1834 Nantucket Sea Captain's Home Listed for $32 Million

The George C. Gardner House, a historic clapboard residence built around 1834 at 141 Main Street in Nantucket, Massachusetts, has been listed for sale at $32 million. This property is situated within Nantucket's historic district, which encompasses the entire island and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, featuring over 800 pre-Civil War structures. The house was originally constructed for Captain George Gardner, a descendant of one of Nantucket's earliest English settlers, Richard Gardner, whose own ancestral home remains adjacent to the property. Captain Gardner amassed his fortune through whaling activities. At some point, he repurposed his original family homestead into a carriage house to construct a larger mansion nearer to the road. By the 1920s, the initial house had fallen into disrepair. It was then purchased by Gladys Wood, who relocated it to its current Main Street location and engaged architect Alfred Shurrocks to undertake its restoration. Shurrocks was concurrently involved in the restoration of the Jethro Coffin House, Nantucket's oldest existing dwelling. The George C. Gardner House underwent a significant second revival in the early 2000s when new owners enlisted Joseph Pell Lombardi, a New York-based preservation specialist renowned for his work on landmarks such as the Liberty Tower and the Armour-Stiner Octagon House. Lombardi developed detailed specifications for the conservation of both the exterior and interior elements of the house. This comprehensive restoration project was completed in 2005. Following this extensive renovation, the property was sold for $9.5 million. The current listing highlights the house's architectural features, including a five-bay facade, a columned portico, and a widow's walk, a rooftop platform historically used by captains' wives to watch for returning ships. The residence spans over 7,000 square feet and includes multiple living room spaces, a fully modernized kitchen that integrates with dining and sitting areas, and a formal dining room designed to reflect the home's historical origins. The property also features a pool accessible directly from the main house and a three-bedroom guest cottage. An aerial view of the property emphasizes its proximity to the waterfront and the shops along Main Street.