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THE 1800 HOUSE
By
Heath Aldridge
Robby Cangelosl
Nancy Layton
AE 583
University of Florida
Preservation Institute: Nantucket
Summer 1974
Faculty and Consultants:
F. Blair Reeves
Paul Buchanan
Susan Tate
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I1 INTRODUCTION
II. PROCEDURE
Ao Conversations
Bo Research
C. Field Work
III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A, Nantucket Architecture
B, Architectural Trends at the Turn of the 19th Century -
New England and Nantucket
IV. THE 1800 HOUSE
Ao Background History
1, Deed Tracing
B. Interior. Details
1. Floors
2. Panelling
3, Stairs
4o Doors
5. Mouldings
C, Furniture
1, New England Developments
2o Furniture in 1800 House
a, Secretary
bo Country Chippendale Chair
c. Primitive Chippendale Chair
Do The House Frame and Its Construction
1. The Foundation
2, Roof framing
3, Exterior Detailing
a. Front facade
b. Window
c. Cornice and rake board
Vo CONCLUSION
FOOTNOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. INTRODUCTION
Studying a single building is one approach to understanding the architec-
tural and building traditions of a particular area. Through archival research
and careful examination of the actual structure, it is usually possible to de-
termine the approximate date of construction and the sequence of any additions
or alterations,
The integrity of a building is wholly dependent on those who did the origi-
nal construction, the generations who inhabitated it, and of course, on those
who study and record its history, A building cannot defend itself against poor
craftsmanship, alterations and truncations, a student's incomplete research or
oversight and misinterpretation of the physical evidence. In this particular
study, it was hoped that research notes, belonging to the late Everett U. Crosby,
would be found in order to substantiate and to clarify certain data on the 1800
House. It was found, however, that these notes have either been lost or destroy-
ed since the time of Mro Crosby's death. Without this information there is much
concerning the 1800 House that may never be known. However, by working with the
materials at hand, this study attempts to trace the history of the house and to
place it in the development of America's building tradition.
IIo PROCEDURE
A. Conversations
1. Mr. Paul Buchanan - July 7
After examining the house frame and its construction, Mr, Buchanan
considered the interior detailing of the 1800 House, He looked for un-
usual structural elements which indicate changes had been made to the
original house plan. Mro Buchanan's findings will be discussed in de-
tail in the text.
2. Mr. Edouard Stackpole - July 15
Familiar with the restoration of thel800 House by the Nantucket
Historical Association in the early 1950's, Mro Stackpole said that
considerable changes had to be made to the interior of the building at
that time. It was his belief that the house had been converted into
two apartments in the late 1920's. He suggested we contact Mr, Clarence
Swift, the carpenter during the 2 1/2 year restoration, since he was
knowledgeable about the subject,
3. Mr, Clarence Swift - July 16
Mr. Swift informed us that the 1800 House was purchased by the
Melhados solely for the purpose of donating it to the Nantucket Histori-
cal Association0 He also dispelled Mr. Stackpole's idea that major al-
terations were necessary during the restoration process to return the
house to its 1800 authenticity, That is, according to Mr. Swift there
were no partitions or other structural signs indicating that the house
had been converted into an apartment dwelling as Mr. Stackpole had
suggested. However, the following changes were made,
(a) the privy, a "two and a half holer," was built during the res-
toration (1953-55). Old lumber was used,
(b) a wood and coal shed in the backyard was torn down When we
asked if the clothes press and spinning rooms on the southern
end of the kitchen ell were added during the restoration, Mr.
Swift said the rooms were there prior to 1953o
(c) although the well hole had been dug at an earlier date the old
pump was replaced.
(d) floor boards had to be replaced in three-quarters of the first
floor,
(e) corner posts and studs required patch work - in some places
studs were replaced
(f) windows and sills had to be replaced throughout the house,
(g) a new front door was hung; an older one remains in the attic
(h) there was no fireplace in the kitchen ell when the restoration
was initiated, Because Mr, Everett Crosby, the primary re-
searcher on the house, found an old photograph showing such a
fireplace, it was added during the restoration,
4. Mr. Leroy True - July 18
We called Mro True, President of the Nantucket Historical Associa-
tion, with the hope of obtaining (a) names of persons who had informa-
tion on the 1800 House other than those at the Folger Library and the
Atheneum. Mro True referred us to Mr. Stackpole, Mso Marie Coffin and
Mr, Clay Lancaster. He also told us all records of the Nantucket his-
torical Association with respect to their historic properties were in
the Folger Library.
5o Ms. Marie Coffin - July 18
Although Ms, Coffin wrote the pamphlet on the 1800 House she said
the research was done by Mr, Everett Crosbyo Unfortunately, it was
Ms. Coffin opinion that all his notes on the house were destroyed after
his death0
6, Mr, Clay Lancaster - July 18
Mro Lancaster expressed little familiarity with the 1800 Houseo He
suggested we contact Mr. Arthur Crosby, Everett Crosby's son.
7o Mr. Arthur Crosby - July 25
Contrary to opinion many of Everett Crosby's notes were preserved,
Mr. Crosby said he would check through the notes while he was in Phila-
delphia, We should contact him again August 4 upon his return,
Bo Research
1. The Atheneum
Literature
and the Peter Folger Library
General - books on the architecture of New England; books on
structural elements, interior furnishings, and other
interior details of the period
Nantucket - books and articles on Nantucket architecture; arti-
cles pertaining to the 1800 Houses as part of the pro-
ceedings of the Nantucket Historic Association; Nan-
tucket histories
Photographs & Maps - Nantucket - historic maps; old photographs;
photographic collections of Nantucket buildings.
2. Town Hall
In order to trace the ownership of the property we. used the Nan-
tucket County Records, We also looked through the wills of past owners
of the 1800 House hoping to find data on the interior furnishings. It
was thought that descriptions of furniture in the old wills might coin-
cide with the descriptions of pieces currently in the house Unfortu-
nately none of the wills adequately described any furnishings such that
we could substantiate the relationship.
Several observations about the 1800 House can be made at this point0
First, the house has not distinguished itself architecturally or histor-
ically as evidenced by its vertual anonymity in local books Its sig-
nificance has arisen because of its donation by the Melhados to the
Nantucket Historical Association, Secondly conversations with persons
familiar with the house demonstrated a frequent problem of historical
documentation - that of separating fact from fiction, As a result the
investigators will rely on sources with sufficient documentation to
warrant credibility and on field work observations in compiling this
study,
Co Field Work
The most important aspect of the investigator's procedure involves
the actual field work done at the 1800 House, Mro Paul Buchanan's ob-
servations and comments on the interior and exterior structuring cre-
ated a basis for our study.
