Walter Beinecke and the Reimagining of Nantucket

Following the demise of whaling in the late 1800s, the island of Nantucket fell into an economic torpor. Its population declined, and homes and local businesses fell into disrepair. In the mid-twentieth century, Walter Beinecke, an heir to the S&H Green Stamp fortune, began buying up downtown storefronts and buildings with an eye toward resurrecting the town and its surrounding residential areas. His efforts laid the groundwork for the island's revitalization as well as the beginnings of today's glitzy and glamorous island culture, which has transformed the "Grey Lady" into a mecca for the rich and powerful.

Massachusetts State Historian Jack Warner grew up on Nantucket and tells the fascinating story of the island's changes and upheavals with an insider's eye for detail.