mass: The Inquirer and Mirror Press, 1937

Credits: Carol Brown, Steve Mattern and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK "95% PERFECT" ***

Characteristic Rear Ells and Lean-to

“95 % PERFECT”

The Older Residences

at

Nantucket

Viewed and Analyzed

by

Everett U. Crosby

COPYRIGHT 1937

BY

EVERETT U. CROSBY

PREFACE

This book is dedicated to those who assist in keeping unmarred, the old Nantucket dwellings.

Its object is to be of assistance to that end.

The drawings are by Mr. Alfred Shurrocks, photographs by the Pivirotto Studio, the printing by The Inquirer and Mirror Press—all of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

The following organizations, while in no way responsible for the preparation of the book, or for the subject matter in it, wish to be herein recorded as in sympathy with a continued movement to preserve the architecture of old Nantucket in every possible detail:

- Nantucket Historical Association, Chas. E. Congdon, Pres.

- Nantucket Civic League, William L. Mather, Pres.

- Nantucket Plant Guild, Mrs. William Wallace, Vice Pres.

- The Winter Club, Fred V. Fuller, Sec.

E. U. C.

CONTENTS

Page

5.

Preface

6.

Contents

7.

“95% Perfect”

8.

Periods

8-9.

Doing Over Old Houses

9-10.

Analysis

11-12.

Census

13.

The Typical House

14.

Description of the Drawings

15-19.

Typical Houses: Drawings.

20-21.

Window Frames and Sash: Drawings.

22-23.

The Altered House: Drawings and Description.

24.

Conflagration District of 1846: Map

25.

Alterations

29.

Early Influences

27-30.

Details of Old Houses. Back side or Rear. Roof Coverings. White Trim. Blinds. Conductors. Front Doorway. Entry. Windows. Roof Walks. High Basements. Cupolas and Roof Balustrades. 95% to 85% Perfect.

31.

Dated Houses

32.

Conclusion

33-68.

Photographs of Old Houses

69-74.

Descriptions of Nantucket

1772—M. St. Jean de Crevecoeur: Letters From An American Farmer.

1791—Walter Folger, jun.

1792—Zaccheus Macy

1801—Josiah Quincy

1807—Anonymous

1811—Joseph Sansom; The Portfolio, Phila.

1850 (before and after)—Joseph E. C. Farnham: Memories of Boyhood Days on Nantucket.

1876—S. A. Drake: Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast.

1882—E. K. Godfrey

1924—Walter Prichard Eaton

75.

Chimneys, Old and New: From a painting by Kwaiseki Sadakata.

“95% PERFECT”

This phrase was used by a writer several decades ago to describe the dwelling house architecture of the old town of Nantucket, and since then has been generally accepted. It symbolizes the state of mind of most people who come to this remote island town, traverse its streets and view its houses. They all sense that there is something in the mass or total of dwelling houses that is different from what they are accustomed to elsewhere. The effect is pervading, pleasing and peaceful. It causes them to picture a town of years ago remaining unchanged by the march of time.

Many of us instinctively realize in part the causes of this strong and lasting impression.

First—The dwellings are mostly located close to the street, often directly on the edge of the sidewalk. They are not set back with yards or lawns in front.

Second—The breadth of the house usually occupies much of the lot so that adjacent houses are but a few feet, often a few inches, apart. The gardens, as well as the flapping clothes lines, the additions and the extensions, are at the rear; usually out of sight from the street. These rear (and side) ells and projections are a general characteristic of the old houses. Similar new additions if done in the proper way, with gable roofs or lean-to roofs, can be most pleasing.

Third—Uniformity in architectural type, style, material and colors, within a limited range, is quite general and more responsible than any other single feature for the exceptional and unique ensemble. Elsewhere, in the off-islander’s hometown, each block or section is apt to have a medley of types, perhaps in close proximity—as an original colonial house and in succession a bungalow, a mid-Victorian and then a Georgian mansion, a gingerbread pattern house of the 1880 period, followed by a woman’s magazine suburban type, and perhaps many others. Each may be very good of its kind and suit the taste of its owner and belong in certain places. But the appeal at Nantucket is in not having enough of these varying styles to spoil the picture; hardly enough to mar it, in the old part of the town.

PERIODS

The architecture of the dwellings of Nantucket may be divided into three periods:

The English mode of the settlers. This is the early Colonial; the lean-to type. Say, from the time of building the first houses up to about 1740.

The next arbitrary division is the architecture of the Colonial and early Federal times, approximately, as far as Nantucket is concerned, dating from prior to the Revolutionary War to about 1830. Most of our old dwellings belong in this division.

Finally, the Classic period. Commencing about 1830 and continuing to about 1860, after which there was not much building of consequence of any dwellings which need to be considered here.

