history and impacts of tourism on nantucket

H ISTORY AND I MPACTS OF
T OURISM ON N ANTUCKET
TRANSITION
FROM
WHALING ECONOMY
1846-1918
TO
TOURISM
Introduction
After the death of the whaling industry on Nantucket, residents
realized that the natural beauty of the island and charming
whaling town, combined with Victorian ideals, could be used to
their advantage and turned to tourism as their savior. When
travelers came to the island they often visited various points of
interest, such as historical places, topographical features, and
events unique to the island. As demand for a health haven like
Nantucket grew, so too did the scale of the lodgings in which
visitors stayed. Nostalgic tourism combined with burgeoning
resort facilities allowed for the continued expansion of boarding
houses and hotels. A new focus of outdoor recreational
activities impacted both the built environment and provided a
communal social experience for residents and visitors alike. In
the turn of the century, tourism proves to be Nantucket’s chief
economy.
National Events
1849 California Gold Rush
Major loss to male population and whaling fleet
1857 The Panic of 1857
Nationwide Economic Impact
1860 The Pony Express
Organized mail delivery
1861 Beginning of the Civil War
Loss to male population and impact on tourism
1863 The Emancipation Proclamation
Slavery deemed illegal according to Federal Law
National Events
1872 Yellowstone National Park established
Preservation of National Cultural Landscape
1873 The Panic of 1873
Nationwide Economic Impact
1876 Invention of the Telephone
Ease of communication, promotion by word of mouth
1880 National Population: Over 50 Million
1888 National Geographic Society established
Stimulated interest in sites of cultural and historic significance
1900 National Population: Over 75 Million
National Events
1903 1st Baseball World Series
Growing interest in sports and recreational activities
Wright Brothers; First Powered Flight
Nationwide Impact on Transportation
1914 World War I Begins in Europe
1917 United States Enters World War I
Economy
Inspiration for Nantucket Red, 2003
Economy Timeline
1830s Decline in whaling begins
New Bedford already surpassed Nantucket in men and ships
1836 Atlantic Silk Company opens
1852 Atlantic Straw Works opens
1852 Kerosene patented
Camphene, lard oil, gas, & kerosene replace whale oil
1854 Street lighting by gas introduced on island
Gas & kerosene provide killing blow to whaling industry
1864 The Great Fire; linen “duster” coat factory opened
Over 300 buildings in downtown Nantucket destroyed
End of the Whaling Era
End of the Whaling Era
Post-Whaling Attempts
UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURES
•Atlantic Silk Company, 1836
•Atlantic Straw Works, 1852
•Linen coat factory, 1864
•Boot and shoe factory, 1859
•Mitchell & Hayden shoe
factory, 1872
Nantucket town and Mitchell & Hayden
factory (front right), circa 1860
•Milestone cranberry bog, 1857
•Sheep
Sheep on Milestone Road
The Great Fire
Main Street before and after the Great Fire on July 13, 1846
Towards Tourism
Upper Main Street, 1860
Economy Timeline
1879 Plans to Build a Railroad System
Efficient access to remote island destinations
1900 “Shingling” of Nantucket
Keeping in tune with tourist “look” of island architecture
1906 Station of the New York Yacht Club established
Private funding by Paul Thebaud, even in off-season
1914 World War I begins in Europe
Slow summer season, activities continue as usual
1917 United States enters World War I
Vacationing considered taboo, Poor summer season
1918 Nantucket Railroad bankrupts
Lack of patronage and exceeding wartime costs
A Blossoming Local Economy
Ice Cream “Saloon” on Centre Street, 1870
Beach House advertisement, 1910s
New York Yacht Club
NANTUCKET STATION NO. 11 OF
THE NEW YORK YACHT CLUB
•“The New Yacht Station will
doubtless prove of great benefit
to the island, both financially
and as an advertising factor.” –
Inquirer and Mirror, 1905
•Since its establishment, visiting
yachts increased threefold
1905
New York Yacht Club, c. 1920s
Proposition to deepen
the harbor and channel
Steamboat Wharf, 1906
Nantucket in the Wake of World War I
Railroad tracks in Sconset, 1918
Plane landing in Brant Point, 1918
Marketing
Tourist Guide,1897
Marketing Timeline
1847 Ocean House Hotel opened
1848 Atlantic House Hotel opened
1855 Citizens meeting to promote tourism
Recognition of Nantucket’s potential
1855 Regular ferry service established from Hyannis
1861 Civil War begins
Vacationing on Nantucket halts
1864 Civil War ends
Vacationing on Nantucket resumes, with greater popularity
Accommodations
Ocean House, opened 1847
Atlantic House, opened 1848
Advertising
“As a place for summer resort, Nantucket has strong attractions. It will probably
not become the resort of fashion, but a fashionable resort. It has an Ocean
House, and a first-class house it is too, but then it is not likely to be patronized
like the Newport Ocean House, where visitors congregate not for recreation so
much as display. Nantucket has no drives where millionaires may exhibit their
showy equipages, and drivers in top hats and white gloves, but it has drives
where the balmy air is scented with the fragrance of ferns and other wild herbs,
and freshened by ocean winds. These visitors who seek rest and recreation,
real recreation, seldom go away from our island with disappointment…We
have fishing ‘of the tallest kind.’ What sport more exciting than shark fishing!
