Historic Compass Rose Mural Getting A Facelift This Week

One of downtown Nantucket’s most recognizable landmarks is getting a facelift this week.

The famous Compass Rose mural at 16 Main Street - the backdrop to countless selfies, wedding photos, and social media posts - is being repainted as the summer season begins.

It’s been several years since the Compass Rose has had any attention, and the mural has chipped paint and signs of wear and tear that are now being addressed.

Cindy Schwarz, a painting conservator subcontracted by the historic preservation and restoration company John Canning, Co., of Cheshire, CT, was working on and below scaffolding at the mural on Tuesday. The restoration process will last for approximately 10 days, she said.

“Everything we do is reversible. The painting is oil paint, so I’ll use a different kind of paint. That’s part of the code of ethics for conservators. Whenever possible, we make things reversible.”

The Compass Rose was designed by H. Marshall Gardiner, who came to Nantucket in 1910 and opened a gift and photography business - Gardiner’s Corner - at 16 Main Street. In 1936, Gardiner commissioned artist Walter Ayers to paint the mural, which took inspiration from the compass rose used by mariners and navigators. They added destinations that were meaningful to Gardiner, including Mackinac Island and Daytona Beach, places he had visited as a child.

"Many locations were chosen from Gardiner’s conversations with Captain George Grant, first curator of the Whaling Museum," wrote Mijke Roggeveen, Gardiner's granddaughter. "Grant was born in 1857, during a whaling voyage. His mother, Nancy Grant, traveled with her husband, Charles, and gave birth to all her children at ports in the Pacific during whaling voyages. George Grant harpooned his first whale at age 16 and continued in the whaling business into his thirties. Later, as curator of the Whaling Museum, he was a wonderful source of information about Nantucket’s whaling past. He and Gardiner engaged in frequent conversation."

"After choosing his locations and computing the distances, Gardiner hired Walter Ayers to paint the sign on the side of his store," Roggeveen continued. "The misspelling of 'Buenos Ayres' was an intentional variation of the painter’s family name."

While the Compass Rose is owned by Ralph Lauren, which purchased 16 Main Street from Nantucket Looms back in 2004, the Nantucket Historical Association holds a preservation restriction on the mural.