DOING OVER OLD HOUSES

Each year people from off-island, yielding to the lure of Nantucket, buy old houses, or occasionally build new ones, for seasonal occupancy. For many such the season is lengthening year by year. The spring and fall are glorious in this island climate. The diversions and occupations many and amply absorbing.

Such people almost invariably want an “old” house. From an investment viewpoint alone an old or old-style house sells or rents much more readily and for higher prices than a modern-type structure. Many prospective customers will not look at the latter.

There is a surprisingly large number of competent local carpenter-builders, masons, painters, plumbers and electricians resident on the Island. They can undertake and properly execute practically any work that is likely to be specified. Many of them are glad to assist in carrying out the old Nantucket traditions, but there have been some who frankly had no love for the old; building a house for themselves they would abandon every old feature; there have been a few with very unique ideas of what they call “antique;” so it is essential that strict care be exercised in making additions or building new structures to see that the right designs and details are both adopted and executed.

How can this much desired end be accomplished? It has been suggested that an illustrated book with simple analysis and exposition of this subject would help. This book is an endeavor to be of such assistance.

ANALYSIS

We herein concern ourselves only with the visible exteriors of dwelling houses as viewed from the street. The interiors of the houses and their furnishings are not treated; nor shops nor public buildings. It will be apparent also that this is not written for the architects, particularly those experienced in Nantucket traditions (there are such).

We will not make the customary historical approach to our subject. It would over-emphasize what is not the primary purpose. Thus we are not concerned with the following:

The temporary shelters built at Madaket about 1659.

The houses of the very first town. These were located at and in the vicinity of Capaum Harbour (now Pond) and Hummock Pond, on the north shore about one and a half miles from the present town. Only one, a lean-to type, remains.

Such of these houses or portions thereof which were taken down and removed to what is now the town of Nantucket.

The oldest remaining house, a lean-to dated 1686.

The one brick of the last quarter of the 18th century on Orange Street.

The seven brick houses of the second quarter of the 19th century with parapet brick end gables (six on Main Street and one on Pleasant Street). Also a number of large houses or mansions of about the same period built of wood.

The two of temple columned type on Main Street.

The one classical type on Orange Street.

These houses are the frosting on the cake but they are not the cake.

They are all of great interest and will be viewed later herein, but they are too few to constitute the picture of Nantucket town as a whole, which consists of about 400 old houses.

Then what are the kinds of houses which do constitute our old Nantucket? To find out, we have taken a census which analyzes each house on all or much of the length of most of the streets in the old sections, viz.: Union, Main to Flora; Orange, Main to Lyon; Fair, the entire length; Pleasant, Main to and including Moors End; Middle Main, Fair to the Monument; Upper Main, Monument to head of the street; Gardner, Main to Liberty; Liberty, near Centre to Gardner; Pearl, near Centre to North Liberty; Centre, Gay to West Chester; Lily, Centre to North Liberty; Academy Lane, Centre to Westminster; Gay, Centre to Westminster; Hussey, Centre to North Liberty; Quince, Centre to Westminster.

Omitted from this census are the thirty-six acres of the central district which were completely burned out by the conflagration of 1846 and therefore contain no structures over ninety years of age. It then, as now, included all of the business section. Many of the stores, as on Centre Street, were rebuilt quickly in an intended temporary manner, but the decline of the whaling industry and its attendant prosperity coinciding with this time, much of the temporary remained permanent. Fortunately, the numerous new styles had not arrived in 1846 and many of the dwellings built anew in the burned area were in the old taste, attractive and dignified. This area was bounded approximately by

- South Wharf and Salem Street,

- Both sides of Main, Union to Orange,

- Both sides of Centre, Rose Lane to Broad Street,

- Both sides of Broad, Centre to No. Water (excluding Ocean House),

- Both sides of North Water, Broad to Ash and Sea,

- Eastward from all the above to the harbor.

Our drawing, numbered 17, shows the outline of this conflagration district.

CENSUS

The purpose is to analyze each house in respect to a considerable number of predominant features so as to arrive at totals which will indicate the prevailing characteristics of the old houses. These are exterior features on the front of the house or conspicuously visible from the street.

In these old districts we have tabulated 319 old dwellings, interspersed with 46 of modern or mixed design. As this includes about two-thirds of the old houses, it is representative of the whole as the rest are known to be of the same types.

Here is the list of features and the number of times each was recorded:

- Walls—wood 311; brick 8.

- Exterior Surface of Front Wall—shingles 179; clapboards 132; brick 8.

- Exposed Foundations—brick 246; stone 65; modern replacements 8.

- Height of Foundation above Ground, viz., height of first floor above ground—

- High (generally with 3 or 4 panes of glass vertically in basement windows) 140.