5
III. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Ao Nantucket Architecture
Nantucket's early houses were merely reptitions of forms that had
been built in England since the fifteenth century0 The main unit of
construction was probably a medieval style, framed house; a form that
the colonists had known in England, A typical dwelling of this type
would have been a two story, single room deep, structure oriented to-
ward the south with the entrance and fireplace located at one endo
These dwellings, built without basements, were constructed on founda-
tions that were made from the abundant fieldstone found on the island
Sills were laid directly on these foundations and corner posts were
mortise and tenoned at each corner, Studs were also mortise and ten-
oned into the sill, but unlike the corner posts they were nailed
rather than pegged at the joint For insulation the spaces between
the studs were filled with mud and sea weed, In the earliest build-
ings the exterior walls were made by nailing clinkers, boards, and
battens, or bevel-edge siding directly to the studs. Because this
form satisfied the colonist's initial needs and because the area pro-
vided the necessary materials, the craftsmen continued to build what
they were most familiar with and saw no need to create radically new
, forms, As one historian points out, there was considerable variation
to the plan at the one-room deep house The two principle variations
were the two-room deep plan and the added lean-to plano2 The appear-
ance of these different types was not as-dependent on chronology as on
eaWi�' family's needs and circumstances. Whenever more space was re-
quired, the simple English plan was enlarged by adding a parlor to the
other side of the chimney The lean-to plan was created by making
a further addition to the back of the two room house, Williams
points out that, like the one room deep house, the lean-to was not
a colonial invention but an English type that was constructed in
wood and masonry. He goes on to explain that there was practically
no variation in the organization of the lean-to plan; any differ-
ences in the main floors were largely governed by the depth of the
rear rooms, In the lean-to the front door opens into a small entry
that occupies the full width of the chimney (usually 6 to 8)� On
either side of the entry are doors which open into two rooms, the
keeping room and the parlor, which are on opposite sides of the chim-
ney. In the lean-to section is a large kitchen which opens onto a
4
buttery on its north side and onto a borning room on the south side
On the mainland the lean-to plan began to appear in 1675. How-
ever, it did not appear on Nantucket until after 1700 when one was
added to the Jethro Coffin House0 The impact of the plan was by no
means lessened by this delay, Between 1700 and 1760, 77 integral
lean-to houses were built on the island. Nantucketers must have been
very satisfied with the room arrangement created by the lean-to be-
cause they soon began to build structures whose initial stage resem-
bled the lean-to plano These were called lean-to half houses, Lan-
caster explains that the "organic requirement of the half-house is that
it provide for expansion on either side of the chimney," When expanded
the half-house is referred to as a "full-house"0 Being made at the
chimney, the half house addition was very similar to the way a one
room English house was expanded to create two rooms and unlike the lean-
to addition which was constructed at the rear of the original structure
Chandlee Forman points out that in addition to the lean-to several
other building innovations were introduced on Nantucket aroung 1700o
These included sash windows, wide use of split shingles for roof,
and wall covering, gradual abandonment of mud filled walls, and round
cool cellars. The cool cellar was originally built only under the
lean-to addition but it outlawed that style and was later incorporated
into other plans. Both Lancaster and Williams agree, except that
Williams mentions that shingles were being used in southern Connecticut
in 1639 and suggests that they may have been used on Nantucket before
the turn of the century. 1700 was also a significant year in the his-
tory of the island, for the year Capaum Harbor was blocked off and the
populace of Sherburne began its transmigration to the present harbor
location of Nantucket.
In 1720 clay beds were opened and brick production was begun.
Prior to this date all bricks had to be imported to the island, However,
this production could not have been on a very large scale, because un-
till 1775 (when Rotch Market was built) masonry construction was limited
to chimneys and ovens It was not until the 1830's that brick housing
construction began to appear, When compared to Connecticut and Massachu-
setts, where brick was in general use after 1675, Nantucket was very
far behind. The increased use of brick during the thirties can be ex-
plained by the introduction of mechanized brick production on the island.
After 1726 one of the original characteristics of the lean-to was lost
This change first occurred in buildings constructed on the fish lots,
Because these lots were laid out in an east to west direction, the lean-
to houses that were built on them could not be accommodated with their
customary southern orientation,
The next major building innovation came to Nantucket in the 1750's
when the back wall of the lean-to was heightened to two full stories,
This change had been occurring on the mainland since 1700o In both
areas, this two story house, known as the upright, was built on the
same plan as the lean-to. However, just as the lean-to was appearing
on Nantucket a major change to floor plan was taking place on the main-
lando In the new plan a central hall runs from front to back with two
rooms off each side This plan could only be facilitated by rearrang-
ing the fireplaces and replacing the central chimney with dual ones
Clay Lancaster points out that the major significance of the plan is
that,
."with the introduction of this type, the dark medieval house cul-
minating in the lean-to variety had truely become a thing of the
past, Now the entrance had not only a transom above but side-
lights flanking ito The staircase was of easy ascent being total-
ly without windows More important, circulation took its most im-
portant leap forward, One no longer had to walk around the cen-
tral chimney and pass through rooms to get from one to another;
now one could enter each room directly by means of the middle hall-
way. "5
this central hall, two story house completely replaced the upright after
the Civil War, on the mainland. However, on Nantucket the lean-to plan
remained the most popular dwelling structures, Between 1750 and the
early 1800's only 29, 2 1/2 story twin chimney houses were built while
93, 2 1/2 story central chimney houses were built at the same time.
Given the many advantages of the central hall plan, why did Nantucketers
continue to build their dwellings with central chimneys and the lean-to
floor plan? Historians waver response to this question and are unable
to concur on any one answer. Some maintain that the continued building
of the central chimney represents Nantucketer's tenacity to a particular
form while others maintain that it reflected a "retarded" native in the
architecture on the island,6
B. Architectural Trends At the Turn of the 19th Century - New England
and Nantucket
The "Federal Style" is a term loosely applied to architecture of the
colonies between the dates 1780 and 1820 and was the first stage of the
Neoclassical movement in America7 The early stage of Federalism in
New England did not represent, by any means, a radical revolt against
any earlier style, It was rather the next step in an architectural
evolution armed at refinement, New interest in classical antiquities,
predominately Roman, brought about an emphasis on scale, proportion,
harmony and detailing. In New England this awareness manifested itself
in the Federal Style. Because of the provincialism and conservation
in New England, the Federal style developed slowly in the 1780's; this
was due to an ardent reliance upon the merits of earlier architecture.
The chief change made to a building's exterior with the emergence
of the Federal style was a refinement of scale and proportions. These
new spacial relationships were made possible through the use of detail-
ed handbooks on architecture and classical antiquity, During this peri-
od, however, major changes were made to the interior of the structure.
