By Sharon Oliver
Contributing Writer
NANTUCKET – Two very different men from Kentucky had one thing in common – finger-licking good chicken. Colonel Harland Sanders, creator of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has long been famously known for his southern fried chicken. However the delicious flavors created by a lesser-known man by the name of William “Willie” House was pretty much contained to Nantucket residents and out-of-town visitors.
Start as chauffeur
Described as a “country boy” and dubbed the “black Colonel Sanders of Nantucket,” House was born in 1914 in Kentucky, parts unknown. He married a home economics teacher from Georgia named Lena Day and moved to New York City to work as a chauffeur but House, along with his wife and other staff from his job would accompany their employer to Nantucket during summer months.
During this time, Nantucket’s African American population grew, in large part, due to wealthy white families bringing their domestic staff with them on vacation. While Day earned her bachelor’s degree in home economics from the Tuskegee Institute in 1948, House bought a large parcel of land along Pleasant Street. In 1949, he renovated a small shack into a restaurant he called the Chicken Box where he served his signature honey-fried chicken and southern comfort food.
Evolution to nightclub
House moved to Nantucket permanently after business began to boom. Rumor has it that local leaders were hesitant to issue the new entrepreneur a liquor license unless he beat them in a winter poker game. Nevertheless, with the addition of a bar, he took advantage of his connections in New York and hired up-and-coming jazz and blues musicians to perform in the summer. The Chicken Box also became a popular venue for an annual fashion show.
After House’s health started to decline in the early 1970s, customers and friends chipped in to help keep the restaurant in operation. At age 63, he retired and sold “The Box” to the eccentric Robert “Cap’n Seaweed” Reed in 1977. Willie House died in 1995 at the age of 80 and was buried in Newtown Cemetery.
Reed maintained the blues and soul ambiance but added other music components as well, like introducing reggae to Nantucket. This led to “The Box” gaining a reputation as a spot where top reggae bands, including Ziggy Marley, son of reggae icon Bob Marley, could perform and at some point, it stopped being a restaurant and became a concert venue.
The Chicken Box on Nantucket evolved into a renowned nightclub, hosting reggae acts like Ziggy Marley, who will play there for two nights in July.
Photo/Wikimedia Commons/Alex Marshall
David B. Rose posted on Facebook:
“I remember going to the Box with my father once about 1966 to pick up our order of fried chicken and coleslaw. I was 6 years old and sat at the bar while we waited. Willie gave me a coke with lemon which I thought was the greatest combination. Was the best fried chicken on earth!”
Diane Dietle added:
“Great info – wish they could find the original recipe and sell it curbside.”
David Spears wrote:
“I met Samuel L. Jackson one night at the Box.”
In 2000, Reed sold the Chicken Box to its current owners, three former employees: Thomas “Packy” Norton, John Jordin, and Anthony “Rocky” Fox. Jimmy Buffett often threw in a verse about the venue during his arena shows and Elin Hildebrand, known for her beach novels, writes about the place in her best-selling books, inspiring her fans to make visits.
The Chicken Box did not evolve into an international franchise like KFC, but Willie House did put his own spin on his restaurant by adding a bar and live music. Unfortunately, most of the world may never know which finger-licking good recipe from the Derby State would be the overwhelming favorite. Allegedly, co-owner “Rocky” Fox has the recipe for the tasty honey-fried chicken locked in a safe.
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