- Low (generally 1 or 2 steps to first floor; without basement windows) 97.

- Intermediate (between high and low) 82.

- Number of Stories—two 271; one and one-half 30; one 16; three 2.

- Roof Type—gable 287; lean-to 19; hip 8; gambrel 5.

- Windows—total panes of glass in the two sashes—twelve 216; twenty-four 49; eighteen 4.

- Modern viz., two or four 50.

- Dormers in front roof—the narrow gable roof, old type 29; wide or with shed roof 23.

- Roof Walks—35 Cupolas—14 Front Roof Balustrades—11.

- Door Location—toward one side of the front 227; at center of front 92.

- Chimney Location—central 132; to one side of center 109; near side of building 78.

- Main chimneys were always of brick, generally with six or less flues, now plastered or painted above roof and located at or near the ridge at interior of building.

- Modern Detractions—noted occasionally in the 319 old houses:

- Modern windows of four or two sheets of glass—50

- Modern piazza or porch, generally with flat roof—51

- Modern front door—odd panels, golden oak, plate glass, etc.—46

- Modern bay window—35

- Slim chimneys—23

- Hood over front door with fancy gingerbread detail—13

- Large lattice arbor obscuring front door—8

- Conspicuous “sun parlors”—12

Other features. It was gratifying to observe that the following did not appear at all on the old houses or with sufficient frequency to note:

- Fancy shingles—as in belts on walls and roofs or scalloped or diamond-shaped

- Outside chimneys—including those of cobblestone

- Gingerbread trim—except on hoods over front doors

- Cement blocks—particularly those professing to simulate artificial stone

- Conspicuous cement steps and walks to front door

- Modern brick—such as the yellow and tapestry varieties

- Conspicuous bright paint colors—particularly on blinds and doors

THE TYPICAL HOUSE

The conclusions from this analysis are inescapable, although they may never have occurred to us, viz.:

The vast majority of old Nantucket houses are of one type. Therefore it is this type that must largely make the picture of the town. This is it:

Wood walls, covered with shingles or clapboards, with the shingles weathered gray or painted. The colors of shingles (when painted) and of clapboards and trim are white, cream, gray, yellow or brown. White predominates. The exterior window and front door blinds (shutters) are painted dark green.

Basement is high with walls of brick, painted or plastered and with windows of considerable size in these walls. This high basement is a distinctly Nantucket characteristic.

Or to a somewhat less extent, the basement is low to the ground or somewhat so without any or sizeable cellar windows.

The house is two stories in height with attic.

Roof is gable type without dormers. The pitch of the gable roof is generally 9”, to 12” horizontal measurement but not less than 8” pitch.

The chimney is brick, plastered or painted gray, massive, usually containing six flues, located near the ridge and at the center or to one side of the center.

The front door is at one side of the center of the front or, less frequently, at the center.

Windows are of two sashes (with 12 to 24 lights to a window), viz., from 6 to 12 lights to a sash. 12 to a window predominates on the front.

Such is our typical house.

This does not mean that the recognized old style variations from this predominant type are out of order. Far from it. Most excellent are low ledgestone foundations with or without plaster covering. One story, one and a half story and three story structures. Lean-to, gambrel and hip roofs. Interior end chimneys and small gable roofed front dormers.

THE DRAWINGS

Referring to that marked Nos. 1 to 9, it will be observed that No. 1 shows the front and side of a lean-to house of the 1st period. The settlers built lean-to houses. So did the next generations. Houses of one story, of one and one-half story and of two story height in front.

All the other houses on the page are of the 2nd period; that is to say, the Colonial and early Federal times. It is obvious they are a natural development from the lean-to house.

All have gable roofs except No. 8 with gambrel roof, and No. 9 with hip roof.

Drawing No. 10 shows a low basement house, with correct front door panels, lean-to projection and two-story ell.

No. 11 is the more frequently found variety of the old houses, having the high basement peculiar to Nantucket, an off-side front door and center-central massive chimney. Note the wooden down spout conductors and four pane high, basement windows.

No. 13. Here we see the correct small, gable roof, dormer windows and the walk at the roof ridge, access to which was gained through a trap door (skylight).

Nos. 14 and 15. These illustrate the plank frames of windows. Observe the projection of the planks from the face of wall. These are an essential to a Nantucket house of old type.

Nos. 1 TO 9

[TN: Double-click to enlarge image]

No. 10

No. 11

No. 12

No. 13

No. 14

OLDER WINDOWS CIRCA 1725-1760

No. 15

THE ALTERED HOUSE

No. 16

THE ALTERED HOUSE

Drawing No. 16

This shows what was once a perfect Nantucket house but successive owners have altered it till nothing of the original remains in view except two windows. Somebody raised the house and used artificial stone cement blocks in the foundations as well as in the battlemented steps to the piazza which has giant columns resting on miniature anti-rot pipe supports holding up a large flat roof which but partly conceals a huge exterior cobblestone chimney.