Next to that comes blue fishing…It was formerly a just cause of complaint, that
we had no bathing house; now Mr. Allen of the Ocean House has supplied that
want. Come then, all who wish rest, recreation, and communion with nature
by the sea, and make Nantucket your place of sojourn for weeks or days.”
- I NQUIRER & MIRROR, 1865
Transportation
Island Home ferry of the Nantucket & Cape Cod Steamboat Company
Recreation
ACTIVITIES ON NANTUCKET
•Sea bathing
•Squantums
•Fishing
•Chowders, clambakes, balls,
and socials
•Theatrical performances at the
Atheneum
“The Bathing Beach, Nantucket” postcard
Advertisement for Victorian bathing rooms
Marketing Timeline
1870 Atheneum Fair
Shopping; A taste of local culture
1871 51 Fair Street Boarding House
Affordable lodging for transient boarders
1872 Specialty shops open including an Ice-Cream
Saloon
Another amenity for tourists
1873 July 4th Celebrations at Ocean View House and Atlantic
Hall
Social destination for celebrating the holidays
1881 Bird-Eye Lithographic Vista
First detailed map produced for tourists, lists grand hotels
Recreation
(1870-1894)
• Historic Sites
• Shipwrecks
• Beached Whales
• Crafts
• Specialty Shops
• Roller Skating
• Ballroom Dancing
• Fireworks
• Huckleberry Picking
1870 Atheneum Fair
1872 Ice-Cream Saloon
1881 Atlantic House converted
to roller skating rink.
Ocean View House and Atlantic House, 1910s
The Point Breeze, 1920s (Postcard)
Marketing Timeline
1881 Inauguration of the Nantucket Railroad
Access to attraction and sites
1884 Tourist Pamphlet Distributed
Described the rejuvenating climate qualities, good to treat any ailment
1884 Extension of Railroad
Now Siasconset is more easily accessible
1885 A Second Train is introduced to the Island
It is dubbed the ‘Sconset
1885 Billy Clark, Town Crier, Recognized as Celebrity
Romanticizing of Nantucket
Town Crier
Old World Charm
• Romanticized View of Past
• Kept Fire Watch
• Called Town Affairs
• Crier For Hire
• First Spike Beach Street RR
• Local Celebrities
When asked where he got his
bell, the crier replied…
“Same place you got your
manners, young woman—from
the brass foundry!”
–Charles H. Chase, 1860s
Town Crier, Billy Clark, 1880s
Marketing Timeline
1892 Old East Mill Procured by Nantucket Improvement
Assoc.
Maintain charm and heritage of colonial Nantucket
1890s Actors colony flourishes in Underhill cottages
Attraction to the development of Sconset area
1896 Henry Sherman Wyer’s Map of Nantucket Town
Depicts locations of hostelries and points of interest
1898 Legislative authority granted $1,000 to town
Used for advertising expenses
Henry Sherman Wyer’s Map of Nantucket Town
Map depicting locations of hostelries and points of interest, 1896
Marketing Timeline
1900 Nantucket “reborn” as a spa
Advertising the famous health-giving waters
1906 Station of the New York Yacht Club established
Visiting yachts in the harbor increases threefold
1907 Town Meeting appropriates $1,000 for advertising
Island further marketed as a health resort destination
1910 Town of Nantucket raised $1,000
Popular subscription proposed more funds to advertise
1910 John Henry Robinson, The Guide to Nantucket
Tourist guide promoting history, landmarks, & activities
Audience in Nantucket
“In large measure the vicissitudes that beset Nantucket during its
flowering as a holiday resort reflected the social trends of
America…It catered to that vast population of summer-leisured
pleasure seekers in the middle bracket, affording them a varied
choice of unspecialized recreational facilities….Each of these items
fitted into a time sequence synonymous with its popularity on the
mainland; thus Nantucket may be considered a barometer to
American vacationing.”
