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Jethro Coffin House, built in 1686 and located on Sunset Hill Road in Nantucket, Massachusetts, is the oldest house in Nantucket and is the only surviving structure from the island's 17th Century English settlement. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 24, 1968. Because of the brick design on its chimney, it is also called the Horseshoe House.[2]
[edit] History
The house was built in 1686 as a wedding gift for Jethro Coffin, a blacksmith, and his bride, Mary Gardner. Jethro Coffin was a grandson of Tristram Coffin, one of the island's original proprietors. It was abandoned by a later owner during the Civil War. The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) acquired the property in 1923.[3] The house was struck by lightning in 1987 and nearly cut in half, but was carefully restored by the NHA.[4]
[edit] National Register listing
- Coffin, Jethro, House
- (added 1968 - Building - #68000019)
- Sunset Hill, Nantucket
- Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
- Architect, builder, or engineer: Unknown
- Architectural Style: Other
- Area of Significance: Architecture
- Period of Significance: 1650-1699
- Owner: Private
- Historic Function: Domestic
- Historic Sub-function: Single Dwelling
- Current Function: Recreation And Culture
- Current Sub-function: Museum
[edit] See also
List of Registered Historic Places in Nantucket County, Massachusetts
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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