Cement steps and galvanized iron pipe hand rails lead up to the golden oak front door containing a large beveled plate glass, all surmounted by a hood held up by supporting brackets of jig-saw design.

A belt of fancy scalloped and diamond-shaped shingles extends across the front wall and large sheets of glass replace the small window panes. There is a large bay window.

At the far side a “sun parlor” transforms that end of the structure and a wide shed roof dormer completely changes the main roof.

We do not intend to comment adversely on these changes in respect to their individual merits, our purpose being to point out that one cannot make them and retain an old house.

SECTION OF TOWN DESTROYED BY FIRE 1846

No. 17

ALTERATIONS

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.

EARLY INFLUENCES

It is interesting to contemplate what influenced our prevailing architecture. First, as in many other affairs, it was the almighty dollar. In the 18th century, and much of the first quarter of the 19th, there was little spare cash available on this Island. That which was accumulated, and more, was needed for outfitting ships. Hence the houses were built inexpensively and of moderate size.

Second, the Quakers put their indelible stamp on Nantucket houses, particularly those built from 1750 to 1825. Worth tells us the Society of Friends reached its highest tide of membership and influence on the Island a few years prior to the opening of the 19th century. At this time the population of Nantucket was about 5,600 and nearly one-half attended Friends Meeting. The most potent cause of the decline of Quakerism was the enforcement of their discipline. They required utmost simplicity and utmost plainness in detail of their houses. He recites an event which took place as late as 1790, when Job Macy was building his house on Mill Street. When his father discovered that the plan was to erect a house of two stories, both front and rear, without a lean-to and a long north sloping roof, he expostulated with Job for the innovation and vowed that if the house was built in the new style as proposed he would never enter it, and tradition is that he never did. An incident of the same nature and of about the same time is reported by Hussey. When a certain house near Stone Alley was being erected from frames made on the mainland, it was found to be upright all around, the back two stories high like the front and so without the regulation long back roof. To some of the Islanders this caused uneasiness, as being likely to introduce change and extravagance. A citizens’ meeting was convened and the owner requested to cut down the back posts. Good man as he was, he complied.

Third, relative affluence, when it came, was derived from or had its origin in the sea. It was possessed by the ship captains and ship owners. They were influenced by the balance and carpentry of ships. This extended to their dwellings. During the latter part of the prosperity period, approximately from 1825 to 1860, some of these men had become merchants and capitalists. They enjoyed themselves on shore and built the few mansions with which we are familiar.

DETAILS OF OLD HOUSES

Back Side or Rear of Houses. Fortunately most of these are not seen from the street, due to the proximity of adjacent houses. This is the first place for extensions and additions, such as a first floor kitchen with its small chimney, more sleeping rooms, and if one must or needs, and the compass points allow, a “sun parlor,” a columned piazza, French doors, wide dormers, even (but we hope not) the dormer room in the rear roof, and pergolas. If understanding care is exercised, part of this can be well done.

Roof Coverings. Regret it as one may, but quite properly under the fire ordinances, wood shingle roofs are fast disappearing, with the shadow lines cast by the thick shingle butts. It is, however, feasible to use individual non-inflammable shingles of dark gray or black which are inconspicuous, and if one has the price and inclination and strength of rafters, an asbestos reproduction of old shingles, absolutely faithful to type and attractive, is available and should be employed, as see the house at 86 Centre Street.

White Trim. We venture to make note of the largely prevailing present custom of painting white the exterior trim of houses, including particularly the window casings, referring only to the houses where the exterior walls are not painted white but are of shingles, weathered gray. This has the effect of outlining the windows and the edges of the facades with extreme emphasis. Attention is directed to those weathered gray shingled houses where, instead, the trim has been painted in harmony and not in sharp contrast to the gray. For this purpose some shades of gray paint have been used, and in some of the older houses a dull brown. The owner of such a gray shingled house, planning to re-paint the exterior, should look at the examples referred to and consider whether they would please his taste. In the early days of paint a red color was used, doubtless appearing as a dull reddish brown. In altering very old houses it has been found on the exterior of the beveled boards which were the outside of the wall when no shingles or clapboards were used.

Blinds. The louvered (slanted slat) blinds on exterior walls at windows and front doors began to come into use about 1840. They certainly do dress up a house but otherwise have little or no use at Nantucket. A really old house is in the best of taste without them and with a saving of expense. Always (on an old house) they should be painted a dark green. The earliest were quite heavy, without moveable louvers. Most now in existence are lighter weight and usually with tilting slats, an unnecessary provision. Solid paneled shutters, general in many parts of the country, as at Philadelphia, were not used at Nantucket.