-Clay Lancaster, Holiday Island
John Henry Robinson, The Guide to Nantucket, 1910
Impacts
Nantucket Railroad leaving for Sconset, 1915
Impacts Timeline
1854 Gas street lighting comes to Nantucket
Change in streetscape and light source (no need for sperm oil)
1846 The Great Fire
Over 300 buildings destroyed, Colonial Era structures lost, change in
streetscape during rebuilding
1847 Ocean House Hotel opens
Change in streetscape but little new construction of hotels and
shops, mostly reuse of old buildings
1860s Construction of bathing houses
Change in landscape (beaches)
Physical Impacts
Gas street lamps, introduced 1854
Mansion of Jared Coffin, 27 Broad Street
Impacts Timeline
1872 Charles C. Mooers buys land in ‘Sconset
Large tracts divided into small lots for residential use
1880 Building of Railroad Commences
Landscape graded and readied for tracks
1881 First Preservation Effort
Jethro Coffin House saved by Tristam and O. Vincent Coffin
1883 Nantucket Hotel Built
Unofficially ushers in the era of the grand hotels
1890s E.F Underhill Changes the look of ‘Sconset Forever
Replicates fisherman’s homes, develops three whole streets
The Nantucket Railroad
A New Way to Get Around
•Connections
•Excursions
•Celebrations
•Charm
1879
1880
1881
1884
1885
1895
1917
Course of Action
Grading/Tracks
July 4th Inauguration
Expands to ‘Sconset
2nd Train, “The ’Sconset”
New Course
End of the Line
Railroad Workers, 1880s
Engine #2 “The ‘Sconset”, 1880s
Preservation
Valuing Heritage
• Nostalgia
• Patriotism
• Beauty
1881
1890
1892
1894
First Preservation Effort
NIA Founded
Old East Mill
NHA Established
Jethro Coffin House, Postcard, 1920s
Old East Mill”, 1892
Accommodations
Shift to Grand Hotels
•Greater Demand
•Massive Scale
•Multiple Additions
•Elegance
1847
1848
1872
1883
1883
1883
1887
1891
Ocean House
Atlantic House
Ocean View House
Nantucket Hotel
Surfside Hotel
Springfield House
The Sea Cliff Inn
The Point Breeze
Nantucket Hotel, 1880s
The Point Breeze, 1920s (Postcard)
Birds-Eye-View of Nantucket
Birds-Eye Lithographic Vista, Souvenir, 1881
Impacts Timeline
1890s Actors colony flourishes
Further development in the Sconset built environment
1895 The Nantucket Central Railroad extension to Sconset
Direct route from town to Sconset across the island
1898 Golf in Sconset at the Levi Coffin Property
Introduction of the sport on the built environment
1900 “Shingling” of Nantucket
Removing clapboard and replacing with “rustic” shingles
1900 Opening of Siasconset Casino
Specific location provided for theatre and recreation
The Sconset Actors Colony
DEVELOPMENT OF “BROADWAY
OFFSHORE”
•Underhill’s cottages attracted
theatre people looking for a
“quiet, healthful, respite…”
•Hollywood Actors and
Industrialists met together to
attend theatre and play
outdoor games at the Sconset
Casino
1890s Actors Colony
1900 Sconset Casino
1910 10,000 visitors marked
Harry Woodruff’s Sconset “Aloha”, c. 1900s
Greetings from Actors Colony, c. 1900s
Recreation
Golf at Sconset Golf Course
Helen Clark Farnum at Sconset Casino
Impacts Timeline
1900 Transportation projects in Surf-Side
Street work improved in booming sections of island
1904 Nantucket Athletic Club established
Facility for games and recreation
1906 Station of the New York Yacht Club established
Influence in deepening of harbor and channel
1908 Auto Exclusion Act
Illegal to operate an automobile on island
1918 Repeal of Automobile Exclusion Act
Closing of railroad leads to allowance of automobiles
1918 First aircraft landing, Brant Point
Foreshadowing of new island transportation
Nantucket at the Turn of the Century
1900: CHANGES IN CITYSCAPE
•“Maintaining its identity was
the natives’ nostalgic hope, and
something of an economy
necessity, yet catering to the
demands of tourism produced
inevitable changes…”
•“Shingling” of Nantucket
•Cobblestones on Pearl, Fair and
Orange Streets covered
•Mail boxes placed in town
•Utility poles and overhead
wires on streets
Main Street, 1900
Sanding and rolling Orange Street, 1899
Nantucket in the 20th century
U.S. Geological Survey of Nantucket Island, 1901
Conclusion
When the whaling industry failed in the mid-19th century,
Nantucketers took advantage of the island’s charming old town
and natural beauty, as well as Victorian society’s tendency to travel
for health reasons, and seized tourism as their new economic
engine. The island developed in many ways, both physically
and culturally, as it welcomed in new modes of transportation
during the changing times, and adapted to the national trend
of vacationing for pleasure rather than health. With a heavy
focus on the marketing and advertising of the island, each
summer continually saw record-breaking numbers of visitors.
Once on the brink of drawing its last breath, Nantucket served as
the perfect setting for the introduction and evolution of a touristeconomy.
H ISTORY AND I MPACTS OF
T OURISM ON N ANTUCKET
E A R LY 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y T O U R I S M
1919-1955
Introduction
Major Trends
•Promotion of Nantucket as a wellness/health destination shifts to
emphasize social and leisure activities
• Residents and non-residents intermingle and socialize together
• Residents begin to cater to non-residents as tourism becomes
main economic industry
•Fund allocation is increased to boost tourism marketing efforts
nationwide
• Mass tourism disrupts local’s quality of life and results in a lost
sense of identity
Introduction
“The old families have passed away. Some of the fine old mansions
have been bought by the 'off-islanders' for summer homes. The
wharves are falling into pieces and the big whale oil storage
houses are closed or torn down. The last Quaker, Eunice Paddock,
whom I well remember, died a few years ago. Sconset has a large
theatrical colony, many elaborate cottages and a casino.
Nantucket, once so prosperous, is now reduced to one-third her
former size and largely dependent upon the summer provider for
her existence.”
