A Peek Inside the Old Whaling Church
Begin at the Carnegie Heritage Center’s special exhibition exploring the artistic process behind the Old Whaling Church’s celebrated trompe l’oeil murals by Island muralist Margot Datz. Then step inside one of Martha’s Vineyard’s most iconic landmarks to experience the soaring murals firsthand while discovering the church’s remarkable history, architecture, and continuing role as a cherished community gathering place.
Step inside one of Edgartown and the Island’s most iconic historic buildings, the Old Whaling Church, for an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary murals recreated by celebrated Island artist Margot Datz.
This 45-minute tour begins at the Carnegie Heritage Center with a close look at Margot Datz: Recreator, the exhibition that reveals how Margot painstakingly researched, interpreted, and ultimately recreated Carl Wendte’s original 1843 mural, whose details had long been lost to time.
Using the faintest surviving clues, traces of pigment, archival references, and her own deep study of Wendte’s style, Margot pieced together a lost masterpiece with extraordinary sensitivity and skill. Her recreation not only restores the beauty of the Old Whaling Church’s interior but also revives an important chapter of Edgartown’s cultural heritage.
This guided experience offers a rare chance to stand beneath Wendte’s 19th-century vision as seen through Margot’s meticulous and imaginative hand. An inspiring blend of history, artistry, and preservation at its finest.