Events to Celebrate Preservation Month
The Nantucket Preservation Trust will chair 2007 Preservation Month, an annual springtime educational effort by the Nantucket Preservation Alliance, an ad-hoc group that includes NPT and 15 other interested island organizations
Historic preservation, an essential element of Nantucket life, is the focus of this month-long celebration, which will highlight key structures and projects and seek to expand knowledge through lectures, forums, and tours.
Nantucket’s Preservation Month program is part of a nationwide effort first organized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1971.
The kickoff event for the Preservation Month is an opening reception at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, at Sherburne Hall at 11 Centre Street, home to The Preservation Institute: Nantucket. The reception will be held on the 2nd floor, and attendees will have the opportunity to view the premiere of the Nantucket house preservation and maintenance film produced as part of a Community Preservation Committee grant.
Another important Preservation Month event will be a community meeting on “The Future of Preservation on Nantucket.” This meeting, an outgrowth of NPT’s successful neighborhood get-togethers on preservation advocacy, will address residents’ concerns and opinions about the future of historic preservation on Nantucket. A panel of local preservationists will lead the discussion. The program is co-sponsored with NPT and the Atheneum and will held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, in the Atheneum’s Great Hall.
Also planned is “How to Keep Your Old House Healthy,” a forum to discuss maintenance and related issues faced by historic property owners. Topics ranging from finding preservation-sensitive contractors to common problems such as water penetration and rotting timbers will be tackled. Panelists will discuss preservation solutions and answer questions from homeowners on specific problems. The program, also co-sponsored by NPT and the Atheneum, will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, at the Atheneum’s Great Hall.
“The Preservation Challenge,” an architectural scavenger hunt for the entire family, will be held on Sunday, May 27, starting at 2:30 p.m. at the Eleanor Hamm Pony Field at Mill and North Mill streets. The program is being held in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club, the Maria Mitchell Association, the Nantucket Historical Association and the New School. The clues are being written by Nantucket students who, in so doing, are themselves learning about the historic details of their island home. As the clues are solved, each solution becomes an element in a drawing of a house.
Preservation Month activities include programs for residents and visitors of all ages and are free and open to the public. For a complete list of activities and to learn more about specific tours and events visit the Calendar of Events section at the NPT web site at www.nantucketpreservation.org.
Photos by Cary Hazlegrove