- From the memoirs of Deborah Coffin Hussey Adams, 1917
National Events
1917 End of World War I
1918 Influenza Epidemic
Tourism dwindles as sickness spreads
1920 Volstead Act starts era of Prohibition
1920’s Era of prosperity and the “Roaring Twenties”
1929 Stock Market Crash
1932 The New Deal with FDR
Lend-Lease Act passed by Congress
1941 United States Entered World War II
National Events
1941 The End of Isolationism in United States
1945 United States Emerges as Superpower
1945 Beginning of the Cold War
1946 Beginning of the Baby Boomer Generation
Economy
FDR sails into Nantucket,
Economy Timeline
1920s Nantucket Prospers
While energy is the driver of the national economy,
Nantucket continues to pursue tourist dollars.
1930s Nantucket Trails but Is Still Affected by the Depression
The depression affects Nantucket’s economy though
more slowly than the rest of the country.
1940s Nantucket Participates in the War Effort
Most of Nantucket’s males go off to war leaving the
women to support the economy at home.
1950s Prosperity Returns to Nantucket
In peacetime Nantucket returns to growing its economy
through increasing tourism.
Sporting Activities
“SPORTING ACTIVITIES PLAY A
KEY ROLE IN LEISURE PURSUITS
• Golf continues to be
important
• Riding is fashionable
•Hunting is introduced
• Sailing remains popular
1920 Nantucket Yacht Club
1921 Opening of Siasconset
Golf Club
1923 4 Rainbow Boats
1930 Camp Sankaty for
caddies
Siaconset Golf Club - 1921
Flying Lessons
Ladies instructed in flying by aerobatics expert David Raub, 1932
Tennis Lessons
Girls dressed for tennis – Siasconset Casino
Sailing Lessons
Sailing at Brant Point Lighthouse
Theater & Cinema
THE ACTORS COLONY &
HOLLYWOOD PROVIDE INDOOR
ENTERTAINMENT
• The theater scene thrives on
Nantucket
• The Dreamland and Starlight
theaters show popular movies
•The Yacht Club has dramatic
readings and puppet shows
1922 Renovation Dreamland
Theater
1935 The Island Theatre
1940 Straight Wharf Theatre
Theater
Straight Wharf Theatre (later Theatre Workshop Nantucket), 1940
Theater & Cinema
Movie Ad 1920
Theater Ad, 1939
Theater
Barn Stages Theater program, 1952
On The Aisle rehearsal, 1950
Intellectual Entertainment
AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
•Intellectual pursuits begin to
be promoted
•Debate is considered an art
form
•Tourists sign up for lecture
series
1922 School of Opinion
1923 Artist Colony
developed
1924 The Little Bookshop
1930 Nantucket Historical
Society opens Whaling
Museum
Sconset School of Opinion, 1922
Whaling Museum
Socials & Clubs
“NO RESERVED SEATS FOR THE
MIGHTY”
• Easing of social boundaries
• Social clubs become popular
•“Build a friendly spirit among
all classes of people”
1925
1930
1932
1939
The Wharf Rat Club
The Srail Club
Nantucket Neighbors
Nantucket Yacht Club
Dances & Socials
The Wharf Rat Club - 1925
Socials
Social announcement placed in a local paper, 1939
Social Clubs
Nantucket Neighbors visiting Hollywood Farms, 1932
Marketing
Postcard Image by H. Marshall Gardiner , ca. 1920’s
Marketing Timeline
1920 Demand for marketing initiatives
“Nantucket is practically the only resort on the coast that
does not advertise itself and seek to attract new visitors and
residents each year.” -Inquirer & Mirror, March 20, 1920
1920’s Visitation and summer residency increase
Groups of actors and artists flock to the island
1929 The Stock Market Crash
American tourism declines as economic depression fully
encompasses the nation
1937 Dependence on tourist economy is recognized
Residents cater their businesses toward tourists
Marketing Timeline
1938 State-funded marketing plans develop
Business owners scheme to attract more tourists
1942 World War II
Summer residents mingle with military personnel
1950 Post-World War II
Tourism on the island reaches new heights with the Baby
Boomer generation
The Cultural Audience
ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS
MAKE UP THE POPULATION OF
SUMMER RESIDENTS
• Nantucket’s natural
atmosphere attracts artists and
intellectuals
• Previous fishing shanties on
wharves converted to studios
1920
1922
1926
1927
Nantucket Art Colony
School of Opinion
Mrs. Henry Lang opens
island’s first art galleries
Duncan School of
Dance
Portrait of Florence Lang, 1927
Tavern on the Moors, 1992
Advertising Tourism in a Poor Economy
NANTUCKET FIGHTS TO
MAINTAIN TOURIST ECONOMY IN
A DEPRESSED NATION
• Despite a steady decline in
population starting in 1930, new
tourist attractions open
• Depression reaches the island
in 1934
1929 Whaling Museum,
Sidewalk Art Show, Old Mill
1934 Chamber of Commerce
founded (Incorporated 1954)
1937 Tourism statement in I&M
Promotion for a Sidewalk Art Show, 1940
Official Advertising Campaigns
NANTUCKET’S BUSINESS
OWNERS MAKE EFFORTS TO
ATTRACT NEW VISITORS
• Nantucket’s Selectmen propose
legislation for state-funding for
tourism advertisements
• Promotion of the island as a
“carefree” locale comforted those
creeping out of economic
recession and those frightened
by impeding WWII
• Stealing audiences
1938 Bill passed allotted $3000
for marketing campaign
1939 NY World’s Fair
Cover of New Haven RR Brochure, 1939
“An Oasis of Peace in a World at War”
NANTUCKET’S VISITORS
SUMMER WITH MILITARY
PERSONNEL
• Despite military presence, the
city advertised many
advantages even under
wartime conditions
•Became a place to escape from
the realty of war
Coast Guardsman & the Compass Rose, 1944
1942 Coast Guard station
1942 I&M Campaign for
soldiers
1945 Soldiers return after war
Coast Guard buildings on Brant Point, 1940
A New Breed of Tourists
MASS-ADVERTISING ATTRACTS
MORE TOURISTS THAN IMAGINED
•Advertising budget increased to
$20,000
•Nantucket in pop culture
•Business owners catered to new
tourist’s needs with “cheap rentals
and tolerance of casual lifestyles.”
