Preservation Institute Nantucket
Summer 2025: Looking for New Guinea
June 9 – August 8, 2025
Explore Nantucket’s heritage this summer with a trip to the nation’s oldest operating field school for historic preservation, Preservation Institute Nantucket (PIN). Since 1972, the University of Florida’s PIN program has hosted over 700 students to document and protect Nantucket’s architectural and cultural heritage.
This summer, we will focus on the historic area of New Guinea, historically home to Nantucket’s working-class community, including African, Cape Verdean, Portuguese, and Azorean residents. Since the early 18th century, Black whalers, formerly enslaved people, and Wampanoag lived here, as property owners, businesspeople, and champions of freedom during a time when slavery was legal and ubiquitous across the U.S.
Many of Nantucket’s notable Black residents are buried in the nearby ‘Coloured Cemetery,’ and from their stories we understand the historical, cultural significance of New Guinea. Today, it is widely accepted that New Guinea has gentrified and many of the original buildings no longer exist, but is this really true? Join us to examine the existing buildings and the archival record, to discover the long lineage of New Guinea, and to connect known social history to place. As a PIN student, you will work with local experts and the community to discover and build the lost narrative of notable Nantucket residents. Resources will include archival records, newspapers, census, and deeds, as well as architectural and material investigations of existing buildings. Your work will be shared through public presentations, ArcGIS StoryMaps, and Massachusetts Form B reporting.
Of course, time for fun is an integral part of PIN! Explore local museums and restaurants, celebrate the 4th of July festivities, and enjoy the surf and sun at pristine beaches. Kayak and paddleboard through winding creeks, embark on bike adventures, and savor the flavors of Nantucket’s farm-fresh produce, freshly caught seafood, and local brews. A summer at PIN is a life-changing experience, bridging technical knowledge in the field of historic preservation with real-world applications, and forging life-long friendships and professional connections. We hope to see you “on island” soon!
PIN is open to graduate and upper-level undergraduate students from any institution across the world as well as recent graduates from the past three years.
A ZOOM Open House will be held on Wednesday, February 19, from 12-1 EST. Please email hpinfo@dcp.ufl.edu to receive the Zoom Link.
Applications Due: March 1 (Priority) and April 30 (Final)
Fee: $4,500 (includes tuition, housing and field trips)
Curriculum: 6 graduate credits, transferrable