Manuscript
Collections of the
Nantucket Historical Association Research Library
Back to the expanded guide | Back to the list of collections | visit our online database
MS12 - Marie M. Coffin
Collection, 1806-1965
Collection Overview: The collection
contains correspondence, clippings, land
transfers, Coffin family papers, a scrapbook
and historical information on HABS studies of
Nantucket houses.
Historical Note: Marie (Marden) Coffin (1900-1976) was involved in the history of Nantucket as a descendant of early Nantucket families and as a student of the Island. Her marriage to C. Clark Coffin, who was Town Clerk for 35 years, her work with Everett U. Crosby, an authority on Nantucket history, and her wisdom in collecting primary source material contributed to her knowledge. When the Historic American Buildings Survey studied Nantucket, she wrote full descriptions of the historic houses for the group. At the time of the Bicentennial, she did a similar study for the committee awarding medallions to pre-1812 houses on Nantucket. Mrs. Coffin also compiled information for “The History Of Nantucket Island – A Bibliography of Source Material with Index and Inventory,” 1970.
BOX 1
Summary note:A. Commercial Wharf,
March 1, 1844-1871 Day Book giving
wharfage charges for many ships. Also
includes Feb. 23, 1835 By Law for annual
meeting of Proprietors to elect officers.
Keeper: unknown B. "Rules and Orders to be
Observed by the House of Representatives" Was
property of Micajah Coffin, 1812. C. "Echoes
from the Oldest House" - manuscript by Anna
Starbuck Jenks, Custodian. Published by the
Standard Printing Co. Boston, 1904 D. "A
Looking Glass for the Times" by Peter
Foulger, 1883 printing of verses. Everett U.
Crosby correspondence regarding various
printings of the verses.
BOX 2
Summary note:A. William B. Starbuck
Diary, July 15, 1870 - Jan. 20, 1873
Life dates of William B. Starbuck (1818-
1907). Very complete and well written
report of daily life in Quaise and Nantucket.
B. "A Nest of Love Disturbed" Inquirer and
Mirror reprint of pamphlet printed in 1811
by a Proprietor, Feb. 9, 1935 Concerns
controversy about the disposition of common
and undivided land on Nantucket,
specifically Richard Mitchell versus the
Proprietors of Common lands.
C. "A Nantucket Tea Party" As printed in
"The Atlantic Monthly" n.d. Transcript of
note from Frederick C. Sanford claiming
story is true, Nantucket, Nov. 20, 1887;
clippings from I & M, 1937,1938
D. Narrative of the Life and Adventures
of Paul Cuffe A Pequoit Indian:during
thirty years at sea Vernon: printed by
Horace N. Bell, 1839 Mentions: Brig
Traveller; Whaleship Atlas, 1813 (p.6);
Letter of Marque Brig Dorothea, 1813;
Schooner Mary; Ship William Penn, Captain
Turner; Brig America, Captain William
Dagget; Ship Alexander Barclay, Captain
Joseph Dunbar, 1818; Ship William,
Captain Joseph Gardner, 1820; Whaleship
Trident, June 1829 (p.15);Whaleship Mechanic,
Captain Toby, 1836 (p.18); Whaleship
Delight, Captain Philip Sanford (p.20)
E. Coffin Family Papers
Accounts of sales of Micajah Coffin (1755-
1827), (1787)
Book of Land Transfers by and to Isaac
Coffin, 1796-1829 Includes Asa G. Bunker's
comments on the Allotment of the Beach
Shares to Benjamin Coffin, 1858
Land transfers and genealogical information
involving the Ray family
Copy of will of Zaccheus Macy
Poem to Elisa Coffin (1811-1903) on her
80th birthday.
Estates of Henry Coffin (1807-1900) and
Elisa Coffin (1811-1903), typewritten.
Notes on division of property among
children, n.d.
Will of Elisa P. Coffin (1827- ), wife of
Charles F. Coffin (1835-1919)
Map showing location of the Nantucket Surf
Side Company, Charles F. Coffin,Treasurer.
Supreme Judicial Court Act removing C.G. and
H. Coffin as executors of the will of their
mother, Abiel Gardner Coffin (1764-1856), 1861
Two maps showing location of C.G. & H.
