Lillian Rae Shropshire, University of Florida, Master of Historic Preservation
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Memorial located at the intersection of Main, Milk, and Gardner Streets has become inaccessible in the modern era due to increased motorist activity on the island of Nantucket.
During the summer months, the traffic around the memorial increases to the extent that pedestrians can no longer access the memorial and the story it represents. The Civil War was the first war Nantucket participated in, as the island avoided the Revolutionary War decades prior because of their close trade ties with England. Over 400 men enlisted in the Union Army, with only a handful represented on the Memorial, hidden behind motor traffic.
Was your inspiration a PIN report or other? What is the missing information? Why does this need to be addressed?
Previous research on the Civil War Memorial and the surrounding landscape, Monument Square, is limited to a PIN report by David E. Sands in 1980, titled “The Civil War Memorial and Monument Square.” A majority of the information it presents is an architectural description of the historic landscape, with a brief history of the monument itself on the first two pages.
An anecdote from the paper, although uncited, is the main source of inspiration for this project’s recommendations. Sands writes that motorists around 1900 had already begun to complain about the Memorial’s location, though it had only been up for twenty years at the time. Mary Starbuck responded by writing: “One hundred years ago our ancestors rounded Cape Horn in the greatest of gales, and in our time, if we cannot navigate a horseless carriage around a stationary object in a flat calm, we should not be allowed to drive it in the first place.” This pointed to a historic issue with the intersection and monument’s location. Sands agreed with Starbuck and wrote that the intersection as it stands is a safe place for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Currently, this is not true. The intersection as it stands in 2022 is not a safe place, with many people using the Memorial as a rotary, roundabout, and suggestion at the same time, making it dangerous for those attempting to appreciate the Memorial or read its inscriptions. Thus, leaving the issues in accessing the Memorial unaddressed in the previous PIN report.
Along with access issues, there is a narrative issue. There is no access to the narrative of the Memorial, to learn about the names on it, or even the names left off of it. Because of the nature of Memorials, the only names on the obelisk are the Union Soldiers who died during the war. This also includes the twenty African-American men who fought and lived. There is an absolute need for their stories to be included in the narrative of the memorial.
Why is your work important?
The current project examines a historic traffic issue, as well as current issues in accessing the Civil War Memorial. The Memorial being accessible is important because it is the only public representation of Civil War history on Nantucket, the first war the Island ever participated in.
What was your methodology? What resources did you use?
I used literature, historic archives, and discussion as resources throughout my project. Particularly helpful was the book Hidden History of Nantucket by Frank Morral and Barbara White, as well as the article “Unsung Heroes of the Civil War” by Frances A. Karttunen. Hidden History was an important resource for my project since it includes a much needed history and background on the monument, such as why the community decided to erect it where they did. I received the pleasure of speaking to Barbara White about a narrative case study I was including in my project, on Hiram Reed and his life. She also sent me historic resources such as Reed’s Manumission papers and told the entire group about his life during our tour of the Historic Coloured Cemetery.
What are your findings, proposals, or recommendations?
The Civil War memorial as it stands currently is inaccessible. Hidden History mentions that there could have been a “Monument Park” located near the harbor specifically for the statue if the city had not placed it at the center of the old town. Following this historic precedent for a park, I looked at a small Land Bank park near the current location to keep the Memorial in “Monument Square” and in its historic context at the center of the old town.
Moving the memorial to this Land Bank would solve both the issues in access and the historic traffic issues in the intersection. Adding a sign, similar to the one in front of the African Meeting House, in front of the memorial would be both appropriate, non-obstructive., and connect the sites visually. The sign could include historic photos of the Memorial as well as a group photo of the Union Soldiers from Nantucket, with a short narrative and history about Nantucket’s involvement in the Civil War. This is also a great opportunity to add a QR code linking to the Nantucket Black Heritage Trail, sponsored by the Museum of African American History (MAAH), connecting the Memorial to the island’s Black History and expanding the trail beyond its current path. This would also allow for a short narrative on the Trail’s pamphlet about the African American soldiers not included on the Memorial, such as Hiram Reed.
What are the next steps or further research to be done?
The next steps in enacting this plan would be to discuss with the Nantucket Land Bank, since the proposed site is their land and they ultimately would have a say in how the project begins and ends. The American Legion would most likely also be involved in moving the Memorial and in the narrative that is presented on the sign, as well as the Nantucket Historical Association and the MAAH, to approve the site’s addition to the Black Heritage Trail and to be a stakeholder in presenting and reinterpreting the Memorials narrative. There is also further research to be done about the Preservation laws on Nantucket, and the Land Banks allowances on changing their parks.
Citation List
- Karttunen, Frances. “Unsung Heroes of the Civil War.” Yesterday’s Island, Today’s Nantucket, May 28, 2015.
- Morral, Frank, and Barbara White. Hidden History of Nantucket. Arcadia Publishing Inc, 2015.
Contact List
- Barbara White, Nantucket historian