Nantucket In-Town Cottage Vacation Rental

Nantucket Island, MA

Nantucket In-Town Cottage  

This is a two bedroom, two bath home.  It was completely renovated in 1992 with central air conditioning and wireless internet.  A second bath was added in 2005.  This building has an interesting history.  The building once served as a neighborhood A & P grocery store. It was also a WCTU meeting hall and later the Christian Science Society reading room.  It is located a block from Main Street around the corner from the famous Three Bricks.  The historic Hose Cart House, a small museum exhibiting antique fire fighting equipment, is next door. It is a short walk to the heart of downtown Nantucket with its many restaurants and shops and the Whaling Museum and Nantucket Harbor.

This a view, looking toward the front door, of the spacious living area.  The high cathedral ceiling is architecturally in proportion with the spiral staircase and the large front door.  The entertainment center has a TV, DVD and VCR.  Audio equipment is also provided.  Traditional Nantucket shutters are paired with contemporary accordion shades to cover the windows.  A bookcase is filled with books, puzzles and games.  A desk in on the far wall.

This is a view from the living area toward the dining area.  Note the oak spiral staircase leading to the large upstairs bedroom.  The side door leads out to the brick patio.  The kitchen is located behind the spiral staircase.  Table linens, sets of dishes, glassware,  and cookware fully stock the kitchen.  The laundry area is between the kitchen and the bath.  The bath has a tub/shower.

In the back of the house is the queen size bedroom with a large closet and double bureau.  A door leading out the back of the house from this bedroom gives private access to the outdoor shower.  Sheets and blankets as well as bath and beach towels are provided.
Upstairs is the large bedroom with twin beds, two closets and a double bureau.  A skylight and windows at the rear of the house allow for cross ventilation.   It has a table with chairs for game playing or office work and a comfortable chair for a quiet reading spot.  The upstairs bath has a shower.

The brick patio is surrounded by hedges and a small lawn.  The side door is to the right.  A charcoal grill is provided.  There is off-street parking for a single car.

A Brief History of Four and Eight Gardner Street Properties:

Four Gardner Street, built in 1824 for Caleb Allen, is a fine example of the Quaker influenced architecture of Nantucket.  The two and a half story, four-bayed front, with central chimney and cedar shingles graying naturally in the salt air, are the characteristics of a traditional Nantucket house.

 Eight Gardner Street is a Greek Revival style building with pilasters at the corners and a pediment façade.  It was moved from the front yard of 4 Howard Street in the 1800s. 

 William Bartlett, Paul Merrithew’s grandfather, left the family farm to live in town and pursue the life of a fisherman.  He bought Four and Eight Gardner Street in 1904 to meet the needs of his growing family.  Four Gardner Street was the residence.  Paul’s mother, Lillian, was born there in 1907.  She was the youngest of eight children.  Eight Gardner Street was used for storage or rented through the years to serve as a shop for a tailor, the headquarters for the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the neighborhood grocery store for the A & P (when the front was painted a bright red), and the meeting place for the Christian Science Society.  Eight Gardner Street was converted to a residence in 1992.