Welcome to Tom Nevers!

The Tom Nevers Civic Association (TNCA) is our “Official Neighborhood Organization” representing the mutual interests of the property-owners and residents of Nantucket Island’s Greater Tom Nevers Area.

How Did the Tom Nevers Area come by its name?

Tom Never was a Native American born on the island of Nantucket circa 1725. His birth name was originally very long and was shortened to Tom Never by the British settlers who hired him to be in charge of a whale lookout station around 1745. This lookout station was located in the southeast corner of the island which was subsequently known as Tom Never’s Head. In later years the apostrophe was dropped and that part of Nantucket is now known as Tom Nevers Head or simply Tom Nevers.

When whale oil began to be sold in great quantity around 1870, the law at the time gave great tax advantages to companies owned by Native Americans. A group of local businessmen added Tom Nevers to their company and named their whale oil after him. Tom Nevers Whale Oil then became the first product given a trademark by the newly formed U.S. Trademark and Patent Office in 1871.

Welcome to Tom Nevers!

The Tom Nevers Civic Association (TNCA) is our “Official Neighborhood Organization” representing the mutual interests of the property-owners and residents of Nantucket Island’s Greater Tom Nevers Area.

What Makes Tom Nevers So Special?

The Greater Tom Nevers Area holds a unique position in the Island’s history and state of current development. Almost totally undeveloped until the 1970s, the Greater Tom Nevers Area is now home to nearly 600 families—with their private houses nestled into a naturalistic countryside preserve. More than 67-percent of the Greater Tom Nevers Area is under conservation or government ownership. No other neighborhood on the Island has such a high percentage of its land under conservation protection.

Read More »

How our Area Plan was Developed

After more than two years of intense collaborative effort, the Greater Tom Nevers Area Plan was officially approved by the Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission in March 2008 and is now being implemented here in Tom Nevers.

Developed by our own residents, based on our own priorities, and reflecting the unique character and potential of our neighborhood, the Area Plan is now part of the Nantucket Master Plan (as mandated under State Law #41-81d). And most importantly, our Area Plan now gives us a comprehensive, agreed-upon, working blueprint to guide all current and future improvements in our neighborhood.

Read More »