The standard rectangular room arrangement began to give way to the more
fluid forms of circles, aspses, ovals, and vaults Complimenting these
spacial relations were elegant decorative motifs which were based on
the delicate, refined manner of classicism. The catalyst behind this
internal evolution was the Adam Brothers of England whose handbooks
were widely read and used in New England, Catering to these trends were
two men in New England, Charles Bulfinch and Samuel Mclntireo Through,
the works of these two men the "traditional" phase or early stage of
the development of the Federal style was the introduction of the pro-
fessional architect, Epitomizing this phase was Benjamin Henry Latrobe
who brought to America a high degree of professionalism, both techni-
cal and theoretical, Through Latrobe's efforts American architecture
ceased to be "colonial" and began to strive for a national identity,
While the Federal style was emerging in the large cities on the
mainland, earlier style persisted for a longer duration in Nantucket.
Granted, the island's dependence on the sea for her economic liveli-
hood necessitated contact with the mainland, Consequently, some ex-
amples of the Federal style were built during the 1780-1820 period as
evidenced by the larger homes of the whale merchants, However, to, a
good extent the availability and expense of materials, religious factors,
and the island's isolation retarded architectural transition. This led
Nantucket to have two architectural philosophies - one following earlier,
established building traditions and the other conforming to Federal in-
fluenceso The 1800 House, an upright two story with a lean-to plan,
exemplifies the former tradition.
IV, THE 1800 HOUSE
Ao Background History
1. Deed Tracing
June 18, 1798
June 20, 1798
December 23, 1888
May 5, 1801
February 9, 1807
August 14, 1856
April 5, 1865
April 19, 1903
May 17, 1950
October 13, 1951
Charles Gardner passed to his son Joseph Gardner a tract
of land "to the Northward and Westward of the House that
was Stephen Chase containing four acres and 16 rods"
"Do for and in consideration of Sixty-Six Dollars" Jo-
seph Gardner, the blacksmith, sold the property to his
son Amiel Gardner, the mariner,
The land left to the Gardner family- was sold to Thomas
Marshall by Amiel Gardner.
The property was then bought by Richard L. Coleman,
housewright, who paid two hundred dollars to Thomas
Marshall.
Jeremiah Lawrence, High Sheriff of the County, purchas-
ed the property from Richard L. Coleman a piece of land
"a little to the westward of Stephen Chase House so-
called containing about 40 rods together with dwelling
house and other buildings standing thereonoo." This is
the first time the 1800 House is mentioned; the earlier
transactions dealt with the land only,
Having owned the property for 49 years Eunice Lawrence,
widow of Jeremiah Lawrence, sold the house and other
buildings on the property to Love Calder. It was de-
scribed as follows: "on the East by land of Reuben
Hallett, on South by road or highway, on West by land
belonging to heirs of Robert P. Wyer, and on North by
Mill Street..."
James Monroe Bunker buys the property "free from all
incumbrances" from Love Calder.
Upon taking out a mortgage for three hundred dollars,
Leonora Roberts James purchased "a certain tract of
land with the dwelling house and all other out-build-
ings" from the estate of James M, Bunker,
After living in the house for nearly half a century,
Leonora R, James sold the property to Louise Anderson
Melhado, the resident of Moor's End.
Louise A, Melhado donates the property to the Nantucket
Historic Association as a free gift.8
B. Interior Details
1L Floors
Double floors were the general rule for the first floor while single
ones commonly would be found on the second level and attic Floors tended
to be constructed in the following manner:
Over the joists were first laid a subfloor of "slit-stuff" or mate-
rial about 1/2" thick, the boards often being irregular widths and
having unsquared edges0 Over this land with the joists running in
the same direction or at right angles to the joists) the finished
floor was laid. This top floor was 7/8" to 1" thick and the boards
were quite wide - never less than 10" - 12" and often 18" - 20"o
These two floors were laid in such a manner that the joints on the
top or "finish" floor were always broken by the boards of the sub-
floor0 This arrangement was necessary because the joints on the
upper floor never matched with a tongue-and-groove as is used today.9
A basic tenet of construction demands the floor joists run parallel to the
chimney girt and perpendicular to the summer beam, In the 1800 House the
top flooring in the east and west parlors parallels the floor joists and is
perpendicular to the summer beams. This indicates there must be two or four
layers of floor boards. (The floor joists in both these rooms run from the
front to the rear of the house - that is, north to south), In the keeping
room the same construction technique is used0 Again the number of floor
boards appears to be even - either two or four. Because the summer beams on
both sides of the chimney run north-south the corresponding floor joists
must run east-west. Consequently in order to have the final flooring running
parallel to the joists, there must be an even number of boards.
All floors in the house are painted with the-exception of those in
the west parlor, This makes it difficult to determine what woods were used
The problem is compounded further by the fact that the floor boards were re-
placed during the restoration. In general white pine was used in the more
formal parlors and sometimes in the chambers directly above. The wood found
in the remaining floors were usually oak due to its durability,10
2. Paneling
Fireplace
The use of paneled woodwork on the fireplace wall did not per-
sist past 1800o After that date plastering took its place and builders
concentrated their talents on mantel detailing,11 Until then as is evi-
dent in the 1800 House the fireplace wall was entirely covered with an
arrangement of rectangular panels secured in place by stiles and rails
No attempt was made at a symmetrical configuration since the fireplace
was rarely on the central axis of the room. A common design was a sin-
gle, large panel above the fireplace held in place by bolection mould-
ing, White pine, free from knots with a clean even grain, was the ideal
material for such panelingo2
Basically all the fireplace paneling appears to be of the same
period. However, subtle differences are detected throughout the house
with respect to the paneling arrangement near the ceiling. For instance
in the last parlor the paneling is two-sectioned directly above the fire-
place while in the keeping room and west parlor the top row forms one
piece, Upstairs less. attention was paid to paneling details Of partic-
ular interest is the poor craftsmanship of the fireplace paneling in the
spinning room, Instead of forming a symmetrical rectangTe the paneling
is irregularly shaped One also notices that no paneling exists above
the mantlepiece in the summer kitchen ell. Due to the utilitarian nature
of such a oom paneling was impractical0
Wainscot
B$thf the east andyest parlors have wainscotting to the hand-
rail moulding, This was often the case in the formal rooms of any house
of this area In both rooms the wainscotting is less than three feet
,ft., j
high and coincides with the window stool One quickly observes that
the chair-rail moulding in the last parlor is more elaborate than that
in the west parlor. Presumably the simpler of the two shows the work
of an earlier craftsmanship. One also notices the baseboards forming
the bottom of the wainscotting, In both parlors the baseboards pro-
ject about 3/4" from the wall and are about 3" in height. In the rooms
where plaster covers the wall surface the baseboards are about 6" in
height with or without a beaded edge. These baseboards, set virtually
flush with the plaster, form the transition between the floor and the
wall.