Conductors. Fortunately, modern sheet metal down spouts from gutters to take the water down to or under ground are inconspicuous. They have been freely used to replace the older spouts which have decayed. It is, however, feasible, desirable and quite inexpensive to replace with wooden down spouts of either circular or square section like the originals.

Front Doorway. This opening into the house was closed by a door of six raised panels with flush mouldings, the topmost pair of panels small, and very seldom taken out and replaced with glass. A characteristic of these doors was that the middle rail was wide, almost 10”, with the bottom rail much narrower. Many of the old doorways had no glass about them, but as time advanced glass was used across the top of the doorway, spoken of as a top light or transom, and glass was employed vertically on either side of the door, known as sidelights. Very infrequently at Nantucket the muntins of the top light radiate from the center to either a circular or oval top, known as a fanlight.

Architectural ornamentation on the exterior wall surrounding the doorway, known as the frontispiece, was not employed in the older houses, many of which had plain plank frames with a header, but after the Revolution the frontispiece came more and more into use, but even then was not highly ornate. Many frontispieces now seen on the old houses were added in the period from 1800 to 1850 and followed the designs in English architectural books. Recessed doorways appeared in the classic period, accompanied by fewer panels and heavier mouldings. Plain double-boarded outside doors were undoubtedly used in the oldest houses. Paneled doors appeared in Nantucket probably about 1730.

Entry. The modern name for this is vestibule. Reference is to the enclosed projection over the front door infrequently found on the old houses. This had a gable roof and sometimes side windows. It generally entered directly into the stairway hall or, in older times, into the kitchen. It usually occurred that entries were not constructed with the original house but added subsequently.

Windows. At Nantucket, prior to about 1720, leaded panes were used. From then on to around 1790 small panes, about 5” × 7”, were used with wooden muntins, and mostly three lights wide. From about 1790 to about 1825 glass was generally about 7” × 9” with 24 lights, except that many narrow panes were used with less number of lights. Muntins grew smaller as time advanced. From about 1825 on, 12 lights were mostly used, with 8” × 10” and 10” × 14” glass, almost invariably 3 lights wide. The large panes (sheet glass) came into general use soon after the Civil War, about 1865, using one or two such panes to a sash. While our census shows in the old houses a large proportion having but 12 panes to a front window, it is a fact that in a majority of these houses part or all of the side windows and the rear windows are apt to be of 24 panes. Therefore at some period the front windows had been replaced to conform to the even then changing mode and the improved financial status of the owner, or frequently second-hand material was employed in building a new house, when old multi-paned sash was used at the rear and the sides while new 6-light sash were built for the front.

Window frames on old houses were of plank and projected from the wall. See drawings No. 14 and No. 15. It is most important to faithfully continue this practice in all alterations and new construction. The Nantucket carpenters are accustomed to make such frames.

Roof Walks. You will observe from quotations of old writings to be found later in this book that they were most frequent. They are not today, our analysis showing but 35 in a total of 319 houses. It has been stated that after the decline of whaling these walks were taken down when they got out of repair and since they no longer served a useful purpose. They were called “walks,” and for the purpose of identification they are here spoken of as roof walks. How the late William F. Macy decried their being called “captains’ walks” or “widows’ walks!”

High Basements. The massive chimneys were frequently of large area at the lowest level. This was for a bake oven and cooking fireplace, located in the basement. These basements extended several feet above and below the ground level, with ample windows, generally four panes high, and contained the kitchen, sometimes spoken of as the winter kitchen. The basements were sheltered from the wind and cold during the winter season.

Cupolas and Roof Balustrades. These were not employed here until about 1800, mostly 1830 to 1860, and are not much in evidence.

“95% Perfect.” Manifestly this was a generalization to crystallize an impression, yet our census analysis of 365 houses in the old districts shows but 46 modern or mixed type, intermingled; say 12½%. On the old houses we find various added modern detractions, frequently several kinds on one house, but many of them not serious. So let us estimate that these old-district dwellings are still 85% perfect—an astonishingly large percentage of unharmed oldness to be found in this day and generation in over 400 closely grouped houses. We have much to be thankful for.

DATED HOUSES

Many exterior features assist in suggesting the approximate date or origin of an old house and a knowledge of what is behind the exterior would allow a more accurate conclusion. But this information is not needed for our purposes.

