Day 314: Canacka Boarding House, Nantucket, Massachusetts
📌 APIA Every Day (314) - The Canacka Boarding House, located in Nantucket's New Guinea historic neighborhood, played a significant role in the island's maritime history. Established in the 19th century, this boarding house provided lodging for Pacific Islander sailors, particularly those from Hawai’i and Aotearoa, who were integral to Nantucket's whaling industry. Nantucket, an island off the coast of Massachusetts, was a prominent whaling hub during the 18th and 19th centuries. Historically, the New Guinea neighborhood was a community built by formerly enslaved African Americans that gradually evolved into a multicultural space.
Within this community, the Canacka Boarding House emerged as a vital establishment for transient seamen from the Pacific Islands. The boarding house was operated by William and Maria Whippy. William Whippy, born in Aotearoa in 1801, was likely the son of a Nantucket whaleman and a Māori mother. His wife, Maria, was the daughter of James Ross, an African-born resident of Nantucket. The Whippys' establishment served as a haven for Pacific Islander sailors who arrived in Nantucket aboard whaling vessels, offering them a sense of community and belonging far from their ancestral homelands.
The boarding house provided lodging and represented the multicultural fabric of Nantucket during the whaling era. The site represents the island's diverse population and Pacific Islander mobilities, which included significant numbers of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander sailors between 1820 and 1860. While the original structure of the Canacka Boarding House no longer exists, its legacy is preserved through various historical artifacts and initiatives. Notably, the sign from the boarding house is part of the Nantucket Historical Association's collection, serving as a tangible reminder of the island's diverse maritime heritage.
Written by Billy Zeng
LEARN MORE:
Nantucket Historical Association: The Canacka Boarding House
Nantucket Historical Association: Native Hawaiian Whalers in Nantucket, 1820-60
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