Coffin property along contemplated
railroad
Writing Book of Henry Coffin, 1821
accounts 1853-1867
BOX 3
Summary note:A. Scrap Book - Marie
Marden Coffin, 1806-1965 Programs and
comments on stage performances attended.
B. Scrap Book of Wildflowers - Low Beach,
Siasconset Made by Marie M. Coffin, 1935
Names of plants, habitat, pressed or
sketched C. Coffin
Reunion, 1959 Speech made by Charles Clark
Coffin as Toastmaster
Tickets, ribbons, etc.
BOX 4, FOLDER
A
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey, January 1965 1)
Introduction 2) Unitarian Church 3) House --
117 Main Street 4) Fish Houses (a group) 5)
House -- 53 Orange Street 6) House -- 8 Pine
Street 7) Grace Brown Gardner House 33 Milk
Street 8) Captain's Room in Pacific Club 9)
Henry Coffin House 10) Atheneum -- Upstairs
Room 11) Richard Gardner House
BOX 4, FOLDER
B
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey, July 1965 12) House --
Shanunga 13) House Auld Lang Syne 14)
Methodist Church 15) House -- 139 Main street
16) House -- 105 Main Street * 17) House 99
Main Street * 18) House -- 72 Main Street 19)
House 51 Centre Street 20) "The Block" --
Nos. 15,17,19,21,23 21) House -- 5 Orange
Street 22) House -- 1 Vestal Street 23)
Oldest House Sunset Hill * See H.A.B.S.
books for these.
BOX 4, FOLDER
C
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey, January 1966 24) Jared
Coffin House 25) House Hawthorne Lane 26)
House -- 107 Main St. 27) House -- 14 Orange
St. 28) House -- 153 Main St. 29) House --
North Liberty St., corner Cliff Rd. 30) House
-- 111 Main St. 31) House -- 4 New Dollar
Lane 32) House -- 52 Centre St. 33) Houses
93, 95, & 97 Main St.
BOX 4, FOLDER
D
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey; July 1966 34) House -- 69
Main Street 35) House -- 96 Main Street 36)
House -- 89 Main Street 37) House -- 19
Pleasant Street
BOX 4, FOLDER
E
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey, June 1966 38) House -- 21
Milk st. 39) House -- 12 Liberty st. 40)
House -- 11 Milk St. 41) Pacific National
Bank Bldg. 42) House -- 35 Milk St. 43) House
-- 77 Main St. 44) House -- 33 Orange St. 45)
House -- 11 Mill St. 46) House -- 30 Hussey
St. 47) House -- Academy Hill
BOX 4, FOLDER
F
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey, August 1966 48) House -- 3
Bear Street 49) House -- 21 Union Street 50)
First Congregational Church and North Vestry
51) Building -- Life Saving Station 52) House
-- 94 Main Street 53) House -- 1 North Water
Street 54) Building -- Masonic Lodge 55)
Building -- 2 Union Street
BOX 4, FOLDER
G
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey; January-April 1967 56) #12
and #14 Lower Main Street -- South Side 57)
Building -- Macy Warehouse
BOX 4, FOLDER
H
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey; October 1967 58) Straight
Wharf Theatre Building 59) Whaling Museum 60)
Odd Fellows Building 61) African Baptist
Church Building
BOX 4, FOLDER
I
Summary note:Historic American
Buildings Survey; September 1968 62) Tashama
Farms 63) Business Buildings North Side of
Main Street 64) #14 and #16 Main Street 65)
The Folger Block 66) #4 North Water Street
BOX 4, FOLDER
J
Summary note:History of Nantucket
Island: a Bibliography of source
Materials with Index and Inventory
LS from Fred Gardner Co. sending galley copy
as it went to printer. New York, Jan. 29,
1972 Carbon copy of LS to Walter Beinecke
Jr. thanking him and the Nantucket
Historical Trust. Nantucket, April 13, 1970
Xerox copy of galley proof of book. Newspaper
reviews.
BOX 4, FOLDER
K
Summary note:Bicentennial Plaques:
Nantucket Historical Building Survey List
of house descriptions written by Marie Coffin
and typed for Robert Metters, Chairman
of the survey, 1976
BOX 4, FOLDER
L
Summary note:Correspondence about
Nantucket painters, 1967-1969
BOX 4, FOLDER
M
Summary note:Nantucket Cottage
Hospital Appreciations for services,
1970