NHA Research Library Closed For Month-Long Restoration Project

The Nantucket Historical Association (NHA) on Monday closed its research library, located at 7 Fair Street, through November 28, 2025, for the final stages of a multi-year restoration project. Funded by the Community Preservation Committee, the upcoming work focuses on replacing the rubber membrane of the Library roof, re-shingling the Friends Meeting House roof, restoring the Library's iconic skylight, and relocating the condensers that provide climate control for the NHA's archival collections stored in the building.

“The Research Library and Quaker Meeting House restoration project began in the spring of 2023, with many of the crucial phases of work being completed by the spring of 2024. With each phase of work, the Research Library team has worked to keep its resources as available as possible to our community.  We look forward to reopening our doors again towards the end of this year and completing this final phase of work, which will make it easier for our team to care for the NHA’s unique archival materials”, said Niles Parker, NHA Gosnell Executive Director, in a press release. 

Starting October 13, the Library was closed for work; however, staff will continue to answer reference questions remotely. Please contact the NHA Research Library team at library@nha.org to learn more or make a research appointment once the Library reopens.

The Research Library, built in 1904 to house the NHA’s collection in a fireproof building, is significant in the history of the development of reinforced concrete and was one of the first poured-in-place concrete structures built in the United States. As an early adopter of this building technology, it is the second reinforced concrete structure in the State of Massachusetts (after Harvard Stadium), and the first reinforced concrete structure in Massachusetts, if not the United States, with a flat roof. Today, the building serves as the primary research center for local and visiting researchers, and it is a critical storage center for the NHA's collections.