Select Board appoints three to Nantucket Historical Commission

The Select Board on Aug. 6 appointed three members to the Nantucket Historical Commission following an application review and paper‑ballot votes.

Why it matters: The Historical Commission reviews projects affecting Nantucket’s historic resources and advises other boards on preservation, so membership affects review capacity and local preservation policy.

For the 2027 seat the board selected Betsy Tyler by a 4–1 margin. Tyler, a 40‑year resident and former professional librarian who has written local house histories and taught students deed research, told the board she has done deed research for more than a year and has contributed documentation for 131 house markers.

For the two 2028 seats the board appointed Abby de Molina and Barbara Halstead. Each received four votes in the paper‑ballot round. Halstead described a long background in architectural history and volunteer preservation work, including a decade on the Nantucket Preservation Trust executive committee. Abby de Molina had spoken to the board previously and was selected by the majority vote.

Select Board members thanked all applicants and noted the strength of the candidate pool. New appointees will receive letters of appointment and must be sworn in at the town clerk’s office before attending their first commission meeting.