This old Nantucket colonial house, known as the Jethro Coffin House, is located just outside of Nantucket’s central downtown. The house is located on a place called Sunset Hill, a highland to the West of downtown near Cliff Road. Built in 1686, it is the oldest surviving house on the island of Nantucket and gives some perspective on the original English settlement of the island. While not the earliest settlement in Massachusetts, the island became very important and strategic given its location and quick access to deep offshore waters. Jethro Coffin was the grandson of the first English inhabitant of the island, Tristam Coffin. Here is a link to the official informational website offering a more detailed history of the house.
The house is known for its garden, a carefully preserved replica of what a colonial era garden would contain. Its gated area behind the house is pictured below:
A view of the front side of the house form the gated pasture:
The weathered front door of Nantucket’s oldest house:
