On Wednesday July 19th at 6:30pm, the Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund presents a talk by A. Bowdoin "Bow" Van Riper, who will share stories from the history of the William Street Historic District, neighboring the Vineyard Haven Library in Tisbury. This event will be in-person on the main floor of the library, and is free and open to all. Attendees are invited to stay after the talk for light refreshments hosted by the Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund, and learn about plans for the library addition and renovation.
The streets adjoining the Vineyard Haven Library are known for their beautiful nineteenth-century houses, but behind their shingled and clapboarded walls lie a wealth of stories: millionaires and misers, whaling masters and steamboat captains, a merchant prince whose daughter was a wartime saboteur, an ecclesiastical arms race, and a tabletop fleet of 15,000 ships. A. Bowdoin "Bow" Van Riper, Research Librarian at the Martha's Vineyard Museum, explores those stories and more in a fast-paced talk that explores the extraordinary lives of some of the residents of these seemingly ordinary streets.About the Speaker
A. Bowdoin "Bow" Van Riper first came to the Vineyard as a "summer kid" before he could walk, and returned for part or all of the next 48 summers before moving to the Island full-time in 2011. A former university history professor and the author, editor, or co-editor of more than 20 books, he has been Research Librarian at the Martha's Vineyard Museum since 2014. He lives in a nineteenth-century house on Hatch Road where, as far as he can tell, nothing of historical significance ever happened.
This event is sponsored by the Vineyard Haven Library Building Fund, Inc. (VHPLBFI), a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization made up of community volunteers. VHPLBFI is undertaking a capital campaign to support the ongoing effort to enhance the library building with the addition of a multipurpose meeting room. To learn more, visit https://www.vhlibrarybuildingf
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