What’s in a Name?
Nantucket has a long and proud history of women in business. Even before the whaling days, when women were left behind to tend to land, businesses and family, female merchants were very common on our small island. The most famous of these female entrepreneurs were the shopkeepers of “Petticoat Row,” located along Centre Street, in the heart of the Old Historic District.
The twenty-first century incarnation of Petticoat Row honors those feisty women who made history on Centre Street. We are an organization of entrepreneurs committed to connecting and supporting women in business on Nantucket today. Our goal is to encourage women in our community to share their successes and knowledge with each other through networking events, workshops & other meetings.
Honoring the Women Before Us
Petticoat Row Shop, c. 1880s
Interior of a Petticoat Row shop, with three shop keepers standing below a large Bric-A-Brac sign. The shop offers general household goods. Note the Nantucket baskets on the left. c. 1880s Nantucket Historical Association Image number: GPN444
Mary Nye Shop, 1880s
Interior, Mary Nye shop on “Petticoat Row” showing three women sitting in shop with souvenirs, andirons, china, etc. Photo by Henry S. Wyer, c. 1880s. Nantucket Historical Association Image number: P3425
Mary H. Nye, Dry and Fancy Goods Shop
View of the Mary H. Nye, Dry and Fancy Goods shop, on Centre Street, with Mary posed in the doorway, c. 1880s. Nantucket Historical Association Image number: F1756
