The Whaling Museum on Nantucket

Posted on by Thor

I went to the Nantucket Historical Association‘s Whaling Museum (13 Broad Street Nantucket Massachusetts). Whaling was the island’s primary industry back in the 1800s. There was no photography allowed but no mention of no sketching. The museum took several hour to wander through and the rooftop patio has amazing views over the historic downtown district.

The crew of the Essex were hunting in 1820 and 20 crew members set out in 3 small life rafts to chase an enraged sperm whale. In return the whale destroyed their ship and the men spent 96 day sailing thousands of miles across the ocean to safety with limited water and supplies. This harrowing tale of survival was apparently the basis for such classic tales as Herman Melville‘s Moby Dick and the Ron Howard film, In the Heart of the Sea.

The museum houses a large collection of whaling artifacts and memorabilia, including longboats, harpoons, and scrimshaw, but the centerpiece is the complete skeleton of a 46-foot (14 meter) bull Sperm whale
suspended from the ceiling. True to its original use as a candle
factory, the museum also has exhibits regarding that trade as well. The
exhibited beam press (used to extract oil from the spermaceti to make candles) is the only one in the world still in its original location.

Oldest House on Nantucket

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The Jethrow Coffin House
(16 Sunset Hill, Nantucket) built about 1686 is the oldest house on Nantucket. By the time I arrived to sketch the house was already closed. It is one of a series of excellent Island-wide attractions of the Nantucket Historical Association (Nantucket Whaling Museum, on Broad Street). It is the only surviving structure from the island’s 17th century
English settlement. Because of the brick design on its chimney, it is
also called the Horseshoe House. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1968. It is now a historic house museum.

The Coffin House is a 1-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a
steeply-pitched roof and a large brick central chimney. The chimney is
adorned with a projection in the shape of an inverted U; this has been
variously interpreted as a horseshoe, or as a hex for warding off
witches, or as a vernacular rendition of Jacobean brickwork styling.
The house has only a relatively small number of casement windows, all of
which feature diamond panes. There are two on either side of the main
entrance, with others placed asymmetrically on the other walls. The
house has a classic New England saltbox
appearance, with a lean to (an addition in the early 18th century,
rebuilt during restoration in the early 20th) extending to the rear of
the house.

Paddle Boarding in Nantucket

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I explored Nantucket island at random with my sketches.I remembered that when I got off the ferry there was a wonderful view of downtown. I sat on a piling and started to sketch. I  worker quickly and as I did this woman made her way up the channel on her paddle board. It was such a peaceful scene of everyday life in Nantucket. Far in the distance was the steeple of the Nantucket Historical Museum. I was up in that steeple later in the day, and the view of all of downtown with all it’s grey historical homes was spectacular.

I wondered if FloYo had made its way to Nantucket. FloYo is yoga practiced on paddle boards. Sketching a whole class doing the downward facing dog on their paddle boards would be a fun challenge to sketch.

The parking lot behind me filled up as another ferry disgorged a boat load of tourists. There was gridlock for a while as everyone tried to drive out onto the island. Then things quieted down again. I got a Nantucket baseball cap downtown so I wasn’t squinting into the sun every time I sketched. It was a classy tan hat that I have since lost. I seem to leave a pencil, eraser or hat just about everywhere I go. I am trying to Velcro my latest hat to my art bag every time I take it off. That hat makes me look like an Iowa farmer, or hunter.

The Old Mill in Nantucket

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The first sight Glen Weimer pointed out on the drive back to his place was the Old Mill, which is a historic windmill located at 50 Prospect Street
in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Built in 1746, the mill is owned and operated by the
Nantucket Historical Association as a museum. It is the only surviving mill of the four “smock mills” that once
stood overlooking Nantucket town. There was a fifth Nantucket mill
called “Round-Top Mill” on the site of the present New North Cemetery.

Smock mills have a fixed-body containing machinery, and a cap that
turns to face the sails into the wind. The Old Mill was sold for twenty
dollars in 1828 to Jared Gardner in deplorable condition for use as
“firewood.” Instead of dismantling it, Gardner, a carpenter by trade, restored the mill to working condition capable of grinding corn. The mill was sold once again in 1866 to John Francis Sylvia, a
Portuguese miller, who operated it for many years
with his assistant Peter Hoy, until it fell into disuse in 1892. When
the mill appeared on the auction block in 1897, the Nantucket Historical
Association was able to secure the mill with a successful bid of $885. After multiple restorations, the mill is still in working order today, and believed to be the oldest functioning
mill in the United States

Everything is within walking distance in Nantucket, so on my first day on my own, I walked to the Mill. I got to know Nantucket intimately as I walked place to place. Isolated on tan island the islanders are not in as much of a rush as the rest of the world. When the ferry arrives  from the mainland of Massachusetts, thousands of tourists flood onto the streets of Downtown Nantucket. The tourists are all in a rush to get settled and find the nearest beach. It is a flash of chaos that happens every day. I simply mention this because some of the cars roaring past me on my walks, were speeding to their destinations. If everyone took the time to walk where they were going, the island would be a much more peaceful place.

There was no cloth on the windmill’s sails. Just the wooden framework was in place catching no wind. A huge pole behind the windmill was hooked up to a wagon wheel to turn the sails into the wind. I didn’t think to check if the light breeze was coming from the right direction. I wondered how hard it would be to rotate the roof or cap into the wind. I imagined a team of horses and men pushing and pulling it into place. Then again, the roof might rotate freely with the right parts and lubrication. How cool would it be to build a tiny house from the plans of a Wind Mill and use the sails to help supply electricity? Of course a Florida hurricane could decimate the sails.