We would like to say, however, that fixing a precise year date for the building of a house is most difficult here in Nantucket, just as it has been found to be, for those attempting to do so, in respect to old houses at off-island locations. There is no evidence of building material being derived from trees growing on this Island except by the early settlers. Statements found in early writings speak of house frames being brought from the mainland. There is knowledge of much timber and lumber and shingles being brought, principally from Maine, but also from New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Packets made frequent voyages to Maine in the early days. Even firewood was brought from the mainland. Hence, second-hand building material was saved and used again and even again, including window-sash and doors. Houses were frequently moved in whole or in part. There are many larger and more expensive houses on the sites of smaller, older ones. Occasionally houses were removed to make room for lawns and to give more light and air to the remaining houses. In the years after the decline and demise of the whaling industry, great numbers were taken down and the material shipped away, often to distant points, or used for local firewood. As an illustration, Messrs. George C. Gardner and Allen Smith are reported to have taken down some 270 houses during a decade or more after the Civil War, many being sent to Cape Cod, at times cut into bays and shipped on deck.

Old Deeds and Wills record a certain lot of land “with house thereon.” Frequently, this causes the present-day owner to willingly assume that his present “house thereon” is the same. The number of houses out of this 319, where evidence could be adduced which would stand in a court of law, showing the year in which the existing house was built, are very few. But what of it, so long as we do not fool ourselves. The error in fixing the precise date of the building of a house is well described by Worth in Nant. Hist. Assn. V. 2, Bul. 5, which might be read to advantage by those who set much store in exact dates.

CONCLUSION

Simplicity, directness, proportion, balance and truth of expression are the fundamentals of this architectural style. In our modern, quantity production, machine age, with forms and materials largely new and constantly changing, old Nantucket town offers to many whose taste is not for the restless experimental new but for the proven old, a haven of rest, peace, comfort and constant delight.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Sufficient houses have been photographed to illustrate fully the text. They have been well chosen for this purpose but are no more interesting, in their oldness, than the much greater number which we regret not showing, due to a limit of size for this book.

Here you will find houses of the three periods with all the described characteristics: old and new; good and bad.

The architectural details desired are shown as viewed in November and May. Admittedly, much more charming views of a number could be obtained from different angles or distances or when the foliage is on and the shadows present.

15 PEARL ST.

109 MAIN ST.

19 LIBERTY ST.

ACADEMY HILL

58 FAIR ST.

3 ACADEMY LANE

43 CENTRE ST.

47 CENTRE ST.

51 CENTRE ST.

2 CHESTER ST.

60 CLIFF ROAD

15 FAIR ST.

29 AND 31 FAIR ST.

60 FAIR ST.

10 GARDNER ST.

16 GARDNER ST.

5 GAY ST.

2 GORHAM’S COURT

15 LIBERTY ST.

26 LIBERTY ST.

27 AND 29 LIBERTY ST.

31 LILY ST.

72 MAIN ST.

75 MAIN ST.

78 MAIN ST.

85 AND 87 MAIN ST.

91 MAIN ST.

94 MAIN ST.

95 MAIN ST.

96 MAIN ST.

98 MAIN ST.

99 MAIN ST.

100 MAIN ST.

102 MAIN ST.

105 MAIN ST.

117 MAIN ST.

121 MAIN ST.

139 MAIN ST.

153 MAIN ST.

9 MILK ST.

11 MILK ST.

21 MILK ST.

8 MILL ST.

9 MILL ST.

17 No. LIBERTY ST.

47 No. LIBERTY ST.

15 No. WATER ST.

23 No. WATER ST.

5 ORANGE ST.

“THE BLOCK,” ORANGE ST.

14 ORANGE ST.

40 ORANGE ST.

33 ORANGE ST.

53 ORANGE ST.

18 PEARL ST.

28 PEARL ST.

43 PEARL ST.

8 PINE ST.

10 PINE ST.

18 PINE ST.

7 PLEASANT ST.

8 PLEASANT ST.

15 PLEASANT ST.

19 PLEASANT ST.

9 QUINCE ST.

2 WEST SILVER ST.

SUNSET HILL

18 UNION ST.

21 UNION ST.

DESCRIPTIONS OF NANTUCKET

The people for whom the old dwellings were built and the conditions under which they lived were responsible for the architecture.

Here are extracts from most of the older writings, and some later ones, which writings should be read in full by those interested.

1772—This is the date the author (Crevecoeur) of Letters From An American Farmer, by J. Hector St. John, visited this island. The “Letters” were written in English and first published in London in 1782. There was a French edition of 1784 and one of 1787. This is the earliest descriptive writing of Nantucket with which we are familiar. It consists of nearly one hundred pages, with a map, and should be read entire by all who love their old Nantucket. Subsequent articles and histories of the Island have not failed to make use of what St. John wrote.

