Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory Update

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • November 21, 2022

It has been a bit of time since I updated you on the conservation project at the MMO. Things are moving along although we are still confronted – as everyone else is – with supply chain issues. 


But, the mason has replaced most of the cellar lintels. The iron had rusted and started to cause shifting in the bricks. He has painstakingly dug them out and then replaced the iron lintel with steel. He will then fill them and re-brick them with the existing bricks. 


He has also been working on the main floors iron lintels. These have proved more of an issue for removal. The doors and windows in the Astronomical Study addition have large stones over them and then the lintel is found behind the stone. The stone, while smooth on the front is rough on the sides and back and when they filled in around and behind it with grout that rough stone really did a great job of adhering to the grout. And, they filled in from inside the building before it was finished so its packed and stuck in there very firmly. He has to work slowly and carefully so he doesn’t break the stone because it will be reused – and if it breaks we are never going to be able to match it. So, it’s a tough and slow process. And these stones over the windows and doors weight hundreds and hundreds of pounds so the weight is another issue.  You will note where he has dug out around the lintel over the door. He is trying to save all the brick to re-use it so it matches. And, our Observatory is made of three layers of brick – that is, it is three bricks deep.


This conservation work is funded with grants from the M. S. Worthington Foundation and the Community Preservation Act.


JNLF

Recent Posts

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 21, 2026
Sept. 24, 1881. . . . Mr. I. {van Ingen} thinks that not a person on the Board of Trustees would approve of the clause in Mr. Vassar’s will which objected to women as occupants of chairs. Just months before, Maria Mitchell had written a letter describing the controversy surrounding the bequest of Matthew Vassar to the college he founded. The large sum was separated out within his will, including the establishment of department chairs. The bequest for this action, however, did not allow for women professors to have a chair. Quite shocking for a women’s college but then, there were early trustees in the College’s founding who believed that women professors should not exist at Vassar! Maria would be the first professor Vassar hired – male OR female. JNLF

Hoop Rolling

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • September 14, 2026
Do you know what these Mitchell House Junior Historians are doing? It is a good old-fashioned round of hoop rolling. And, they had a lot of fun learning how to use them down at the Coffin School one day. Hoop rolling or hoop trundling were popular from very early on and well into the twentieth century. By early on I mean Ancient Greece even. It’s on ancient pottery and was not limited to children! Native Americans, ancient Rome, 16 th century England – it’s been known by different names, taken various formats, played by various ages, and played through various ages. In the nineteenth century, both boys and girls did hoop rolling – and it was likely seen as a more “ladylike” active game that girls could play. I’m assuming that is likely the reason why several women’s colleges still have I tradition of rolling hoops. We use these sometimes in the summer during our weeklong Mitchell House children’s program – Junior Historians. Do not be too surprised if you see me out on the lawn on Vestal Street practicing on warm days this fall, winter, and spring! Got to get up to speed! JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Dr. Elizabeth Sherman for “Signals, Surprises, and Better Questions: Three Years of Buoy Monitoring in Nantucket Harbor” for Its September Science Speaker

September 11, 2026
NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites the community to a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Sherman, the MMA’s Senior Marine Science Advisor, as part of its September Science Speaker Series. The free presentation will take place on Wednesday, September 23, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., both at 33 Washington Street and via Zoom.  Tides, sunlight, storms, and biological activity shape Nantucket Harbor over hours, days, and seasons. Sherman will invite the audience to join her in investigating what three years of continuous buoy monitoring have revealed: how tidal and daily biological cycles differ, what happens when potentially stressful conditions converge, and how scientists decide whether an apparent pattern is real and useful. By following one particular investigation from an intriguing hypothesis to evidence that ultimately did not support it, she will show how scientists work amid uncertainty, and why good science sometimes means letting go of a compelling idea and asking a better question. This event will be held in person at 33 Washington Street and via Zoom. Pre-registration is required for Zoom. To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DqH4ICQ9QcKKgcjB9ebe9w Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sherman is Senior Marine Science Advisor at the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), a role she assumed in summer 2025. In this position, she has shaped the MMA’s Nantucket Harbor buoy program into a rigorous, decision-relevant monitoring effort focused on harbor biodiversity. She established verification procedures for continuous sensor measurements, cross-checked buoy data with other regional monitoring records, and strengthened data collaboration with partner organizations. She also advises on program design and provides public outreach talks that translate sensor records into ecological meaning. Dr. Betsy Sherman is Professor Emerita of Biology at Bennington College, where she taught and conducted research for more than forty years. Her work has focused on how organisms respond to environmental stress in freshwater and marine systems, particularly coral reefs. Sherman earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Vermont and completed postdoctoral research in Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. Her research on environmental physiology, evolution, animal behavior, and coral reef ecology has been supported by numerous grants, including funding from the National Science Foundation, and has resulted in publications in both scientific journals and public-facing science venues. Throughout her career, Sherman has also been deeply involved in science education and public engagement, giving lectures and working with students, teachers, and community organizations across New England. The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America. The Nantucket Harbor buoy project has been supported by the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, whose early investment helped make continuous water-quality monitoring in Nantucket Harbor possible. Additional support has been provided by the Remain Nantucket Fund at the Community Foundation for Nantucket, the Osceola Foundation, the Sociable Weaver Foundation, and through collaboration with the Town of Nantucket Harbormaster. 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 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. ###
Show More