• Main Street loses its year-round
appeal
1949 Cheaper By the Dozen
1952 Estimated summer
population 22,500
1955 HDC founded
NY Times ad for flights to Nantucket, 1950
Impacts
Early car crash , ca. 1920’s
Impacts Timeline
1919 Cobblestone Debate
Controversy whether to repave with asphalt or
cobblestones between Pacific Bank and Pacific Club
1920s Captain Folger’s Bus Line started
Started by J. Butler Folger and advertised a “40-mile drive”
1925 Point Breeze Hotel Fire
Famous wood construction hotel almost destroyed
1927 Briar Cliff Field starts regular service
A dirt landing strip servicing planes from Boston twice a day
1930s Terry’s Garage Opens
Run by “Honest John” Terry on Pearl street; offered car repair,
car rental, bikes, and more
Impacts Timeline
1933 Point Breeze Hotel Stops Operating
The Nantucket Institution for Savings foreclosed the hotel
1936 Point Breeze Hotel Reopens
Bought by Gordon Folger Jr. and renamed Gordon Folger
Hotel
1936 Mayflower Airlines launched
Created by Liet. Parker Gray and served Nantucket to
Edgartown, New Bedford, and more
1937 Nobadeer “airport” purchased
Alexander Hagner then tries to offer it to the town
1940 Terry’s Garage Fire
Terry’s Garage opened in the previous decade destroyed
Impacts Timeline
1941 Nobadeer Airport accepted
Nantucket accepts the airport and sees it as an opportunity
1943 Navy takes over Nobadeer
Airport is transformed into a training facility and modernized
1946 Nobadeer Air Service
Operated by the Allen brothers with Arnold Larson out of
Nantucket Memorial Airport
1946 Northeast Airlines Begins Flights
Passenger flights from Nantucket to Boston and New York
1946 Hyannis Boat Line
Helps to create the “day trippers” of the ‘50s
Cobblestone Road Debate
•Started in 1919 and backed by
the editor of the Inquirer &
Mirror, Harry B. Turner
•Supporters argued that asphalt
would look out of place, hurt
the economy of tourism, and
threaten the trees
•Supporters of cobblestones
including the Nantucket Civic
League, permanent residents,
and summer time visitors
•Supporters raised the funds to
repave with cobblestones
Harry B. Turner, 1900
Impact of Cars
“Traffic, congestion, and the
pace of life were catching up
with Nantucket and threatening
some of her most cherished
institutions” – Robert F. Mooney
1918 Cars first allowed
1919 93 Cars already
registered on island
1921 Easy Street is created
1924 Continued road
improvement
1926 First Car fatality
1938 1,300 Cars registered on
island
Car Driving to Great Point, 1940s
Clark Coffin and Maxwell Touring car, 1920s
Impact of Cars
•Changed the dynamic of the
road system on island
•Historical sites became
businesses
•Ease of travel on island
•Changed how downtown,
‘Sconset, and the island as a
whole was seen
•More noise, congestion, and
visitors
Bird’s Eye View of Main St. by Tony Sarg, 1935
Changes to the Built Environment
Sanborn Map of Downtown Area, 1923
Sanborn Map of Downtown Area, 1949
Decline of the Boardinghouse
•After a few seasons, smaller
businesses with little income
were forced to close
•The 20s were the years of the
guest houses, tearooms, and
shops
•Trend of the boarding house
dies out by the 1930s
Sign for Gull Island Inn, 1882-1920s
•Changed the built
environment of the coast
•Impacted commercialization
and evidence of adapting to
tourists wants and needs
Veranda House Postcard, 1920s
Air Travel on Nantucket
•The fear of change, noise, and
planes flying over homes were
the concerns of Nantucketers
1927
1936
1937
1941
1942
1943
1946
Briar Cliff Field
Mayflower Airlines
Purchase of Nobadeer
“airport”
Town controls airport
Rented to Navy
Navy controlled
Returned to town
Northeast Airlines, 1950s
Air Travel on Nantucket
•In the first year alone
Northeast reported full planes
in August
•40,000 tourist traveled by air in
1947
•$40,000 in revenue to the town
was generated in 1948
•1949 saw an increase of 20% in
air travel and the possibility of
night landings
•1954 saw 75,000 air traveling
tourists, Northeast carried more
than 50,000 of them
Tony Sarg boarding a plane 1930s
Conclusion
•The economy of Nantucket fluctuated and mirrored that of the
country but at a slower pace.