3. Front Stairs
In the houses of the central-chimney type the front stairs occupied
a position in front of the chimney stack. The location of the front
stairs was governed by the depth of the entrance hall. That, in turn,
depended upon the chimney's placement. The nearer the chimney was to
13
the front wall of the house, the narrower and steeper the stairs.
In the 1800 House the space allotted the stairway is shallow Ac-
cordingly the risers are high and the treads are narrow The use of
winders or "pie steps" at the turns is a distinguishing feature.
The earliest stairs in New England had no handrail or baluster, and
the entire flight of stairs was encased by a single thickness of wain-
scotting, The next development precipated the omission of enclosed
wainscotting and the introduction of the plain, square newels and a
railing. In the third stage, of which the 1800 House is representative,
one witnesses the emergence of turned newel posts which are finished
with a moulded cap. The balusters placed upon the moulded box string
also received greater attention from the craftsman.
In the earliest stairs enclosed by wainscot, a square oak post
of 3" - 4" was commonly found into which the diagonal treads or
"winder" were framed, When wainscot was superseded by hand-rails
and balusters, the newel posts remained and served the same pur-
pose. Two more newel posts were added: one at the top and bot-
tom of the flight to receive the ends of the hand rail,
Note: the molding under the balusters, the so-called box string In
most houses on the mainland built during this period a box string would
bear elaborate detailing, Yet, in the 1800 House it is comparatively
simple. Likewise the balusters themselves are a plain, rectangular form
which again contrasts the turned baluster designs on the mainland The
favorite material for baluster construction tended to be hard pine while
15
the handrail and newel posts were frequently oak.
4o Doors
Interior Doors
With the exception of the Christian, transomed doors lead-
ing to and from the east and west parlors the doors of the 1800 House
are: (1) of the plain two paneled type or (2) of the more rudimentary,
batten form, As evidenced in the pictures the two paneled door in the
upstairs chamber and the one in the keeping room are quite similar, It
was typical for the parlor doors to be more detailed since they were in
the formal area of the house. However in the back of the house and up-
stairs, plainer doorways were used.
Front Door
The present front door,(commonly called a "Christian" door
due to the cross-like motif in the paneling) has six panels formed by
recessed bevelled edges and raised inside panels Both the exterior and
the interior of the door are the same. Of note is the fact that the
original, hand-planed door remains in the attic, Several distinctions
between the original and the present door can be described. First, the
composition of the panels differs. The two smaller panels are in the
middle of the original door while they appear in the upper section of the
present door, Second, the inside of the original door is of batten con-
struction as opposed to the six paneled inside of the present door
In cross section paneled doors are almost invariably the same.
The panel edge is beveled on one side and held in place in the
rabbets of the stiles and rails by a quarter round head and
moulding which is integral with them. Inasmuch as the panels
were generally a quarter of an inch thinner than the stiles and
rails, a simple sinkage occurs on the reverse side of the door0
Rails and stiles never measured greater than 1 1/2 " in thick-
ness, The jointing of the stiles and rails always by means of
mortise-and-tenoned, held together by wooden pins. Whilg pine
without exception is the material used for these doors.
5. Moulding
The first mouldings were semi-utilitarian such as those at the joints
of wainscot or the joinery connecting the boards of the batten doors.
These examples and the chamfering of exposed beams may be registered as
the first attempt at ornamentation by means of moulding, Ornamental
mouldings in the modern sense of the word were probably not generally
employed until late in the first half of the eighteenth century. Mould-
ings of this sort were made by hand from one inch boards-by means of a
special plane. The introduction of plastering and the resultant casing
of the formerly exposed structural members probably had much to do with
the innovation of purely ornamental mouldings,
Because of the variations in the abilities of craftsmen, it became
difficult to date mouldings,, Consequently the investigators shall focus
upon the different types of mouldings rather than attempting to date
them within a specific time frame. With regard to dating the moulding
in the 1800 House, one determinant can be made, All mouldings made
prior to 1810 were made by hand, After that date the sophistication in
tools and the methods of production led to the creation of new profile
characteristics which are readily discernible,
The trim in the 1800 House represents the earliest type of moulding
which Kelly describes as being "rather heavy and clumsy and having bold
and steep contours".18 Historians explain that these early profiles
were merely adaptations of classical forms which had been cast in stone,
The original forms were largely determined by the materials and proved
to be of stylistic interest to the eighteenth and early nineteenth cen-
tury craftsmen. It was not until after 1810 that wood was freed from
heavy classical forms and started to be used in lighter, more intricate
moulding profiles,
The types of wood mouldings that are found throughout the 1800 House
are as follows: cyma recta ogeee), cyma reverse, cavetto, ovolo, and
scotiao These moulding profiles are shown on the next page0
Different trims can be found in different rooms of the house. These
variations were created by changing the combination of moulding profiles,
At first glance, the three part ceiling trim in the downstairs parlors
seem similar. However on closer examination many differences can be
noted The components profiles of the ceiling trim in the east parlor
are cyma recta, cyma reverse, and scotia, and in the west parlor they
are cavetto, ovolo, and cyma reverse. Even when the same type of mould-
ing appears in different trims it is not always found in the same posi-
tion. For example, while the cyma recta profile is in ceiling parlor
trims - in one it is as the bed moulding and in the other it is as the
fascia. These variations seem to reflect the craftsmen's individuality
and design preference. Even though they chose to work within the limi-
stations of uniform profiles styles, they ordered the elements as they
chose. The moulding over the paneling in the spinning room has only two
parts: a cyma recta over a cyma reversal This variation is not unusual,
for as already noted, elements in the rear rooms were often modified or
crudely constructed. Variations can also be seen in the window trim of
different rooms of the house. When compared to the trim in the keeping
room, the buttery, and the east and west second floor chambers which are
all similar, the trim in the east and west parlor seems much more elab-
orate. However the elements are the same, and it is only their arrange-
ment that differs.
C. Furniture
1. New England Development
American Chippendale (1755-90)19
While the English Chippendale displays a mixture of Chinese,
rococo, and Gothic design details in combination with the Georgian clas-
sical forms, American Chippendale is more strictly al-igned with the
Georgian forms. Furthermore, in American furniture there is more evi-
dence of the survival of Queen Anne influences.20 Generally American
furniture during this period was of a simpler design than the English.
