Maria Mitchell House
The Maria Mitchell House, located in Nantucket, is a part of the Maria Mitchell Association, a collection of educational and historic facilities throughout the area.
Maria Mitchell was an astronomer, librarian, naturalist, and educator, known most commonly as America's first professional female astronomer. Maria was born in 1818, an avid learner from the get-go. By the age of 14, she had become a librarian, and not too terribly long after she gained a special interest in astronomy. Using a telescope, Mitchell spotted a comet and was quickly awarded a gold medal from the King of Denmark. Maria then became a professor at Vassar College, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Mitchell was known as a force behind women's rights and women's education of the 19th century through her many feats during her lifetime. 'She believed in learning by doing, and in the capacity of women to achieve what their male counterparts could.' Today you can explore this massive force she had through her home, as well as through other Maria Mitchell buildings including an aquarium, the Loines Observatory, the Vestal Street Observatory, and the Natural Science Museum.
The home was first built in 1790, acquired by the Mitchell family in 1818, and turned into a museum in 1903. Inside you will see artifacts from Mitchell's daily life, including various objects such as mugs, opera glasses, and the Dolland telescope. This house has been named 'one of the Top 10 Women's History Sites in the Country' by USA Today.