•Tourism reached unprecedented scales in times of prosperity and
dipped during times of economic hardship but never floundered
completely.
•Marketing and advertising reached a nationwide audience.
•The Chamber of Commerce questioned the success of mass
marketing campaigns during the 1950’s.
•The introduction of new forms of transportation shaped the
growth of Nantucket and tourism of the island.
•Over time the built environment was shaped by the needs of the
tourists to keep the economy sustained, including changing hotels
and creating the airport
•The impacts of the 1918-1955 period led to overpopulation of
tourists, scarcity of resources and tensions with Nantucketers.
History and Impacts of
Tourism on Nantucket
Tourism and Historic Preservation
1956-1986
Introduction
Tourism in Nantucket during the first half of the twentieth-century
followed trends taking place on the mainland. As a result, the
historic integrity of the island became threatened. In response to
the changing cultural landscape, on-Island residents, inspired by
the development of Historic Districts in Charleston, SC and New
Orleans, called for the establishment of Historic Landmark Districts.
In 1955, Nantucket took efforts to have two areas- Old and Historic
Nantucket and Siasconset- of the island become recognized. In the
years that followed Nantucket began to market their island for
historic/heritage tourism. Through the study of the thirty year
period of 1956-1986, we explore how the island shifted from a
humble vacation resort to a second home destination.
National Events
1959 Alaska & Hawaii admitted to the U.S.
Vietnam War begins
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
1962 Martin Luther King Jr. delivers “I Have a Dream” speech
1963 John F. Kennedy assassinated
1963 Civil Rights Act abolishes segregation
1966 U.S. Congress passes the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA), which creates the National Register of Historic
Places (NRHP), the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation
(ACHP), and State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO)
National Events
1968 Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy
1969 Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) is
established
1970 Maiden Flight of Boeing 747
1974 World population reaches 4 billion
1975 End of Vietnam War
1979 U.S. Supreme Court upholds the decision in Penn Central
Transportation Co. vs. City of New York. U.S. Congress passes
Revenue Act, establishing tax credits for the rehabilitation of
historic structures.
National Events
1980 NTHP creates the Main Street Program. NHPA is amended
to include the provision for the designation of Certified
Local Government (CLG) status
1981 Economic Recovery Tax Act (ERTA) encourages historic
building rehabilitation with a 25% tax incentive
1981 First orbital flight of space shuttle
1986 Challenger and Chernobyl disaster
1986 Department of the Treasury authorizes final regulations
through which the historic preservation easement
donations would be allowable as charitable deductions
Nantucket Events
1956 Nantucket officially voted to establish Historic Districts
1957 Nantucket Historical Trust founded
1960s The Historic American Buildings Survey creates maps of
Nantucket
1966 November 13th- National Park Service approves
Nantucket’s Historic Districts as National Historic
Landmarks
1968 October 18th Jethro Coffin House becomes a National
Historic Landmark
1970 Entire Island Established as a Historic District
1984 The Nantucket Land Bank is developed to maintain and
protect the natural resources of Nantucket- First of its kind
in the nation
Historic District Commission
1955- In response to the needs of
the Nantucket Historical
Association to manage the
architectural features of historic
homes, the HDC was formed.
Originally limited to the Town of
Nantucket and Siasconset Historic
districts, their mission is
“to promote the general welfare of
the Town of Nantucket through
the preservation and protection of
historic buildings…in developing
and maintaining its vacationtravel industry…”
-The Nantucket Historic District Commission: An Overview
Nantucket Historic Districts Guidebook, 1967
Walter Beinecke Jr.
Summer Visitor
Sperry and Hutchinson Green Stamps Heir
Begins to purchase properties on-Island for preservation
Founded Sherburne Associates (sold to Winthrop Group in 1986)
Mission:
Concentrate on strengthening the island's most marketable
elements
Connection to the sea
Concentrated commercial center
Sense of place
Architectural consistency
Waterfront is the “front yard”
Nantucket Historical Trust
Walter Beinecke Jr., Walter Beinecke, Henry B. Coleman, and
George W. Jones
Preserve, restore, repair or maintain buildings, monuments, sights
and property of historic significance or of educational, aesthetic or
cultural value on Nantucket Island
Looking for quality, not quantity in historical material
Hoped to make Nantucket one of the historic centers of America
Preservation Institute: Nantucket
Since the mid 1960's, students have been coming to Nantucket to
participate in the HABS program
Prof. Blair Reeves (UF) - 1969- suggested that streetscapes and
neighborhoods be included, not just individual buildings, which
coincided with Beinecke's vision for the town.
