And We Are Around the Front!

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • December 29, 2014

Well, I am rather excited. Much of the work to the rear of the MMA Library is now completed. The chimney re-pointed, the large crack repaired, and the portion of the wall that is part of the foundation has been repaired. Today, Wayne Morris, the mason, made the large cut into the crack that runs across the north façade of the building and around the east side all the way to where the east façade meets the southern façade. Now, he will be inserting the pillow anchors and filling them with the grout. I mentioned the process in a previous post. He will not insert all of the anchors side to side but leave a space between each one that is large enough for the insertion of pillow anchors in a few days’ or a week’s time. So every other section will be blank at first. This is to make sure they set properly. Once set, he can insert the remaining anchors and fill them. He is blazing through his special wet saw blade due to the toughness and thickness of the stucco on the building. We knew this would happen based on tests – a special saw had to be purchased for this project. The photograph here shows him filling the pillow anchors – this part is easy compared to the sawing as it requires a lot of his own strength to push the saw in continually to make the cuts (exhausting and not easy).


Morris will also be pulling out the first portion of steel that sits under the windows (the lintel) – it has rusted and rotted over all these years due to water damage. He will replace the steel in portions – the entire piece cannot be removed at once or else the support of the windows will be lost. The steel was specially ordered with specific specifications, including being dipped to prevent corrosion (which the original piece had as well but that was 80 plus years ago). Morris will also place in weep holes so that if there is any water that penetrates, it will have a means of escaping so that it does not sit on the steel and rot it over time as the last piece had happen.


Stay tuned – there is more MMA Library (soon to become Ecology Lab) preservation and conservation fun to come! (Yes, this is fun – learning and fun!)


JNLF

Recent Posts

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Fourth Annual MMA Pop-Up

July 7, 2026
NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is excited to announce the return of its Fourth Annual MMA Pop-Up Shopping Event, taking place July 13–15, 2026, at 33 Washington Street . The three-day event will bring together more than fifteen thoughtfully curated, female-founded brands for an elevated shopping experience, with 15% of vendor sales benefiting the Maria Mitchell Association's new Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. The annual pop-up has quickly become a summer tradition, offering island residents and visitors the opportunity to discover unique fashion, home décor, accessories, art, jewelry, gourmet foods, and lifestyle brands while supporting one of Nantucket's most beloved nonprofit organizations. This year’s vendors include Center & Spring, CJW, Classic & Curious Podcast with Anne Kokoskie, Dress More with Less, Haute Energy, Hibiscus Linens, Leigh Brown, Line in the Sand, Love All Tennis, Lulu Powers, Marfa Stance, MDVII, Michela Bruni Reichlin, Neelah Cashmere, The Preppy Stitch, Those Carls Girls, and Wendy Loves This. The event kicks off with an opening party on Monday, July 13, featuring the second annual Summer Games: Mahjong & Backgammon Tournament, presented by the Nantucket Mahjong Club . Guests will enjoy a late afternoon of friendly competition, shopping, Château Sainte Marguerite rosé, a Triple 8 cocktail by Tinker’s Bar , Caviar Nantucket , Shells Angels Raw Bar, Nantucket Nosh, and entertainment by DJ Garrett Justice . One hundred percent of tournament proceeds from the tournament will benefit the MMA Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. The shopping event will continue on Tuesday, July 14 and Wednesday, July 15 with fifteen percent of all vendor sales to benefit the Maria Mitchell Association's Discovery Center & Aquarium Project. Three-Day Event Details at 33 Washington Street: MMA Opening Party with Summer Games: Mahjong & Backgammon Tournament Monday, July 13 4:00–7:00 p.m. MMA Pop-Up Shopping Event Tuesday, July 14 & Wednesday, July 15 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. For vendor information, and additional details, visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/2026-summer-pop-up About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages. ###

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • July 6, 2026
July 15. {1863} My dear Sally . . . I think Mitchell is all right in his algebra. He can’t stand an examination in Trig but I don’t believe he will have a rigorous one. Father has seen the Prof. and will give him a letter to them.  If you can’t be honest with your sibling, who can you be honest with? Apparently, Sally Mitchell Barney’s son, William Mitchell Barney – known as Mitchell as his cousin William Mitchell Barney was known as Willie (how is that for honoring your father?!) – was visiting his aunt Maria and his grandfather, William Mitchell, at their home in Lynn, MA. Sally still lived on Nantucket and I suspect Mitchell was not only visiting but getting some much needed help with his mathematics by his aunt Maria. As always, she is brutally honest – he won’t pass a test in trigonometry (but, neither would I!). JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: July 2026

July 1, 2026
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews
Show More