Nantucket Island

The area around Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts is a haven for summer residents and tourists. In addition to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, the island of Nantucket has much to offer. The whole island is an official National Historic District and has many fine historic buildings in its downtown area.

This and the charming old world atmosphere has made the island a desirable place to live and properties there demand high prices. The area began its growth as a result of the whaling industry and Nantucket was the busiest whale port in the world. Hermann Melville refers to the town in his famous whaling novel, Moby Dick. The maritime tradition continues today with a small fishing industry. After the whaling enterprise went into decline by the time of the Civil War, it was a time of struggle for the population. Economic activity got worse when the Great Fire of 1846 occurred, causing people to lose their homes and sources of income.

The island did not arouse much interest for many years until some businessmen saw the potential of the place as a tourist destination in the 1950s. They set about restoring the island properties to their former glory and Nantucket became a favorite with visitors. The busy Memorial Airport is an important facility for passengers and cargo operators.

The scenery of the area is very attractive and there are several beaches on which to relax. One of these is the Children's Beach, which has a park, playground, picnic tables and bandstand. Families staying on Nantucket can take advantage of the many miles of bike paths on the island or take a walking or bus tour. Water sports, including sailing and surfing are available and there are charter boats for fishing trips. The island hosts boating regattas and the area is an important home to several species of marine wildlife. Golfers enjoy many pristine quality courses and there is a popular ice rink.

For those seeking a relaxing vacation, there are health spas and antique shops and galleries to linger in. A trip to any one of the three lighthouses on the island is rewarding. Each one is picturesque and typifies the architecture of the area. Brant Point, situated on the south of the island, has been re-built several times. Sankaty Head is the name of the red and white striped lighthouse on the eastern end and the northeast end is home to the white painted Great Point lighthouse.