It is best to state that M. St. Jean de Crevecoeur may not have been accurate in some details, as for instance the extent to which building frames and foundations were brought from the mainland. The writer of 1807 quoted hereinafter says of St. John’s Letters.

… “his pictures, though striking likenesses, are always flattering. Another objection is that he is frequently erroneous in minute and unimportant circumstances. He gives the contour and character of the face exactly though, as said before, in too favorable a light, but he makes strange mistakes in the sleeve of a coat or the strap of a shoe. If the reader has good nature enough to pardon these two faults, he will peruse the Letters with perpetual delight.”

The following quotations are assembled from the “Letters:”

“The Island has nothing deserving of notice but its inhabitants; here you meet with neither ancient monuments, spacious halls, solemn temples nor elegant dwellings; not a citadel nor any kind of fortification, not even a battery to rend the air. Their rural improvements are all of the most simple and useful kind. Sherburn is the only town on the Island, which consists of about 530 houses that have been framed on the main. They are lathed and plastered within, handsomely painted and boarded without. Each has a cellar underneath, built with stones also fetched from the main. They are all of a similar construction in appearance, plain and entirely devoid of exterior or interior ornament. I observed but one which was built of bricks, belonging to Mr. ——, but like the rest it is unadorned. Quayes is a small but valuable tract long since purchased by Mr. Coffin where he has erected the best house on the Island. The differences which I observed in the people are founded on nothing more than the good or ill success of their maritime enterprises and do not proceed from education. That is the same through every class: simple, useful and unadorned, like their dress and their houses. They are well acquainted with the cheapest method of procuring lumber from the Kennebeck and Penobscot Rivers. All their houses are neat, convenient and comfortable. Some of them are filled with two families, for when the husbands are at sea the wives require less house room. Those who possess the greatest fortunes at present belong to the Society of Friends. They yearly go to different parts of this continent, constantly engaged in sea affairs. Sometimes they have emigrated like bees. Some have settled on the famous river Kennebeck, clearing the heaviest timbered land in America, and instead of entirely consuming their timber as we are obliged to do, some parts of it are converted into useful articles for exportation, such as staves, boards, hoops, barrels, etc. For that purpose they keep a correspondence with their native island, and I know many of the principal inhabitants of Sherburn, who though merchants and living at Nantucket, yet possess valuable farms, on that river, from whence they draw a great part of their substance, meat, grain, firewood, etc. Yet there are not at Nantucket so many wealthy people, after having considered their great successes. The reason of this, I believe, is that their island supplies the town with little or nothing (with few families excepted). Everyone must procure what they want from the main. Here are neither Scotch, Irish nor French, as in the case in most other settlements. They are an unmixed English breed.”

1791—By Walter Folger, jun., dated Nantucket, May 21, (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll.)

“In 1790 the whole number of inhabitants was 4619. They for the most part are a robust and enterprising people, mostly seamen and mechanics. It is no strange thing to see the same man occupy the station of a merchant, at other times that of a husbandman or of a blacksmith or of a cooper or of a number of other occupations.”

1792—By Zaccheus Macy, dated Nantucket, 15th of 5th mo. 1792 (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll.)

“In the year 1659 Thomas Macy removed with his family from Salisbury to the west end of the island to a place called Madakit harbour. Thither came four from Martha’s Vineyard for the sake of gunning and lived with them as boarders. At that time there were near 3000 Indians on Nantucket. They were willing to sell their land and the English went on purchasing, beginning at the west end of the island.”

Further on, Mr. Macy, alluding to the then (1792) status of affairs on the island, states:

“A great many of our most substantial men, lured by the hope of large bounties, have moved from the island, some to England, some to France and others to Halifax, where they carry on the whale fishery. This is a great damage to us. If these persons had carried away with them their part of the poor it would have lightened our burden, for we now have 215 widows, of whom not thirty are able to support themselves without the assistance of friends and neighbors and some are maintained by the town. We have besides a great number of poor, but we have a considerable number of able and industrious men who carry on the whale fishery.”

1801—Josiah Quincy made a journey through the southeast parts of New England in 1801. He kept a diary which is most interesting reading. (Mass. Hist. Soc. Proc.) The following are brief quotations from it:

“The town of Nantucket appears from the harbor as large as Salem but exhibits no marks of elegance or splendour. With one or two exceptions they (the houses) are built wholly of wood and have but two stories. By far the greater number are without paint and with those which have it, red is the predominant color. They are built generally upon the street. The almost total want of trees, houses and fences in the interior part of the island makes the road very uninteresting. Once in every two or three miles a single farmhouse appears, surrounded by half a dozen dwarf cherry trees. Such an assemblage is a wood on Nantucket, where there is not a tree of native growth. We dined with Dr. and Mrs. Easton.”

