colonial house nantucket

Coleman House // c.1750

Buildings of New England1 Comment

In 1802, a young sea captain, Laban Coleman purchased this house on Orange Street on Nantucket within a year of his marriage to Jane Carman. Historians estimate the date of construction of the house to be from sometime between 1729 and 1750, but it could date closer to the time that Coleman purchased the house from a joiner, Elisha Raymond, who possibly built the house. I particularly love the simple door with transom above and the narrow, second-story stairhall window. What do you like the most about this Nantucket home?

Captain Silas Jones House // c.1774

Buildings of New England3 Comments

Brick houses are not too common on Nantucket, so I love to highlight them whenever possible! This gambrel-roofed residence was built by 1774 for Silas Jones, a whaling captain around the time of his marriage to Judith Gardner. As originally built, this house had brick endwalls while the facade and rear walls were constructed of wood. It was not until under the ownership of Silas’ son, Daniel, that the house was “modernized” with its present appearance. Daniel added brick walls to the front and rear walls, added brownstone lintels and sills to the openings, and added twin chimneys, likely replacing a single, central chimney. Due to his materiality and heavy presence, the house looks more like it belongs in Salem or Providence, so seeing it in the coastal town of Nantucket makes my heart sing. Standing out is a good thing!

Joshua Coffin House // 1756

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Nantucket in the off season is just as magical as the peak of summer. Quiet streets, gray shingled buildings, and the smell of the ocean is the perfect medicine! This is the historic Joshua Coffin House on the island of Nantucket. The house is one of the best examples of a mid-18th century sea captain’s residence on the island and it is in a great state of preservation. The dwelling was built in 1756 for newlyweds Joshua Coffin and Beulah Gardner on land given to them by Beulah’s father as a wedding present. The couple raised their children here until Joshua died at sea in a hurricane while on a whaling trip in the West Indies. The house remained in the family since at least 1971 and has been lovingly maintained by its stewards.

Abel Gardner House – Wisteria Lodge // 1733

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Another of Nantucket’s old Colonial homes is the Abel Gardner House, which was built in 1733 by its namesake. The saltbox Georgian house was constructed on a large plot of land which was farmed for some time by the Gardner family. Decades later, a portion of the estate was subdivided for the erection of a home for Abel’s grandson, Grindell. The Abel Gardner House was eventually owned by Caleb Gardner and became known as Wisteria Lodge for the climbing wisteria vines up the facade and on arbors. I can only imagine how glorious this colonial would be covered in purple!