It was less square in its proportions and emphasis was placed upon the
vertical line. Chairs were narrower, the rake of the rear legs was
21
less pronounced and the carving was less embellished,21
Classical Period (1790-1830)22
As Comstock points out there is much confusion with respect
to terminology during this period To clarify the styles and their
dates, Comstock categories them as follows:
Hepplewhite 1790-1810
Sheraton 1800-1810
Empire 1810-1820
23
Although Adam as a style name is sometimes incorrectly used to
designate a phase in the Classical period, the direct influence of Adam
did not come to America in its purity except in a few cases of archi-
tecture, As to furniture it can almost be said that none in America was
made in Adam style. By the time close relations were established with
England following the Revolution, English cabinetmakers had abolished
with Adam mode and were working in a freer fashion, Preserving the gen-
eral proportion, form, straight lines and curve suggested by the archi-
tectural tastes of Adam, cabinetmakers created their own designs,
The two books which formed the basis of furniture design during
the early years of the republic were: The Cabinet Maker's and Uphol-
sterer's Guide by A. Hepplewhite and Co. and The Cabinet Maker's and Up-
24
holsterer's Drawing Book (1792) by Thomas Sheratono24 In these books
one notes the transition from the stricter.Adam treatments to those of
a practical cabinet maker0
We see some pieces in almost the straight Adam style,
and others in which the softening of lines shows the
influence of some of the French work of the late
period of Louis XV. Many of the cold mechanical curves
of the Adam usage are translated into finer, free hand 25
curves, and the moulding of forms is more freely handled.
Hepplewhite furniture is characterized by straight, tapering legs, square
in section; serpentine lines; emphasis on inlay Adamesque urn finials;
the flaring bracket foot on chests of drawers. Chairs tended to have
heart-shaped shield or oval backs. Sheraton, on the other hand, becomes
familiar due to the reeded leg; square backs on chairs and sofas; convex
ends on case pieces; projecting sections and colonettes. Most American
work is representative of the Sheraton rather than the Hepplewhite in-
fluenceo27 The proportions are light and delicate; inlay and veneering
predominate in decoration. In general there is a preference for the
lighter wood, mahogany often being a light, sherry color combined with
broad veneers of satinwood and curly maple.
Country Furniture
The periods and their representative styles as mentioned
above pertain primarily to the furniture movement in the larger design
centers: Boston, Newport, New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston. At
the time these furniture trends in such centers were taking place the
more rural areas were also experiencing design changes, However, these
changes tended to be more limited as well as more gradual Consequently
terms like "country, "primitive," and "rustic" designating the furni-
ture design traditions of the less urban areas have emerged Although
some pieces in the 1800 House are representative of the high style,
most of the furniture would appropriately be described as "country."
This term suggests that the furniture was made by craftsmen working in
a provincial area who had less sophisticated training, Admittedly some
of them were trained in a "high style" center such as Boston, Yet due
to personal choice, the purchaser's taste, the availability of materials,
and for finances, they made furniture akin to their provincial setting28
At this level a highly personal attitude was created by rethinking tra-
ditions from the large design centers and by introducing a strong streak
of individualism - an individualism always with the context of the furni-
ture's purpose and utilitarian qualities.
2, Furniture in the 1800 House
For the purpose of discussion three pieces of furniture were
chosen - a secretary, and two Chippendale chairs
ao Secretary
This mahogany secretary (desk and bookcase) can be character-
ized by its directness, starkness and simple arrangement of wal-propor-
tioned rectangles of particular interest is the juxtaposition of these
rectangles - the paneled cabinet doors, the slant lid, and the four-
drawered front Due to the secretary's lack of elaborateness, this
would probably be classified as a "country" piece. It is a reinterpre-
tation of European traditionso9 A feature that helps to classify this
as a country piece is the saw markings on the beveled, two paneled doors.
This suggests the act of a rural craftsman as cabinetmakers in a high
style-center such as Boston would produce a more refined piece of furni-
30
ture due to the availability of better tools.
Joinery
The main joints on both the lower case (the desk) and the upper case
(the bookshelves) are mortise-and-tenoned while the joints of the four
desk drawers and the smaller drawers within the slant lid section are
dove-tailed. If larger dove-tailing had been used, it would be indica-
tive of an early or rural piece. However, in this case the dove-tailing
is of an average size; thus no aid in dating the piece The bracketed
feet as well as the cornice are mitered,
Moulding
Two main forms of moulding are visible0 Around the desk drawers and
the, cabinet doors one sees a lip moulding while around the shelves one
sees a double-beaded edge, Note also the ogee motif on both the cabinet
doors and the feet of the desk Most of the cornices in the late 1700's
were characterized by elaborate fret work, broken-arch pediments, and
other embellishments, Dissimilar from these features of "high style"
design, the cornice on this secretary exemplifies a simple treatment of
detail,
Brass
The locks on the upper and lower case are original; an old nail in
one of the locks confirms this belief However the pulls on the desk
have been changed as indicated by the markings on the interiors of the
drawers,
b. Chippendale Chair - Country
Also a country piece this Chippendale chair is made of Honduras
mahogany, As mentioned earlier each major American style center had
its own interpretation of a particular design trend0 Nantucket by vir-
tue of its proximity to Boston tended to copy its design traditions
In the Massachusetts Chippendale chair the ears have a slightly swell-
ing center and simple serpentine ends; the crest rail moves from the
ears to the center lambrequin motif; under the lambrequin the crest
rail divides and continues into the strapwork of the splat; the area
,,where the straps start is at the first filled; the outer strap terminates
in small scrolls that rest upon the inner straps which have joined each
other and moves outward into a tight circular movement to twist in upon
themselves; they touch again, then separate to terminate in tight scrolls
as found in the inner straps. Below this scrolling is supported by the
31
lower part of the splat0 One might note the change of emphasis in the
strapwork of this chair - in the upper strap there is a focus on the
horizontal while in the lower strap one notices vertical movement,
Joinery
With the exception of one dove-tail joint on the front stretcher,
all joints are mortise-and-tenoned with or without a dowel,
c. Chippendale Chair - Primitive
Like the preceding piece this chair is also Chippendale, How-
ever one quickly notices the difference in craftsmanship and design so-
phistication of the two pieces due to the dissimilarites this chair
would appropriately be considered "primitive". The primitive crafts-
man was to a good extent removed from the traditions of European de-
sign as well as the traditions of the high style domestic cabinetmakers.
Granted the maker of primitive type furniture borrowed from both tra-
ditions to some extent but he always built the pieces to correspond to
their use, which encouraged a mixture of styles. Often this mixture
made the pieces seem more original. Indeed they are in a sense more
original since the primitive pieces were designed to suit specific re-
quirements of a purchaser rather than to cater to whims of European
stylistic trends. One witnesses greater lightness of touch, more pat-
terning and a certain eccentricity. Being less expensive the primitive
pieces tended to be of lesser woods and were frequently painted32
Evidence of such paint is seen on this chair,
In order to explain points of interest comparisons between the two
Chippendale chairs are helpful. First, like the "country" piece this
primitive maple chair also has strong, vertical thrusts upward to the
ears. The vertical styles are connected by strong, horizontal members:
the crest rail, the rail supporting the bottom of the splat, and the
front seat rail. Second, there is the pierced splat (called the violin
33
or vase form) which terminates in the crest rail and ears Although
the maple chair has double beading on its stretchers which the mahogany
chair does not, both chairs have simple stretchers and chamfering on the
two rear marlborough legs. Of equal importance are the differences.
