Greater Light, 8 Howard Street, Nantucket, Nantucket County, MA

Significance: Located on Nantucket Island, the barn at 8 Howard Street is believed to have been built c. 1790. It was purchased in 1906 by William Holland, the town grocer, who used it to house cattle, horses and pigs. The property was purchased in 1929 by James, Anna, Gertrude, and Hanna Monaghan for Gertrude and Hanna, who converted it into their summer home. Known for their non-conformist nature, the two Quaker sisters used the converted barn to house their collection of curios. They acquired pieces from auctions, junk yards and demolition sites throughout the eastern United States. These pieces came from all over the world, giving the house its eclectic character. In 1972 the Nantucket Historical Association inherited the property from Hanna. It is still owned by the Association today.

Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N714

Survey number: HABS MA-1306

Building/structure dates: ca. 1790 Initial Construction

barns summer houses adaptive reuse agriculture cattle industry quakers collecting domestic life nantucket mass greater greater light howard howard street nantucket nantucket county andrea ariail susannah bing wayne chastain elizabeth j donna marybeth failla jessica harner historic american buildings survey william holland polly johnson james labhe susannah marshall carol mcchesney gertrude monaghan hanna monaghan preservation institute nantucket virginia b price steven rice teresa swift bryce waldrop jande j wintrob photo building plans architectural diagrams library of congress

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

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