2017 NHA Financial Statement (PDF)
A Message from the Board President and the Gosnell Executive Director
March 2019
The NHA is 125 years old this year and over that time the association has repeatedly demonstrated its steadfast commitment to cherishing our heritage.
Nantucket claims a special place in this nation’s consciousness. Our island’s history is filled with inspiring stories that provide valuable insights into our shared American experience. In this spirit, the trustees of the Nantucket Historical Association embarked on a year-long effort to write a new Strategic Plan, which we share with you here.
Importantly, we ask our members to attend the NHA Annual Meeting on July 17 when we will ask for a vote to adopt a new mission statement: “The Nantucket Historical Association preserves and interprets the history of Nantucket through its programs, collections and properties, in order to promote the island’s significance and foster an appreciation among all audiences.”
At the NHA, we celebrate Nantucket’s unique place in American history and strive to fulfill our role as stewards of this heritage. By presenting transformative experiences, furthering scholarship, deepening our collections, and preserving our historic properties, the NHA aspires to be a standard-bearer among our peers.
Three concurrent anniversaries are shaping the focus of our 2019 programs. The NHA is 125 years old this year and over that time the association has repeatedly demonstrated its steadfast commitment to cherishing our heritage. Nantucket also celebrates 360 years since English settlers purchased the island for 30 pounds sterling and two beaver hats. Lastly, the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville’s birth reminds us of the enduring power of literature and the strong allure of this far-off place.
This winter and spring, staff and guest curators have been busy reconfiguring the NHA’s galleries and building new ones. We will open a Fine Arts Wing in June and welcome a major traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We encourage all who have an interest in the arts and culture to look anew at the NHA. Visit with frequency, as we believe you will be impressed with the many presentations across our campus. In particular, we encourage you to join us at our celebrated Nantucket by Design extravaganza this August.
Kelly Williams and James Russell