William Mitchell’s Fig

Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • May 3, 2021

I believe I have noted before that some of the plants that are located in the garden that immediately borders the Mitchell House on the south and east side has plants that were once supposedly found in William Mitchell’s garden. They were noted by his friend, John Quincy Adams. Yes, THAT Adams.


A “purple fig” was one such plant. And because of this, quite a few years ago, I purchased one. I had no variety to go on and I attempted to find something that was an older variety though it is not a “heirloom.” I diligently tend to it and bring it inside for the winter either to my winter office or my home, depending. It is planted up in a Guy Wolff pot – a Peale Pot – to be exact. It is inspired by a portrait by Rembrandt Peale of his brother, Rubens, titled “Rubens Peale with a Geranium” from 1801. So, it’s a historically inspired terracotta pot close to when the Mitchells were living at 1 Vestal Street. (Yes, I even put thought into t terracotta pot!) I am a fan of Charles Willson Peale’s art; he was an artist and naturalist who opened his own museum. And yes, he named his children after famous artists and scientists for the most part. And all of them pretty much went into art or the sciences – with a few holdouts. He had three wives and quite a few children with his first two wives. And, when you call to order a Guy Wolff pot, you get, Guy Wolff. He was quite lovely and helpful!


But I digress.


My Father was a BIG fig fan. Almonds, raspberries, and figs. He didn’t care if it was a fig tart, a Fig Newtown, or a bowl of fresh, whole figs eaten sitting on the sofa. I, myself, was never a fan of fresh figs. My father purchased two fig plants some twenty plus years ago when my parents moved to a new house. And, I didn’t realize how much he knew about figs until I bought the one for the Mitchell House. At that time, he told me all about how they were grown, and being Italian, how the Italian families would have them, even in the smallest paces in New Haven, CT (I hale from that area) and that they would plant them up against an apartment house/multi-family dwelling even in the smallest place. And then, before frost, bend them down to the ground and bury them to keep them safe, even covering them with blankets for the winter. My Father, a grandson of Italian immigrants, never talked much of his Italian heritage but it seemed to come out when he would recall certain plants, such as figs or even his grandmother- Mama Minnie’s – gardenia bushes.


The fig plant I bought never seems to fruit. I think once, maybe, it developed one fig, but it rotted and fell off. But just the other day, when I needed it most, and took a moment in this busy world to breathe, I realized it had developed three small figs! I sort of felt like my Father was sending me something. I’m hoping they continue to grow so that I can sit on my sofa, with a bowl of three fresh figs, and eat them one at a time.  I will thank William Mitchell and, of course, I will thank my Father.


JNLF

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By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger June 30, 2025
As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the amazing people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM. Founded in 1902, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) had its beginnings in the Mitchell House where Maria Mitchell was born. Over the first few years, the preservation of the Mitchell House, family artifacts, and the collection and display of Nantucket’s native flora and fauna, as well as a small library, were the key components of the MMA. Special “Moon Evenings” were held on the lawn and people observed Nantucket’s night skies using several small telescopes, including William and Maria Mitchell’s two-and-three-quarter-inch Dollond telescope. The popular evenings led to the inevitable – a desire and need to expand based on the demands of the visitors to, and members of, the MMA. In 1906, Lydia Hinchman, a founder of the MMA and a family member, purchased the house and lot adjacent to the Mitchell House. The house – once the home of William Mitchell’s father and mother – was taken down. The MMA began a dialogue with the Harvard College Observatory and its director, Edward Pickering, Ph.D. The connection to Harvard was to become essential to the success of the beginning years of the Maria Mitchell Observatory and continued a legacy of friendship and work – Maria Mitchell and her father worked with the Bonds who once ran the observatory at Harvard and the families were close friends. Besides his assistance, Pickering asked a member of his staff, Annie Jump Cannon, to assist the MMA. This “provided an indispensable collaboration for Nantucket astronomy,” with Cannon spending two weeks on the island in 1906 and 1907 lecturing and teaching. While back at Harvard, she continued to teach the students on Nantucket by mail. Cannon would go on to be recognized as the leading woman astronomer of her generation and as the founder of the MMA’s Astronomy Department. JNLF
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger June 23, 2025
An older term, that we seem to not use that much anymore but maybe that’s in part because not many people “put things by” anymore. It is having a bit of a resurgence as people try to return to the garden and focus on local produce. My in-laws used to spend a lot of time – before I knew them – canning and preserving many different things – from jellies to string beans that became “dilly beans.” I, on the other hand, do not can produce. Frankly, I fear messing up the process and making my family sick. So, for now, I stick to making refrigerator jams and pickles. I have made some chive vinegar – that is frankly, amazing, and a brilliant shade of pink! But in any case, Bartlett’s Farm opened for pick-your-own strawberries on June 7 and I made my way over on June 8. My son has been asking for strawberry jam since about February – I told him I wait for fresh and local but he wanted some so badly he was begging for store bought. I almost caved but then I told him – out of season and they taste like cardboard – and also made a LONG journey to get to us. Once people ate with the seasons – now we do not have to with trains, planes, and ships crossing all over. It is also, why, oftentimes, fruit has no flavor. Produce is picked often before it ripens and “ripens” as it ships – or with sprays – and since many varieties have been crossed with others or engineered, we have lost the taste. I remember tasting a peach a few years back from North Carolina – fresh off the tree. After rubbing it to get all the “fur” off, I bit into an exquisite peach that tasted like a peach of my youth. So, Maria was not eating a strawberry in January but she was eating them in June – local and full of flavor. And likely, putting some by as well. JNLF
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
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