Overview

Following the demise of whaling in the late 1800s, the island of Nantucket fell into economic torpor. Its population declined and many of its homes and local businesses fell into disrepair. In the mid-twentieth century, Walter Beinecke, a lifelong summer resident and an heir to the S&H Green Stamp fortune, started to buy retail buildings in the town of Nantucket as well as many of the wharves along the town's waterfront. He and others interested in preserving the historic character of the island began resurrecting the crumbling storefronts along Main Street and rebuilding the harbor's neglected infrastructure. Beinecke's efforts laid the groundwork for the island's revitalization and set the stage for Nantucket's emergence as a glamorous summer resort. Massachusetts State Archivist and lifelong resident of Nantucket John Warner tells the inside story of how Walter Beinecke almost singlehandedly transformed a sleepy fishing village into today's toney mecca. Having delved into numerous archives with the relish and professionalism of a trained historian, Warner shares with us the inside story of Nantucket's own wild sleigh ride, its ups and downs on the way to becoming one of America's most sought-after summer destinations.

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9781493077021

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Reviews

""Walter Beinecke was an extraordinary man who had the great insight and stamina, despite obstacles and criticism, to persevere with his vision to preserve Nantucket as an authentic, historical destination. His vision gave us what we have today. Jack Warner has thoroughly and thoughtfully presented us with Nantucket's waterfront history from the whaling days to the present. This book should be in every Nantucket home.""--Paula Klingelfuss Williams ""Incisive observations from a definitive time in Nantucket's history.""--Neil Paterson

Author Information

Dr. John D. Warner, Jr. has been the Archivist of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for more than twenty-five years. He received his PhD from Boston College, where he specialized in nineteenth-century American history. He holds a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Rhode Island and studied international politics at Georgetown University, where he received a BSFS degree. Dr. Warner also served in the US Coast Guard Reserve for thirty years before retiring in 2018 as the Chief of the Waterside Security Division, Port Security Unit 301 (Cape Cod). He is the author of Riders in the Storm: The Triumphs and Tragedies of a Black Cavalry Regiment in the Civil War (Stackpole Books) and lives in Norwood, Massachusetts.

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