The house at 8 Howard Street is known as the Greater Light and is now a property of the Nantucket Historical Association. The home once belonged to Gertrude and Hanna Monaghan, two Quaker sisters from Philadelphia who converted the livestock barn into a summer home and art studio in the 1930s. The Greater Light lovingly illustrates the era of Nantucket’s history when an art colony thrived in the aftermath of Nantucket’s whaling era. When you take a close look at this unique home you can see that they were collectors of cast-off architectural elements—including twelve-foot-high wrought-iron gates, Italian gilded columns, decorative church windows, and exotic adornments from around the globe. An eclectic mix of architecture and decorations it’s character is truly a reflection of their love of art.
Taste of Nantucket
Siasconset Post Office
When you enter Siasconset Village you will see the ‘Sconset Post Office right in the center of town. It is the cute little building with gorgeous window boxes filled with a variety of succulents! They were so beautiful that we couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures to share with you. It inspired us to plant our own succulent garden, maybe it will inspire you as well!
Siasconset Sundial Clock
Just a short walk over the Siasconset bridge a large sundial clock greets you on a home on the other side of the bridge. As you continue up the path it brings you between old charming cottages with quarterboards and lovely gardens. This is a public path and a really nice walk. If you were a visitor you might mistake it for private property. Some of the homes date back to the 1700’s and have changed little since then.
Madaket Sunset
Madaket is a great place to watch the sunset! The last time we went to watch the sunset we were greeted by four playful seal pups. They were so darn cute and surprising friendly. They swam along side of us as we walked towards Smith’s Point.
Anderson’s Fine Gifts
One of our favorite island boutiques, this gem is packed with the finest in Nantucket inspired gifts, furniture, lighting, serving ware, linens, and home accessories with a sea side chic style specific to Nantucket. We found beautiful paintings, a gorgeous mirror with white boat oars, quality Nantucket pillows and some lovely gifts made be local arts. I loved the small nautical plates (pictured above) and the coffee table book. If your coming to the island for the day – you should definitely check them out. They are located at 29 Main Street in the beautiful heart of Nantucket. There is something for everyone!
Lovely view from Hither Creek
On a recent trip out to Madaket to catch a sunset we decided to stop and check out the view from Madaket Millie’s home. It was extremely beautiful and tranquil and I could see why she made this area her home for so many years. “Madaket Millie” Jewett, a Nantucket legend, spent her life caring for the beaches, the animals and the people of Madaket. Reserved, yet strong-minded, Millie embodied the self reliant spirit of native islanders.
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