Masonry Conservation Accomplished!

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • April 10, 2023

With the COVID-19 Pandemic severely slowing the start of the conservation project and supply chain issues, as well as weather, among other things, it has been a long road but we have finally completed the masonry conservation and roof repairs at our historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory!


I say “we” but this was the fantastic work of island mason, Wayne Morris. He has accomplished a great deal and the building is now weather tight, brick and grout are secure, and we have new steel lintels over doors and windows. It sounds simple doesn’t it? But, it is not and it has taken a lot of time and care – and all sort of new and interesting issues were revealed as old repairs were removed and things were opened up – things you cannot see until you dig. Even removing one lintel is a painstaking process – especially on the main floor where you have large stone pieces over each opening that “hide” the original iron (and rusting) lintel beneath. It’s not everyone who can do a project such as this and the MMA is lucky to have had Wayne Morris. He’s talented, knows how to think outside the box, and genuinely knows and loves what he does. He spent a lot of hours grinding up stone to match the 1908 and 1922 grouts and trying to match the color. Not many will take that time and its important that we do for conservation reasons. I’ve learned some things from him over the years – including to call it “grout.”


I would also like to thank James Lydon and Sons and Daughters for the work to the rubber and copper on the two roofs, and to Jeff Schneider and Ellis and Schneider Electrical for moving the electrical lines so that the mason could get to one of the lintels in the basement. Apparently, at some point, long ago, they thought it was a good idea to run conduit pipe for electrical wires in FRONT of a cellar window thus negating the possibility of it being opened AND blocking the lintel that Wayne Morris needed to replace!


We still have to clean up the landscape, put in a French drain in front, and paint the windows and wood door – and remove the paint from the original 1908 copper door. Then, the exterior will be complete. Next up, conservation of the interior which will include conservation of the original 1922 Astronomical Study’s floor and woodwork, painting, the addition of new wood storms on the façade, HVAC, and electrical upgrades. So, there is more to come – but first we needed to be weather tight!


JNLF


P.S. Not sure what I am going to do. I’ve worked on several projects here at MMA and at the Coffin School with Wayne Morris. I keep teasing him we can’t let him go. Going to miss seeing his truck parked in our front yard at MMA – a parking spot only he could have!

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Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • June 16, 2025
June 1851 My Dear Sister . . . . Mrs. Dassel has painted me kneeling at my telescope. It looks like Adeline Coffin and is of course not handsome. If thee was here thee would have Mitchell’s {William Mitchell Barney, son of Sally and Matthew Barney} painted at once. She has a head of a child N. P. Willis that is very lovely. She has taken a room at the Atheneum and put up about a dozen pictures – very beautiful – Isabel is lovely. She has not tried to make a portrait, but a very pretty picture . . . . She is now engaged on Abra’m Quary – he is much flattered by it and it will be a fine portrait. I think we shall buy it or a copy for the Atheneum . . . . She will paint father also for herself – having made a pencil sketch . . . .We like her very much . . . . The above is from a letter sent by Maria Mitchell to her eldest sister, Sally Mitchell Barney. In it, Maria details what everyone in the Mitchell family is up to. She includes some details about Herminia B. Dassel, an artist who came to Nantucket to paint the last Native Americans and also took an interest in the famous Mitchell family. This was of course four years after Maria’s discovery of the comet. At the time of this letter, Maria was still the librarian for the Atheneum and the portrait of Quary that she mentions possibly buying for the Atheneum, she did buy as it hangs in the Atheneum by the front door today. Another Dassel portrait of Quary is in the collection of the Nantucket Historical Association and the portrait of Isabel Draper is currently on display at the NHA’s Whaling Museum – on loan from a museum in Rhode Island. The portrait Maria states she posed for at the start of the letter is in the collection of the MMA. It was given to us in the early 1990s by Sally’s great granddaughter – the granddaughter of Mitchell whom she mentions above as well. Maria and Dassel would become good friends – Maria was named the godmother of Dassel’s daughter. And the sketch of William made by Dassel that Maria states would become a portrait? It likely did come to fruition. It made its way down a side of the family but was unfortunately lost, likely sold as part of a family estate though we do have a photograph of it and one can tell it is the brush work of Dassel. JNLF

At Long Last!

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • June 9, 2025
After several yes’s and then several no’s, not going to have time, we have indeed received the final layer of asphalt on Vestal Street. This goes back to last March and April when we finally had our sewer and waterlines replaced. While I am all about preservation, 1903 piping is a bit old and tired and filled with tree roots to make the passage of sewer sludge quick and easy. While we still await some fixes to curbing – we have our original concrete curbs from 1946/1947 when Vestal Street was first paved – it was dirt until then! – some of them have been buried by time and just need some suavity to pull them up and get them back where they go. Thank you to the Town, N&M, and Victor Braden for completing the work thus far. But, with the paving completed, we may possible begin the replacement of some of our picket fencing and we have permission to restore our fences to what originally existed along the street in the 1920s and earlier – the rail was a rolled, thick top – and we are excited to use some grant funding to make that happen. Stay tuned! JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Darren Humphreys of Travel Sommelier for June Science Speaker Series

June 6, 2025
NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Darren Humphreys, founder and CEO of Travel Sommelier , for an inspiring conversation about the science of transformative travel. Discover how his award-winning boutique travel company crafts seamless, one-of-a-kind itineraries to some of the world’s most captivating destinations—each experience tailored with precision, passion, and purpose. After a successful career on Wall Street, Humphreys followed his true calling and founded Travel Sommelier, fueled by a deep-rooted wanderlust and a desire to share the power of meaningful travel. He takes pride in curating journeys that do more than check boxes—they change lives. Humphreys strongly believes in having fun along the way and finds gratitude in finding close friendships among his trusted partners and curious clients. Having explored over ninety countries across every continent, Humphreys continues to find magic in every destination—immersing himself in new cultures, complex histories, and unforgettable culinary and wine experiences. From introducing travelers to his native South Africa to uncovering hidden gems around the globe, he invites you to see the world through a richer, more personal lens. Join him and his team as they reveal the thoughtful process behind Travel Sommelier’s approach—and prepare to be inspired. When Humphreys is not traveling, he resides in Duxbury, a seaside town in Massachusetts with his wife Caitlin, his two energetic boys, and his sweet black lab. This presentation is free and held on Zoom. Pre-registration is required. Pre-registration is required. To register for this event, please follow the link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZodpUFoVT-2uqVG4U_TqjQ#/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 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. ###
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