Perhaps the most visible difference is the degree of detail within the
strapwork0 The primitive chair treats the pierced splat with simple
design while the country piece interpreted the Chippendale trends in a
more elaborate detailing, Reflecting a more formal design upholstery
was chosen to cover the mahogany piece. The more utilitarian use of
the maple chair is epitomized by the woven rush seating, Note also the
method employed to support the chair back. On the country Chippendale
piece there is a continuation of the rail whereas on the maple chair a
separate rail joins the vase splat.
Joinery
Like the mahogany chair the joinery is mortise-and-tenoned with or
without a dowel - the dowels being placed in the joints with the great-
est stress (the legs and the stretcher joints)'. The plain mortise-and-
tenon joint is used.at the points where the styles and crest railing
meet as well as where support is needed for the vase splat.
D. The House Frame and Its Construction
1. The Foundation
The foundation is of rough-laid field stone whose mortar has
been reprinted and patched in several places. Like most houses on the
island the 1800 House is built on grade with no cellar under the main
portion of the structure, A round, cool cellar does exist under the
summer kitchen ell. (However this was excavated when the ell was added -
not as an original part of the house), Oak sills were laid directly on
the foundation; these large handhewn members measure 7 1/2" by 9"o The
four corner posts of the main house (excluding the kitchen ell) are mor-
tise-and-tenoned into the sills as are the floor joists. These joists
are 32" apart when measured on center. An interesting feature with re-
spect to the alignment of the floor joists is that the joists run in two
directions in the central portion of the house. Underneath the flooring
in the parlors, the joists run from the front to the rear of the house,
However under the keeping room "galloping" joists run east to west. This
structural arrangement is determined by the placement of the summer beams,
for the two must be perpendicular. The summer beam was framed into the
end and chimney girts by means of the dovetail joint. The advantage of
such construction lay in the fact that the summer beam could not sag be-
neath the floor loads transmitted to it through the joists unless it
34
first gave way at the ends. Unfortunately in the 1800 House one can-
not analyze the structural facets in depth. There are two reasons for
this: (1) visibility under the house is limited (2) the presence of
ceiling plaster encases the structural members which in the homes of
earlier periods had been left exposed.
A chimney foundation of 10-12 feet in both dimensions was not uncom-
mon in a central-chimney plan. The upper part of the foundation was of-
ten corbelled out to provide support not only for the hearthstone but
also for the timbers extending from the front to the rear sills,35 It
is generally the case that the chimney was laid on a stone foundation,
It is impossible to discern whether this is true of the 1800 House. All
that can be said is that the stack of this six-flued, beehive chimney is
brick from the first floor through the roof.
Up to this point nothing has been said about the foundation of the
summer kitchen ell. Because it is not part of the main house the inves-
tigators chose to discuss its structure only limitedly. Several points
can be made: (1) the foundation is of field stone. If the buttery is
any indication these field stones go into the ground about six feet
(2) the ell is stud or balloon construction, the studs being mortise-
and-tenoned into the plate (3) the floor joists run the length of the
summer kitchen - that is, north to south.
2. The Roof Framing
Because the framing is not visible In the first and second floors
the investigators shall restrict their discussion of the framing to the
attic construction. The framing system there is of the common rafter
type with ten pairs of rafters spanning the breadth of the house spaced
approximately four feet apart, When the roof frame consists of common
rafters it is typical to see collar beams like those in the 1800 House,
Used to prevent the rafters from sagging inward at the center under the
weight of the roof boards and shingles are ten collar beams (unusual to
find them on the end rafters), They form the third member of a simple
truss acting as a "struct" or a member in compression. Although it is
possible to see the arrangement of the floor joists running parallel to
the gabled ends, the plate construction is a matter of conjecture be-
cause two large planks in the north and south sides hide it from view,
Since the roof frame was constructed on the ground and then lifted
into place, it was necessary to number each member. All but one of the
rafters are, 'numbered, indicating that nine are original. Not original
are the two small rooms located on the west side of the attic On the
basis of the flat, quirk and the beaded moulding it can be assumed
that these rooms were built after 1810,
The end rafters are supported by studs. These members are joined by
hand made nails, This form of joinery is different from the others in
the roof system. For example, the tusk-tenon-and-mortise joint was the
means by which the collar beams were framed into the rafters. As in
this house the joints are always secured with wooden pegs, about 3/4"
in diameter. The rafters which meet at the ridge of the house were
framed together by means of a tenon joint. Presumably the footing for
the rafters was a double notch cut into the plate at the point of inter-
section. This double notch provided a bearing for the rafter butt
which was further held in place with a peg.
3. Exterior Detailing
a. Front facade
An unusual characteristic of the front facade is the fact that
the four windows are not evenly spaced across the front of the house,
Why this assymmetrical look was created is not known. The door and the
porch are constructed of both old and new members. For example, two old
joints exist under the steps; however, the steps themselves and the rail-
ing elements are all modern. Likewise the existing front door (the
original remains in the attic) was put on during the 1953 restoration.
The doorway itself has a mixture of old and recent features, The crown
moulding and flat board above the door frame appear modern, while rows
of moulding below the crown detailing seem to be early Federal. Also
old and presumably original are the fluted pilasters. Yet the plinth
blocks as well as the riser under the door sill were obviously added re-
cently.
While water tables were customary for brick or stone masonry build-
ings, it is not common to find one on a shingled house. In the 1800
House such a water table is found on the front facade of the house
Sections of it are original while other parts have been replaced. Of
note is the reworked cove moulding found on the left-hand side of the
doorway.
