Peter first came to Nantucket in the 1970s as a child. His mother and her best friend were co-chairs of the 4H club, and both families had horses. They spent the summer riding, hiking, and swimming. Peter’s mother tried to instill in her children what a special place Nantucket was, but at the time Peter took it for granted. His perspective would change as he grew older.

As a student in the late 80s, Peter came back to the island to work at the youth hostel, and as a carpenter’s helper. He also worked for Cape Cod Express doing deliveries, and was a doorman at both the 30 Acres Bar and the Rose and Crown.

“I was a typical summer kid working two-to-three jobs and living life to the fullest,” Peter said. “Back then this place was a gold mine for middle class kids like myself. My parents and I split my college tuition three ways, so I needed to make a ton of money during the summer.”

After graduation, Peter traveled and applied for jobs at small newspapers. In February 1992, the Nantucket Beacon offered him the job of environmental reporter. He took it. His first assignment was covering a Board of Selectmen meeting.

Through his network of friends, Peter was able to secure a year-round rental house in Nashaquisset. Peter was the leaseholder, and in exchange for reduced rent, he was responsible for finding and managing tenants in the other rooms. This worked fine for about a year, until adventure called him out west. When he returned to the island two years later, he took a temporary apartment in a basement until he was able to find a garage apartment in ‘Sconset for $700 a month. He spent four winters in this house, and wrote his first book Walking Nantucket, A Walker’s Guide to Exploring Nantucket on Foot.

As is the case for many Nantucket renters, Peter ultimately was required to leave ‘Sconset because the house was being sold. He found new housing through word of mouth, but the situation was less than ideal.

“The house was in disrepair,” Peter said. “It was the recession at that time, and the landlord wouldn’t fix anything. When it rained, water came into the house through the walls. But my housemates and I didn’t want to push issues because we didn’t want to lose the housing. I fixed what I could, but managing repairs and various personalities was tough. I knew I had to get out of there.”

Then, through a happenstance conversation at Cisco Brewers, Peter connected with a friend who recently lost his housing. Standing right next to them was a friend-of-a-friend who wanted to rent out their cottage. The situation worked for everyone.

A few years later, Peter’s landlord announced he intended to sell the cottage into Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program. He eventually offered Peter the opportunity to purchase the home. Peter was interested and became qualified as a purchaser. He saved for the down payment and took Housing Nantucket’s First Time Home Buyer Education Course. Several years went by before the house was ready to be sold, but he stuck it out. And last Monday, June 18th, Peter finally closed on his first home. His days of doing the Nantucket shuffle are over.

“In the 25 years I’ve rented on Nantucket, I always felt like I didn’t completely live here,” said Peter. “I felt less than the year-rounders who owned their home. I remember being at Town Meeting and hearing the sentiment that if you can’t make enough money to buy a house here, you don’t deserve to be here. After a while, you feel beaten down renting on island for so long.”

“But people would tell me I got too much sand in my shoes… that Nantucket had trapped me. During this house buying process, there were so many people who helped me and were rooting for me including Carey Hazelgrove, Linda Williams, Jessie Bresher, Rose Marie Samuels, my close island friend Hilary Anapol, and Janis Carriero. This whole experience has been so humbling. I know so many people who deserve this just as much as I do. I hope my story inspires them to keep at it.”

Housing Nantucket’s Covenant Program allows Nantucket residents like Peter to put down roots. Help us create diverse housing options for year-round islanders. Click here to learn how you can help.