Lights, Cameras, Make-Up!

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 30, 2020

If you have taken a stroll or drive-by, you may have noticed that the Mitchell House has been the center of attention on Vestal Street over the past few months!


Thanks to a generous matching grant from Preservation Massachusetts and the 1772 Foundation, in addition to the match from the  M. S. Worthington Foundation, the Mitchell House has had all of its historic sashes re-glazed and painted, as well as its doors and trim!  Some minor repairs had to be made to the front porch and an attic window sash but all in all, the House is in good shape and happy to be boasting a better paint job!


The painting was completed by island painter Jim Tyler and his crew – long-time painters at the MMA.  And the window sash was addressed by our carpenter who focuses on historic properties, Matthew Anderson.


If you think it looks a little darker than before, you are correct.  The paint had seriously faded.  This is the color the House has always been – well, at least for a hundred or more years.  At one point, it was brown but probably not during the William and Lydia Coleman Mitchell (Maria’s parents) ownership – likely the Peleg Mitchell Junior time or when his wife lived in the House just in the summers.  The curators before me had not tracked the color number and I did remember it being more grey – and we do have photographs – but I finally found a good paint chip while we were making some repairs to the roofwalk hatch!


Thank you to Preservation Massachusetts, the 1772 Foundation, the M. S. Worthington Foundation and the people who completed the work!  Mitchell House is ready for its close-up, Mr. DeMille.


JNLF

Recent Posts

May 6, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Richard Sotell, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) as its May featured Science Speaker Series presenter. His presentation “The Science of Money: The History of Tariffs and Taxation” will take place on Wednesday, May 21 from 7 – 8pm EST. The presentation will take place on Zoom and pre-registration is required. This event is free to all. Join the MMA and financial expert and top 401(k) advisor, Rich Sotell, for a discussion on the history of tariffs and taxation. Taxes and tariffs have played a major role in shaping nations. In America, British taxes and tariffs on goods like tea and paper helped spark the American Revolution. Later, U.S. tariffs were used to protect young industries from European competition. Today, taxes fund public services such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure, while tariffs are still used strategically—sometimes to encourage domestic production, other times as tools in international negotiations. Rich Sotell will discuss in detail how taxes and tariffs began and their relationship to our global economy. Sotell has been involved in the financial industry since 1975 and is a founder of the Kraematon Group and is responsible for the operations of the 401(k) division. He has developed marketing programs for both banks and mutual fund companies in the areas of IRA and 401(k). Sotell is a tax law expert concerning distributions from qualified retirement plans and IRA’s. He has lectured on these subjects to insurance company executives, on radio, and at several professional education programs. Sotell is currently a contributing member to several high level 401(k) advisory boards in the mutual fund and payroll industries. He was named by the Financial Times as a 2015 and 2016 “Top 401 Retirement Advisor,” a list of 401 elite professionals specializing in U.S. defined contribution plans. Sotell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University in 1975. His professional designations include Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Investment Company/Variable Contracts – Series 6 Registration, and a Uniform Security Agent – Series 63 Registration. The Kraematon Group is a leading 401(k) consulting firm headquartered in Wellesley, MA. In addition to providing 401(k) consulting services to Allied American Insurance Agency and its former parent Arbella Insurance, Kraematon consults with over 3% of all Massachusetts based public companies regarding their 401(k) plans. Pre-registration is required. To register for this event, please follow the link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Bnb-sSBXSoqzss6aiArh9w#/registration About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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. ###
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger May 5, 2025
I have posted this during Women’s History Month before but because it is March and Women’s History Month, I think it’s worth repeating. It’s clever and helps to tell an important story in women’s history while giving it a bit of a 21 st century twist. It comes via the National Women’s History Project .  JNLF
May 1, 2025
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews
Show More