1807—A writer, under date of Aug. 1, 1807, (Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll.) states:

“The town stands on the west side of the harbour and is a mile and a half in length and a third of a mile in breadth. It contains 850 dwelling houses (including 15 at Podpis, Quayz, Squam, etc.) 63 stores, a great number of shops, besides candle works, rope walks, etc., five wharves and five windmills. The town, with exception of one or two houses, is built of wood. The houses are generally two stories in height; some of them have clapboards in front; but the greatest part of them are covered with shingles. Several of them are painted green. They are convenient buildings, but there is not much elegance in their appearance.”

Later on in his notes, he states:

“House lots in the town sell for from $100 to $200 a square rod; rents are low, few exceeding $100 a year. The greatest part of the houses are owned by those who live in them. The present number of inhabitants is estimated at 6730.”

1811—Joseph Sansom, in The Port Folio, Jan. 1811:

“The Nantucket stores and houses are built of timber, are mostly painted red or white and are crowned by the steeples, or rather towers, of two Presbyterian meeting houses. Several new streets have been laid out in straight lines and a number of houses have been built within a year or two with ceilings of 10 feet high. This, however, is considered a piece of useless extravagance, the old-fashioned stories of eight or nine feet being generally reckoned high enough, and to spare. Every other house in this seafaring place has a lookout upon the roof or a vane at the gable end; to see what ships have arrived from sea or whether the wind is fair for the packets.”

1850 (before and after)—

Joseph E. C. Farnham was born in Nantucket in 1849. He was a keen observer of the people of the Island and their customs and wrote at considerable length “Brief Historical Data and Memories of My Boyhood Days at Nantucket.” It delightfully describes the town at the close of the whaling era.

Worth observes that “the gambrel-roofed house never attracted the attention of the Nantucket people. The few that are still standing were erected after 1750. After the Revolution, when prosperity dawned on the Island, the common type of house was the square two-story structure, with large center chimney, numerous examples of which are to be seen. The same regard for ancient houses has also led people to retain the large center chimney. While in many towns desire for increased room or for the appearance of a small chimney has led house owners to replace the old structure with one greatly inferior in size, at Nantucket the disposition has prevailed to keep without change this distinguishing mark of the 18th century construction.”

1876—Nantucket after the end of the whaling, at its lowest ebb. Read “Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast” by S. A. Drake.

1882—This date is early in a new period of prosperity due to the summer visitors. The back log and fore log of this growing and practically only sizeable remaining “industry” are now the owners and renters of houses. Visitors used to come for a “vacation” of a few days or weeks, but now they stay the season or longer. Read “Island of Nantucket, What It Was and What It Is” by E. K. Godfrey.

1924—From an article by Walter Prichard Eaton:

Individually, and in the mass, the architecture of old Nantucket was and is extraordinarily dignified in its quiet simplicity and nice proportions, and often really exquisite in its use of ornamental detail.

Nearly every other American town, once rich in Eighteenth or early Nineteenth Century architecture, has been injured by the intermingling of later buildings, but by a curious set of economic chances, old Nantucket has almost entirely escaped, and remains today architecturally much as it was when the crest of the whaling prosperity enabled the islanders to build it more than a century ago.

Then came sophisticated moderns, and the best these moderns could do were hideous casinos, sprawling cottages with verandas stuck all over them helter-skelter, houses with broken and meaningless roof lines, windows badly spaced and without style, ornamentation without dignity, gingerbread trimmings and nothing, anywhere, that had repose, unity, beauty of outline, or even adaptability to its site.

The Puritans of Nantucket left behind no poems or plays, but to say they left behind no art is ridiculous. They left behind an entire town which is a work of art, in its way as charming and as nearly perfect as anything in the Old World, and utterly different from anything in the Old World—a unique expression. They were able to do this because, to them, art was expressed through the crafts, and every man who used a tool (which meant almost every man) was an artist.

CHIMNEYS, OLD AND NEW

Transcriber’s Note

Words may have inconsistent hyphenation in the text; these were not changed. Quotation marks and final stops missing at the end of sentences and abbreviations were added. “Hits.” was changed to “Hist.” “… Mass. Hist. Soc. Coll.…”

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK "95% PERFECT" ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

back

Table of Contents

“95 % PERFECT”

PREFACE

CONTENTS

“95% PERFECT”

PERIODS

DOING OVER OLD HOUSES

ANALYSIS

CENSUS

THE TYPICAL HOUSE

THE DRAWINGS

THE ALTERED HOUSE

ALTERATIONS

EARLY INFLUENCES

DETAILS OF OLD HOUSES

DATED HOUSES

CONCLUSION

THE PHOTOGRAPHS

DESCRIPTIONS OF NANTUCKET

Transcriber’s Note

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE