NPT Summer Kitchen Tour
Kitchens have always been the heart of the home. But how does one live in a historic home built in the 18th or 19th century and design or equip a kitchen for a contemporary family's needs? Nine homeowners in the historic Milk Street neighborhood, an easy walk up Main Street from the ferries, will open their homes on Thursday, July 14 for the Nantucket Preservation Trust's Annual Kitchens House Tour. Visitors will see how it's possible to integrate historic architectural elements with contemporary lifestyle design and technology.
Although the NPT tour emphasizes kitchens, participants will also have an opportunity to glimpse at other rooms in many of the homes and see private gardens. In a number of kitchens, participants will also find signature treats served by local chefs including Lulu Powers, a cook book author; Seth Raynor from Pearl, Corazon Del Mar and the Boarding House; Liliana Doligan from Nantucket Pasta Goddess; and Leah Mojer from Bartlett's Farm. Finally, the NPT Market Place, set in the garden of 18 Milk Street, will feature a number of vendors whose wares include antique kitchen objects, monogrammed clothing and accessories, linens, wooden artifacts, books and food stuffs.
The houses, open from 10am to 4 pm, and staffed by docents who will provide not only information on the trades people and designers who created the kitchens, but information about each home's historic features and overall history. This year's tour also features Maria Mitchell's Birthplace, replete with intriguing artifacts of the family's history and its remarkable faux painting in the kitchen. Tour goers will receive a copy of this year's Ramblings which includes a brief history of each house as well as a general discussion of Nantucket's architectural history and practices.
Tickets for the Kitchen Tour cost $45 and include a raffle ticket for kitchen related items. They may be purchased in advance by calling the NPT office at 508-228-1387 or the day of the tour on Main Street in front of Mitchell’s Book Corner or at the corner of Main and Milk Streets.