Incorporated in 1971 as a non profit educational corporation,
sponsored by the Nantucket Historical Trust, University of Florida,
National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Park
Service
Began in 1972- architecture and urban design studies, HABS
documentation
Economy
Economy
800
700
600
500
400
Housing Permits
Total Permits
300
200
100
0
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
Economy
Real Estate Tax
1955- $
464,072
1960- $
687,357
1965- $
787,191
1970- $ 1,316,127
1975- $ 2,502,303
1980- $ 5,397,411
1985- $ 7,494,054
($1,868,761.70)
($2,502,650.76)
($2,692,244.91)
($3,655,080.69)
($5,015,127.72)
($7,050,327.67)
Marketing
“Pink Heap”, Toni Frisell, Sports Illustrated August 4, 1958
Marketing Timeline
1950s Nantucket marketed toward middle class families
1955 Two districts of Nantucket become Historic Landmarks:
Town Center and Siasconset
1963 Walter Beinecke Jr. acquires White Elephant
1968 Nantucket Looms established
1981 Nantucket begins a six month study to promote their
fishing industry
1986 Nantucket Land Bank sells bonds to promote its
preservation projects
Marketing before Beinecke
Focus on its past as a symbol of “the good old days”
“Nantucket has grown simply and informally…has retained to this
day the atmosphere of forthrightness and peace”
Draws tourists in as being a safe environment, rich in its history
and legacy as a haven
“Nantucket is famous as a law-abiding community second to none
in the country.”
-“Nantucket Island: Thirty Miles at Sea”
“Nantucket’s Quiet Revolution”
Beinecke shifts marketing
strategies to cater toward less
chain stores and encourages
smaller higher end businesses
“Much of the honky-tonk element which had
started to appear has been replaced by art
galleries and shops.”
-Monsanto Magazine
“It’s just like a huge crowd
standing in front of a great
painting- if there are too many
bodies, nobody will see or enjoy
it.”
- Walter Beinecke Jr., Life, 1968
“Daytrippers” Life Magazine, September 6, 1968
Marketing Products
Shopping attracted wealthy
visitors
Nantucket Reds- The classic
faded red shorts appeared in
national magazines
Nantucket Looms- established
under Nantucket Historical Trust,
the company attracted local
artisans with a market to sell
their goods
Marketing Strategies
Draws on to ideas of autonomy, exclusivity, and comfort to bring
about wealthier visitors
“Stronghold of the Nineteenth Century, adhering to homely
Quakerish virtues and architectural standards that in other places
didn’t survive the Victorian Era”
-Monsanto Magazine, March 1967
Expanded regeneration of iconic images from the past
“The cobblestones were Nantucket's reaction to the city dweller's
hunger for nostalgia, just as the gourmet food shops were an
attempt to assuage the city dweller's uneasiness about being
denied Columbus Avenue cuisine.”
- Russell Baker, Sunday Observer, August 1983
Accommodations
Hotels
1958- 16
1966- 18
1976- 20
1986- 29
1962-1963- White Elephant
Hotel razed by Walter Beinecke,
rebuilt as a modern hotel
1965- Sea Cliff Inn demolished
Accommodations
Private Guest Houses
1958- 222
1966- 237
1976- 167
Census
1950- 3,484
1960- 3,505
1970- 3,824
1980- 5,087
Audience
Steamship Authority
1961- 59,948
1962- 62,300
1971- 132,000
1972- 138,137
1979- 190,484
1980- 203,333
National inflation up 159%
Ticket prices up 57%
1973- First summer of the Hyannis-Nantucket Ferry service
1974- Year round service begins
Audience
Nantucket Airport
1960- 50.074
1967- 55,336
1969- 64,488
1974- 77,309
1982- 100,000
Transportation
Cadillac advertisement, 1950’s
Transportation Timeline
1965 Beinecke gives speech to the Sons and Daughters of
Nantucket outlining his proposed improvements to the waterfront
1966 Nantucket Memorial Airport expands runways
1969 Nantucket Boat Basin opens
1981 Airport adds new building to accommodate ProvincetownBoston Airline (PBA)
Bicycling
•
Increase in bicycle use
throughout thirty year
period.
•
Rentals continue to
generate revenue
•
Multiple accounts of citizens
concerned about bicycle
safety
•
Theft becomes a recurring
issue in 1950’s
•
Storage and parking
Bicycle(1960’s)
Beinecke’s Vision – A new boat basin
•
•
•
Intended to be a destination
for high end yachts.
Opened summer 1969 at cost
of $10 million
“What is going to be in this
for you?”
• “I could never live long
enough to have the
money I have invested
returned to me. It will be
my children and the
children of all the families
of the island who will be
the benefactors of this
facility.” –W. Beinecke, Jr.
Straight
First pair of “Nantucket
Red”Wharf
pants,(1968)
1972
Beinecke’s Vision – A new boat basin (cont’d)
• Created 180 slips protected
from NE storms
• Provided modern facilities to
boats
• Removed industrial sites on
wharf and replaced with
cottages and small retail
(Mooney, 162)
Brochure for new Nantucket Boat Basin
Ferry Services
Nantucket Steamship Authority
• Created by Mass. Legislature
in 1973 “in order to provide
adequate transportation of
persons and necessaries of
life for the islands of
Nantucket and Martha’s
Vineyard… Authorized and
empowered to purchase
construct, maintain, and
operate necessary vessels,
docks, wharves…”
• Only service to carry both
passengers and vehicles
Ferry
Ferry Services
Hy-Line
• Created 1988
“Crowd Control”
• At time of Sherburne
acquisition, the Hyannis boat
landed 1,800 people on straight
wharf each trip.