b. Windows
"In the double-hung window of the period, the upper sash was
rived being rabbeted into the frame. The lower sash, thus, was the only
operative one; it slid up and down by a spring catch on the jambo
Frames for the window were generally oak. Jambs were framed into the
head and sill by means of the customary tusk-tenon-and-mortise joint
and secured in place by wooden pegs. Like the earlier casement window
type the frame was held into place by mortising the projecting ends
of the head and sill into the studs on either side,"38 The corners of
the sashes themselves were mortis-and-tenoned together and held with
wooden pins. Rails were narrow and the meeting rails were still smaller,
rarely being more than an inch wide. The bottom rail which joins the
sill tended to be less than two inches in height. Sash bars or muntins
experienced a gradual narrowing through the eighteenth century; during
the last decades of the 1700's the average sash was about one incho39
In the 1800 House none of the original window sashes remain. Pres-
ently the sashes are nine over nine; this indicates they are replace-
ments since windows of this period would have been six over six. On the
front facade there are several original window frames whose jambs have
a rough beaded edge. The first story windows have "ears" or lugs, on the
top of the frame at the sill; these project over the shingles. On some
of the window frames on the first story these "ears" have been added per-
haps to protect the mortise-and-tenon joinery. No "ears" appear on the
window frames of the second story windows; instead they have beaded, imi-
tation jack arches. On the westside of the 1800 House there seem to be
three original windows which is determinable by the pane size and the
framing. These are the two attic windows and the northernmost window on
the first floor, The windows on the back of the kitchen ell can be con-
sidered twentieth century additions due to their closeness to the struc-
ture's framing, During the 1800 period windows would have been placed
towards the center of the building wall. On the east side the only orig-
inal windows are those on the northernmost corners of the first and
40
second stories.
c. Cornice and Rake Board
Being of a simple box cornice construction the gutter takes the
place of the crown mouldings. The cornice also lacks the embellishment
of a bed moulding. Adjacent to the cornice is the rake board found at
both gabled ends of the house at the junction of the roof with the side
walls, The rake afforded a "stop" against which the outside covering
of the house terminated, in much the same function as the corner board,
In width, this rake is rarely more than five or six inches; as such kept
tight against the sides of the house, it is a distinctive feature of
41
Colonial work, On the east side of the 1800 House the original rake
boards have been replaced; whereas, on the west side of the house and on
the right side of the kitchen ell the original rake boards remain. This
can be determined by the presence of a beaded edge on the original mem-
42
bers.42
4. Evolution
From the archival information it is possible to determine that the
1800 House was built between 1801 and 1807 by Jeremiah Lawrence. How-
ever, no conclusive evidence appeared to affix a more accurate date to
the buildings construction. The Nantucket Historical Association cites
1801 as the building date. Unfortunately no primary sources have cor-
roborated this fact. The destruction of Mr. Everett Crosby's records
upon his death have compounded the difficulty since he was the major
researcher for the house,
Although vw could not substantiate 1807 as the date (suggested by
the Nantucket Historical Association), there is no doubt that the kitchen
ell was an addition to the house, The ell was undoubtedly an outbuild-
ing, possibly the wood or coal shed, moved to adjoin the main structure
as a family expanded. Upon viewing a map done by William Coffin in
1833, the investigators can establish that the el was put on prior to
his survey. Several findings within the house confirm the fact that the
kitchen ell was not original, First, the markings of a window are visi-
ble within the buttery. It is assumed that this was an exterior window
which was closed, The top of this window frame can also be seen on the
northern wall of the kitchen ello Second, in the "cool" cellar one can
see the original shingles which demarcated the former end wall Another
finding relating to the kitchen ell is that a fireplace existed at the
southern end of this wing. Presently only a fake chimney remainSo Con-
sequently the investigators questioned the authenticity of such a chim.
ney, even in earlier days. Yet a hole in the sheathing of the roofl ne
eliminated conjecture,
Nor only was the kitchen ell an addition to the 1800 House but also
two small rooms, the clothes press room and the spinning room, were ald-
ditions to the kitchen ell, No means of deriving a date for their annex-
ation could be found. What confirms the belief that they are additions
are the following:
(1) rafters In the attic of the 1 1/2 story addition are placed next
to each other at the point where the rooms join. In normal construction
rafters would not be side by side: However, it would be a common occur-
ence if an addition were being made; (2) the plate changes at that same
point. If the entire kitchen ell had been one room originally, the plate
would be continuous; (3) it would be unusual to find a single chimney
43
placed on the interior rather than an exterior wall.
Other features with respect to the evolution of the house are less
consequential changes. The "two and a half holer" outhouse was built
during the 1953 restoration; both the cistern and the well were original
to the site. Most pieces of the pump indicate 20th century replacements;
only the hardware is oldo44 The investigators also noticed that once the
buttery had been partitioned to create a closet. Markings of the floor
show such partition lines. There are also lines 'on the eastern well of
the buttery where shelves had been in the past - presumably built .at the
same time as the closet. Markings on the vertical wainscotting (sepa-
rating the buttery and keeping room) further indicate a door led from the
keeping room into this partitioned space,
A point ef greater speculation concerns the existence of back stairs
In homes of the central chimney plan they are commonly found at either
end of the keeping room. Unually enclosed and covered with vertical wains-
45
cotting, these stairs tended to be soley utilitarian Because back
stairs were such a common occurence the investigators searched the 1800
House for clues which might substantiate their former existence, Marks
were found along the eastern end of the keeping room; nails were also
visible. Furthermore the length and width of the markings were suffi-
cient for such a stairway. Because these marks run through the verti-
cal wafnscot wall (between the keeping room and buttery), it was specu-
lated that the wall was a later addition. It is thought that a plaster
wall originally separated the keeping room and the buttery. That appear-
ed reasonable since plaster was used on the wall separating rooms on the
opposite walls. Unfortunately we did not find more conclusive informa-
tion to support this belief. Upstairs no markings could be found where
the stairway presumably would have projected into the second floor.
However, the upstairs has been reworked so often that all evidence of a
former back stairs may have been removed.
V. CONCLUSION
It appears that the 1800 House is undistinguished both historically and archi-
tecturally. So few records were kept of this building that there is not even writ-
ten evidence to substantiate a date of construction or to indicate when additions
were made to the original structure. At the time of its donation to the Nantucket
Historical Association, the house was considered an eye-sore to an otherwise pleas-
ant streetscape. More significantly, the house detracted from its imposing neigh-
bor Moor's Endo It may have been with the hopes that repairs would be made to
the property that the owner of Moor's End purchased the 1800 House and gave it to
the Association as a gift. Restoration began in 1953 and when completed the build-
ing was opened as a house museum, It is ironic that such an obscure house should
now be the focus of any attention.
While the name "1800 House" implies that significance can be affixed to that
house as representative of a certain era. However, this is misleading, First,
the house was not built in 1800 (but a year later), and secondly, the construc-
tion and stylistic trends that it exemplifies had teen common to Nantucket since
1750o As previously mentioned, some historians maintain that the only signifi-
cance of a house of this type is that it reflects the retarded nature of the de-
velopment of building on the island This modest house has made no impression,
on the architecture of Nantucket for it contains no stylistic or structural inno-
vations. However, the major significance of the 1800 House is that it is an ex-
cellent example of the typical dwelling type that was built on the island for
over 150 years,
FOOTNOTES
1. H. Chandler Forman, Early Nantucket and Its Whale Houses (New York:
Hashings House, 1966), p. 238.
2. Hugh Morrison, Early American Architecture (New York: Oxford Press,
1952), p. 20-21.
