Star of the Sea Youth Hostel, Western Avenue, Nantucket, Nantucket County, MA

Significance: The Life Saving Station at Surfside, the first of its kind built on Nantucket Island, was originally constructed in 1874 in a Carpenter Gothic style with Stick Style embellishments. It was enlarged in 1884 with addition of east and west wings and an enclosed cupola. The first rescue was on March 9, 1877 when the entire crew of the W.F. Marshall was brought safely ashore. The incidence of shipwrecks off Surfside diminished toward the end of the 19th century and in 1921 the Coast Guard abandoned the station. During World War Two the station was used again by the Coast Guard as an outpost for beach patrol. In 1963 the property was purchased by American Youth Hostels Inc. and has since been used as the Star of the Sea Youth Hostel.

Survey number: HABS MA-1100

nantucket mass star sea youth hostel sea youth hostel western western avenue nantucket nantucket county historic american buildings survey mary ellen johnson manarcha kunzendorf susan mccown nantucket historical association nantucket preservation institute diane talley tom vitanza photo building plans architectural diagrams library of congress

1933 - 1970

Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html