•Was part way through 15 year
lease.
•Beinecke did not renew lease
•Put limit of 500 per trip
“Eagle” Ferry and Brant Point Lighthouse
Buses
Sightseeing tours originated
as horse and buggy tours.
•
•Due to costs associated with
horses, switched to station
wagons, followed by, buses.
•Buses too large to maneuver
on historic streets.
•Suggested to selectmen that
trees be removed
• Beinecke gave out new
contracts limited to 28
passenger buses
Sightseeing tour (1950’s)
Planes and the Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK)
• ACK doesn’t stand for
anything. Random code created
by the FAA. None allowed to
start with “N”
•Airplanes have always played a
major role in bringing tourists
to the island
•Serves both commercial and
private flights
•Has been expanded and
improved multiple times to
handle increased traffic
Nantucket Regional Airport
Activities
“Big Waves Surfside on Nantucket” by Fred Gibbons
Beaches
•
•
•
North Shore (7)
• 40th Pole, Brant Point,
Children’s Beach, Jetties
Beach, Francis St. Beach,
Dionis Beach, Steps
Beach
South Shore (6)
• Surfside, Cisco Beach,
Miacomet Beach,
Madaket Beach, Tom
Nevers, Nobadeer
East Shore (4)
• ‘Sconset Beach, Pocomo
Beach, Great Point,
Coatue
Brant Point Lighthouse
Theatre and Arts
•
Art Galleries
•
Book Festival
•
Starlight Theatre
•
Dreamland
•
Theatre Workshop of
Nantucket
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket’s “Peter Pan
Dreamland Theatre
Golf
•
Nantucket Golf Club/
Tupancy Links
• Bought by pro golfer
Oswald “Tup” Tupancy in
1949
• Ran as 9 holes until its
closing in 1953
• Donated to the Nantucket
Conservation Foundation
(NCF) in 1976
• Reopened as a park with
nature trails
Nantucket Golf Club/Tupancy Links
Golf
•
•
Sankaty Golf Course
• Continues to be popular
private course in
Siasconset.
Miacomet Golf Club
• Opened on the southern
shore in 1963 by Ralph P.
Marble
• Built on farmland after his
dairy venture failed
• 1970’s clubhouse destroyed
by fire. It was so beloved by
locals that it was rebuilt
with donations of materials
and labor
Sankaty Golf Course Clubhouse (1969)
Sankaty Golf Course (1970’s)
Impacts
Impacts Timeline
1956 Massachusetts cities begin passing legislation modeled
after Nantucket’s Historic District Commission
1960 Steamship Authority strike- 77 days
1965 Neon Signs removed from commercial properties
1970s Cape Cod regulars visit Nantucket to avoid tourist shops
1970s Developments like Tristram’s Landing emerge
challenge the cultural landscape
1970 HDC laws concerning external architectural features are
enacted island wide
1972 Zoning bylaws are enacted
1972 Preservation Institute: Nantucket is established
through the partnership of Walter Beinecke Jr. and
Prof. Blair Reeves (UF)
1986 Beginning of a 5 year project to place utility cables
underground
Development of Historic District Commission
“Every jewel requires a setting, and even a carefully preserved and
bounded Historical District can lose much of its attractiveness and
value if it is surrounded by commercial and residential blight.”
- Nantucket Annual Report, 1965
Impacts:
Zoning areas established
Prevented overdevelopment of commercial areas
Maintained the historic integrity of the island
The Historic Districts bill created international interest inspiring
others to develop preservation societies
National recognition in Smithsonian Traveling Architecture
exhibition
Case Study: Tristram’s Landing
Property lots of Tristram’s Landing
Images of Tristram’s Landing
Era of Change
Beinecke’s renovations
• Provided area for businesses
to generate revenue
• Attracted more tourists to the
area
• Preservation of historic
buildings
• Sherburne Associates
becomes first private group to
obtain AIA award for
community planning
North Church Steeple
Era of Change
Local businesses suffering from
rent increases
Streets overcrowded by
summer residents
Housing shortages for summer
workers
Large level of stratification
between tourists/summer
residents and island locals
Anti-Beinecke Propaganda
Era of Change
Creation of cultural landscapes
that present “Authentic Phony”
image of Nantucket’s History
- Lawrence F. Willard, Yankee
Magazine
Four Winds and Macy’s
Conclusion
Nantucket saw significant economic expansion throughout this
period of time
Beinecke and associates transformed the wharf and commercial
center in order attract higher end businesses and visitors.
No longer marketed to middle class families, but now more
wealthy visitors who will invest more in the local economy.
Repair and preservation of historic buildings to create a sense of
place within the island and establish Nantucket as one of the
historic centers of the world.
The island saw significant residential expansion because of
increased island activity.