Joseph Starbuck House, 4 New Dollar Lane, Nantucket

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS MASS,10-NANT,56-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

This is a typical Nantucket mansion of the early nineteenth century when the houses began to be more spacious, PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A, Physical History: 1, Original and subsequent owners: Joseph Starbuck, Simeon Starbuck and Levi Starbuck bought land on New Dollar Lane from Samuel Macy, "equally share and share alike." Joseph Starbuck bought from Samuel Coleman for another piece of land "near where the said Joseph Starbuck & Co, have lately built their spermaceti candle manufactory." Joseph Starbuck died in March, Phebe Ann Barnard bought property from heirs of Joseph Starbuck in May, William C, Marden purchased house and land from heirs of Phebe Ann Barnard, who were her sisters, Mary Chase, widow, and Eliza Ann McCleave, Price Etta C.

(Marden) Wood bought from the other heirs of William C, Marden, namely, Mary B, Marden, Willard B. Marden and Wallace C, Harden, Alfred Dawson Bertha J. Hendricks - Eleanor B, Husband JOSEPH STARBUCK HOUSE HABS No. MASS-940(Page 2) Joseph Husband Property was Land Courted by Mr. Husband ~ Thomas B, Husband -- John Winston Fowlkes to date Lucy Allen Fowlkes (Abstract, Records at Registry of Deeds, Nantucket, Massachusetts) 2. Date of erection: Joseph Starbuck built his home soon after he purchased the land adjacent to his candle factory about 3, Architect! None, According to Dr. Will Gardner in "Three Bricks and Three Brothers," Joseph Starbuck decided to build a house that would be different from any house in town, 4, Original plans, construction, etc,!

The house was of a different style from the earlier lean-to houses built around a central chimney. When Joseph Starbuck married Sally Gardner he was disowned by the Quaker meeting and therefore felt he could build a more elaborate house without criticism. The house is large, has a clapboard front, with the side and rear elevations shingled. The main house has two chimneys, and the main entrance is of excellent design, with wide front stoop, and the door opens directly into the main hallway which extends all the way to the rear. There are rooms off either side of the downstairs and upstairs hall, all of the original eight rooms having their own fireplaces. There are the usual wide floor boards, paneled walls and ceiling beams.

An almost complete lack of decorative detail is noticeable on the exterior. The house was raised from the ground five feet, and in place of the usual circular cellar there was a high basement with a fireplace which could be used for cooking when desired, A wide door opened to the fields, the works, the sheds and candle-house which stood near the house between the homestead and Pleasant Street, Starbuck's Court originally ran from Pleasant Street to New Dollar Lane close to this property, but the western end was closed in 5. Notes on alterations and additions! A new wing, designed by Walter D. Blair, architect, was added to the house when Dr.

Fowlkes purchased it in This extends to the JOSEPH STARBUCK HOUSE HABS No, MASS-940(Page 3) south and is in keeping with the style of the main house, which has been kept remarkably unchanged and in excellent condition. (Abstracts from Three Bricks and Three Brothers Gardner, and from A Mirror of Nantucket Fowlkes) B, Historical Events Connected with the Structure: In early life a butcher, Joseph Starbuck developed into a whaling merchant of unusual success.

When he built his own new home his friends declared he "would never see a new dollar for an old one" because of his lavish plans hence the name of the street, New Dollar Lane, However, he continued to prosper, buying more whaleships and building try-works, sheds and a candle-house near his home, and in was listed in Richest Men of Massachusetts as being worth far more than any other"Nantucket man at that time, Joseph Starbuck owned many whaleships, but his pride was the ship he had built at Nantucket at the Brant Point shipyard and marine railway. She was an elegant ship of over 400 tons intended for the whaling service and named for her owner, Joseph Starbuck. Only a few vessels were completed at Brant Point and her launching was a big event, with a large crowd at hand.

This occurred in October, and after being outfitted she made one successful three year voyage, returning April 3, with barrels of oil, when ready for her second voyage, as she was to take on supplies at Edgartown, the three hours' sail to Martha's Vineyard was planned as a kind of holiday "cruise," and six women, friends and relatives of the crew, and several men made up the party in addition to the crew, the guests planning to return from Edgartown when the ship sailed for the long three-year cruise. The Joseph Starbuck left Nantucket wharf Sunday morning, November 27, in tow of Steamboat Telegraph. Soon after crossing the bar a violent gale forced the steamer to return and the whaleship to anchor. During the night her cables parted and the helpless craft was driven onto Nantucket bar.

By remarkable seamanship, the steamer Massachusetts put out to her the next morning and a boat manned by volunteers managed to rescue those aboard. The ship eventually went to pieces, nothing of any material value being saved. The vessel alone was insured for (Abstract, Records in Whaling Museum of Nantucket Historical Association, and from Wrecks Around Nantucket ,Arthur H. Gardner, where a complete account of the wreck of the Joseph Starbuck may be found.) C.

Sources of Information: 1, Old Views: old photograph in Brief Historical Data and memories of my boyhood days in Nantucket by Joseph Ellis Coffee Farnham, photograph in A Mirror of Nantucket by George Allen Fowlkes, sketch of JOSEPH STARBUCK HOUSE HABS No, MASS-940(Page 4) doorway in Nantucket Sketchbook by Edwin Eberman, Nantucket, Stanley F. Baker, 2,

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS MASS,10-NANT,56-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Gardner, William Edward, Three bricks and three brothers; the story of the Nantucket whale-oil merchant, Joseph Starbuck, Cambridge; Riverside Press, illus. Prepared by Marie M. Coffin Kantucket, Massachusetts November, PART II.PROJECT INFORMATION These records were prepared for the Historic American Buildings Survey project on Nantucket, Massachusetts. They are part of a continuing HABS comprehensive survey of the early architecture and urban design of Nantucket financed by a grant from the Nantucket Historical Trust.

The project was under the general supervision of James C, Massey, Chief of the Historic American Buildings Survey, Historical information was provided by Marie M, Coffin of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Photographs are by Cortlandt V, D, Hubbard of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The material was edited for deposit in the Library of Congress by Constance Werner Ramirez, July