Where did this building come from?
The building was constructed in 1823 by island Methodists. It was the whaling era congregation who renovated the church to its current Greek revival style of architecture in 1840.
In 2002, the preservation architect hired for the second phase of restoration, Jeff Baker, of Mesick, Cohen, Wilson and Baker, deduced from his archeological probe of the building that the structure was built circa 1760, disassembled and carefully marked for reassembly and moved to Nantucket from points unknown, though very likely the lumber came from oak trees from the mid-Atlantic region. The building was reassembled by the island Methodists in 1823.
Facade Methodist Church Nantucket
It is the only wood frame structure to survive within the bounds of the Great Fire of 1846. Legend has it, America’s First Woman Astronomer and island educator and naturalist, Maria Mitchell (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) stood on the steps of the church pleading with islanders not to intentionally destroy the building in their efforts to stop the fire’s spread. During her plea, the winds suddenly shifted. Regardless of folklore, this building is the oldest wooden structure in downtown Nantucket.
Please feel free to contact us for further historical information about the building.