3. Clay Lancaster, The Architecture of Historic Nantucket (New York:
McGraw-Hill, 1972), p. 25.,
4. Henry L. Williams, Old American Houses (New York: Bonanza Books,
1947), p. 59-60.
5. Lancaster, p. 82.
6. Ibid., p. 81.
7. William H. Pierson, American Builders and Their Architects (New York:
Doubleday and Co., 1970), p. 210.
8. Nantucket County Records
Book 15, p. 281-2 Book 58, p. 321-2
Book 16, p. 298 & p. 399 Book 85, p. 227
Book 19, p. 548-9 Book 112, p. 537
Book 53, p. 96 Book 113, p. 337
9. John F. Kelly, The Early Domestic Architecture of Connecticut (New York:
Dover Publishing, 1952), p. 132.
10. Ibid., p. 133.,
11. Ibid., p. 160.
12. Ibid., p. 151.
13. Ibid., p. 176.
14. Ibid., p. 178.
15. Ibid., p. 177.
16. Ibid., p. 138.
17. Ibid., p. 90.
18. Ibid., p. 191.
19. Helen Comstock, American Furniture (New York: Bonanza Books, 1962),
p. 115.
20. Ibid., p. 121.
21. IbO, p. 122.
22. bd, p. 191.
23. Ibid., p. 195.
24. Charles 0. Cornelius, Early American Furniture (New York: Century Com-
pany, 1926), p. 204.
25. Ibid. p. 202-3.
26. Ibid., p. 195.
27. Ibid., p. 205.
28. Jolin T. Kirk, Early American Furniture (New York: Knofp, 1970), p. 95.
29. Ibid., p. 95
30. Ibid., p. 98.
31. Ibid., p. 57.
32. Ibid., p. 99.
33. Cornelius, p. 122.
34. Kelly, p. 65.
35. Ibid., p. 71.
36. Paul Buchanan, July 7, 1974.
37. iarry Parker and Merrick Gay, Materials and. Methods of Architectural
Construction (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1953),-p.
38, Kelly, p. 131.
39. Ibid., p. 94.
40. Paul Buchanan, July 7, 1974.
41. Kelly, p. 131.
42. Paul Buchanan, July 7, 1974.
43. Paul Buchanan, Jily 7, 1974.
44. Paul Buchanan, July 7, 1974.
45. Kelly. p. 186.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Comsteek, Helen, American Furniture, New York: Bonanza Books, 1962.
Cornelius, Charles 0. Early American Furniture. New York Century Co., 1926.
Katz, Laszlo, The Art of Woodwork*in and Furniture Appreciation. Mew York P.F.C,
Publishing Co., 1970.
Kelly, John Frederick. The Early Dmestic Houses of Connecticut. New York:
Dover Publishers, 1954.
Kimbell, F. Domestic Architecture of the American Colonies and the Early Republic,
tiew York: Dover Press, 1950.
Ishal, Nrman Morrison. Early American Houses and a Glossary of Colonial Archi-
teailral.Terms. New York: Da Capo Press, 1967.
Lancaster, Clay. The Architecture of Historic Nantucket. New York: McGraw-Ril1,
1972.
Morrison, Hugh. Carly American Architecture. New York: Oxford Press, 1952.
Nantuckt CoGity Records (Books 15% 16, 19, 53, 58, 85, 112, 113).
Osboeme, H.P. An Outline of Home Furnishing Periods. New York: Outline Publish-
in Coe., 1941.
Parker f Rary and Merrick Gay. Materials and Methods of Architectural Construc-
tlan. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1952.
Piersin, William H., Jr. American Builders and Their Architects. New York:
b&ubleday and Co., 197n
SayTow, Nenty. Dictionary of Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1952.
The 18D0 House", The Nantucket Historical Assoctation.
Wtllams, teiry L., Old Armrican Rouses 1700-j80. New York: oimanza Books, 1947.
I
A
- -
bovep Henry F. Wa 11 ing
I Survey Map, 1858
I Below- William Coffin
I Survey Map, 1833
Transom and Moulding
West Parlor
Wainscotting
West Parlor
PANELING
I I I
i ^;
A.j
9 .
West Parlor
Keeping Room
East Parlor
FLOORING
Spinning Room
and
West Chamber
West Parlor
Keeping Room
/1
DOORS
East parlor
Buttesy
East chamber, second floor
Front Entrance
Stair
I,
East Parlor
Wainscotting
East Parlor
Baseboard
L~~.L~J1
7t771
i-i
A I
Left: Front doorway
Below; Original door
Outside Door
Kitchen Ell
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Kitchen Ell Stairs
And Entrance
To Round Cellar
Secretary
Joinery
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Quartered joist
Remains of stairs
- .. 4~<7K~~7~#� ~.
^?'-
^
Details of construction
in kitchen ell
Kitchen Eli: Construction
Details
I
. .. / ,,
14
Att-C
Date written on rafter
Lath and mould5ing in finished
room *
Steps to roof hatch �
b~I I
Attic
Pegged mortise and tenot at
ridge
Chimney and collar beams
Sheathing and rafters
ppp-
Attic
Pegged mortise and, tenon
joint at collar beam
Reworked window
Board covering plate
t-T_.
*
Vii
Moulding over front
door
Front Doorway
-+
0
4a
0 (
O ro
O 4
0-
C
Above: Original
Right: Recent replacement
Below: Original
t^~l ^.^:-- --- -:
^^^^ ^r^ ^_^ ---57^
MM ^ ^ -;;^ -==^-,- -..; - M
WINDOWS
Top: Two original frames
Bottom: Reworked frames
East side of house
141
* A
b. *~ * *
S Kitchen Ell
J Left: re .T winr'ows
qcB10elow- 010 windoww, probably
SMoved fero rear w all of r
S original house
-U
-E
IEIE~
_U--
, 7-"^*1 ,
West side 6f house
* :1'
1~~
,,/ ;~-.~J
U!
.1.
*1I
I-I
4
Cistern, Streetscape
And Reconstructed Outhouse
Mortises in rafter indicat-
ing original end wall of
kitchen ell
1*
A- - - -
I_ * . 1? *
-^ -^g^"
Above: Original shingles
LeftY Break in plate and
reworked rafter showing
s.gns of addition to
kitchen ell
w^
Above: Break in- wainscottin<
indicating placement of
door
Left; Ghost-lines of closet
wall and shelves
" I-l- ./
Ghost lines showing, place-
ment of original window,
wall which enclosed closet,
placement of shelves in
closet
HEF
111W
[T1[f
FlEir
II!
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~pq
EVOLUTION
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UNos DinrciloP OF THE NATIONAL PAK SRVICIL T E 0 1L L. . MAoa tn7 or "' I Im
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MA-1102 lsum a of eU SHIM
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