NHA Sells Former Lightship Basket Museum For $1.6 Million

The former Lightship Basket Museum property at 49 Union Street was sold Tuesday by the Nantucket Historical Association for $1.695 million.

The buyer is a limited liability company called Nantucket South Beach LLC, which is registered to Tim Mahoney, the owner of Cook's Cycles and Affordable Rentals on South Beach Street.

Mahoney could not immediately be reached for comment, but the NHA's Interim Executive Director Johanna Richard said it is her understanding the property will be used as a home.

The Lightship Basket Museum property, which dates back to 1821, was put on the market by the NHA at the end of last summer for $1.79 million. The .17 acre-property is in the Residential Old Historic zoning district.

The Lightship Basket Museum merged with the NHA back in March 2021, when the boards of both organizations voted to move forward with an affiliation.

At the time, the NHA stated that the Lightship Basket Museum property would be sold, and the proceeds would be “directed in large part” to the creation of a new “Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum Gallery” dedicated to island crafts that focused on the story of lightship baskets.

"The proceeds are part of the NLBM portfolio and will ultimately be used for a new gallery to display the collection," Richard said. "It’s been a great first year with the affiliation - we will be opening a new basket exhibit highlighting the NLBM and NHA basket collection at Hadwen House next weekend and will be hosting the Basket and Bubbly garden party and auction in July. Proceeds from that event also support the mission of the NLBM and the future new gallery."