Captain Calder
was my husbands fifth great grandfather
and while walking
through the home and up and down the stairs, my husband felt as
if he were repeating history...
What a unique treat it was to
be able to stay at the
Century House
built by Captain Robert Calder in 1833. Why unique? Well for
us, after doing some research, we believe that Captain Calder
was my husbands fifth great grandfather and while walking
through the home and up and down the stairs, my husband felt as
if he were repeating history. How exciting it was for him to
walk where one of his relatives walked over 175 years ago.
While we sat outside smelling the sea air, we couldn't help but
wonder if Captain Calder sat where we sat, thinking about his
travels, Scotland, and fishing while enjoying a glass of scotch
from his homeland. Even though the inn is now surrounded by
other beautiful historical homes and the view of the ocean is no
more, Captain Calder placed his home perfectly atop a hill
surely to keep an eye on the ocean and to enjoy the romantic sea
breezes.
The cozy and enchanting rooms
were full to capacity during our stay, yet it always felt
private, peaceful, and quiet. The inns traditional and highly
acclaimed morning buffet breakfast of fresh fruits, nuts,
cereals, muffins, juice and coffee was a healthy start to the
day and I enjoyed the hot cookies waiting in the sitting room
on a platter in the evening. What a perfect treat before tucking
ourselves in between the soft cotton sheets of our bed while
preparing ourselves for a restful nights sleep.
If you are looking for an inn
that is quaint, historic, full of love and art then the
Century House
is your place to call to make reservations! Why not do it now
and enjoy celebrating the inns 175th anniversary! This truly is
New England Fine Living.
CELEBRATING 175 YEARS OF NANTUCKET FREEDOM AT THE CENTURY HOUSE
175th anniversary of the inn and the 25th
anniversary as Innkeepers
(Nantucket, MA) – 2008 Season. The
16-room Century House celebrates twice this year. First, it is
the only inn on Nantucket that celebrates 175 years of
continuous operation, as the oldest guesthouse on the island.
Second, innkeeper duo Gerry Connick and JeanEllen Heron
celebrate 25 years of making their own Century House history.
Century House dates back to 1833 with the
Cliff Road land purchase. A few years later in the 1840’s it
was constructed by Captain Robert Calder, and in the early
1870’s it became a boarding house for islanders during the
winter months and a guest house during the summer months hosting
the increasing number of visitors to Nantucket.
As history tells it, family operated
guesthouses continued to be the preference when visiting
Nantucket, especially after the depression of the 1930’s when
large resort hotels were shut down, dismantled and reconstructed
into some of the cliff mansions seen on the island today.
Guesthouses prospered after World War II, in fact, the Century
House’s innkeeper during that period said the he had a full
house of soldiers in residence.
Enter the Bed & Breakfast era of the
1980’s, along with fancy private baths and air conditioning. The
current innkeepers, JeanEllen Heron, also a real estate broker
at Corcoran Group in Palm Beach and Gerry Connick, came to
Century House in 1984 where they integrated the old historic
guesthouse into the B&B era by remodeling it to the tastes they
were brought up with, as they both had spent their childhood in
large old homes.
Five years later, in 1989, the executive
producers of Paramount Pictures hit TV show “Wings” chose
Century House for its backdrop on the series for many shots due
to its rich history as their Nantucket home when first visiting
the island to scout locations.
Gerry and JeanEllen open the Century House
for the summer season, and spend their winter in sunny Palm
Beach, Florida.
Nantucket Today: Century House Style
Named in the Top 5 U.S Summer Destinations
by Forbes.com, Century House continues to offer remarkable
hospitality in a sensible luxury setting near town. The
innkeepers play a vital role in assuring a pleasant and
comfortable stay for all their guests. Gerry developed and
mastered “Gerry’s Berry Buffet Breakfast,” served daily, which
includes his famous granola, yogurt, island berries, fruit,
bagels, English muffins, homemade coffee cake, pastry juices,
jams, jellies, teas, and the best perked coffee and has been
mentioned in Forbes.com and Zagat.
Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cappuccino, and
espresso are available throughout the day, and then “cookies and
cream” or afternoon snacks roll into the cocktail hour. Perhaps
the best part of the day is at sunset while sitting out on the
veranda and preparing for dinner at one of the nearby
restaurants.
Nantucket Art and Inspiration
From an artistic angle, the Century House,
under the direction of JeanEllen, also a senior docent at Palm
Beach’s Norton Art Museum and Gerry’s enthusiastic support, has
operated an artist in-residence program. For the past years
Century House guests have been encouraged to meet and socialize
with local artists who might be staying at the inn, and in 2005
the debut of the Professional Artist’s Week was a tremendous
success, and is now part of every season. The work of such
artists is included in the many pieces in the extensive Century
House collection. The paintings are frequently rotated between
the common areas and guest rooms.
From luxurious Molton Brown toiletries to
complimentary Internet access and Wi-Fi, the Century House
combines a graceful balance of an old era into the 21st
century. Various rooms are completely renovated each year and
deluxe rooms include a fireplace (non-operational). The
location is fabulous and close to restaurants and museums.
The innkeepers understand the importance of
connectivity but don’t overindulge in it. Instead of placing a
computer station in every room, guests can only use the one
available on each floor. Their priority is the well-being of
all their guests, and “computers nowadays are intrusive and
creep up on you as you’re trying to relax,” says innkeeper Gerry
Connick.
Century House is Nantucket. For nearly
two centuries full of history, island freedom, tradition and
personal exploration, Century House has given visitors a reason
to come back and rediscover themselves. Now that the inn has
moved into the 21st century it continues to operate with the
attentive hospitality it did in the late 1800’s. As for Gerry
and JeanEllen, they are always up for more exciting Nantucket
stories to share.
---------------
The historic Century House, the Inn on the
Cliff, dates back to the Cliff Road land purchase in 1833.
According to research performed by Edouard A. Stackpole,
renowned Nantucket historian and former director of the Peter
Foulger Museum, a member of an old Nantucket family of Scottish
roots, Captain Robert Calder, built the Century House. Over the
years, Capt. Calder took part in several long, successful
voyages to hunt whale, and eventually completed the construction
of the house in the early 1840’s. It is said that Capt. Calder
chose this site because of the privacy, the ocean breezes, the
views, and the genuine serenity the location provided in the
1840’s and still exhibits today.
According to Mr. Stackpole, the Century
House is the oldest continuously operating guesthouse on
Nantucket Island to date.
