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The one time whaling centre made famous by Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, Nantucket thrives today as a tourist destination and summer colony.
Nantucket is a Native American word meaning ‘that faraway land’ although the island is just 30 miles to the south of Cape Cod. Unfortunately for the native Algonquin’s the land wasn’t faraway enough and European settlement from 1659 brought about their demise.
Nantucket has long been linked with whaling, the Algonquins would sight whales from the island and hunt them from open boats but by the 18th century the whaling industry transformed Nantucket. Ships from Nantucket sailed the world hunting for whales for their precious oil and rich whaling captains built stately mansions decorated with silks and ornaments from the orient. Indeed it was from Nantucket that Captain Ahab set sail on board the Pequod in Herman Melville’s famous novel Moby Dick.
Nantucket prospered until the Civil War began to restrict its commerce and a disastrous fire in 1846 razed Nantucket port, devastating some 36 acres and leaving hundreds homeless and poverty stricken. The island was still to recover when kerosene began to replace whale oil in the 1850s. In just under a century Nantucket’s population plummeted from 10,000 to 3,200. But from the 19th century Nantucket’s preserved pre-civil war architecture, its natural beauty and relative underdevelopment made it perfect for tourism and the island has flourished ever since. In the summer season today, Nantucket’s population soars from around 10,000 to 50,000 as people flock to the island.
The whole island is designated as a National Historic District and its two main towns are the harbour of Nantucket and Siasconset. As described in Moby Dick, the town of Nantucket is focused on its old whaling harbour and each road seems to lead down to its waterfront. Central to the waterfront is Straight Wharf, built in 1723, rebuilt after the fire of 1846 and renovated in the 1950s, where today you’ll find boutiques, restaurants and luxury yachts. Straight up from the wharf is the cobblestoned Main Street lined with around 800 perfectly preserved 19th century buildings and clapboard and shingle Quaker homes. The Nantucket Historical Association looks after a number of these properties, including the impressive Whaling Museum, the oldest house on the island, the Jethro Coffin House built in 1686, the handsome Federal style No. 99 Main Street and the First Congregational Church, where a climb up the tower reveals a spectacular panorama of the island. A combined Visitor Pass from the Association offers excellent value for money.
On the south eastern shores of Nantucket, Siasconset offers architectural gems from tiny cottages to stately shingle-style houses along the bluffs, while some of the island’s most popular beaches can be found close by at Surfside Beach and Madaket Beach.
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