Josiah Quincy House
Encyclopedia
The Josiah Quincy House (icon), located at 20 Muirhead Street in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts
, was the country home of Revolutionary War
soldier Colonel Josiah Quincy I, the first in a line of six illustrious Josiah Quincys that included three Boston
mayors and a president of Harvard University
.
Having inherited the land from father Edmund
, Josiah built his mansion on a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm called the "Lower Farm," which had been in the family since 1635. It was originally surrounded by fields and pasture overlooking Quincy Bay
. It is constructed with an unusual monitor roof, the oldest known example of this roof style to survive from the original colonies, and includes a Chinese fretwork balustrade and classical portico. Its attic contains four small rooms for servants, one with a fireplace.
During the American Revolution
, Quincy aided General George Washington
by observing the British fleet in Boston Harbor from his attic windows. He scratched on a pane of glass in the attic, “October 10, 1775 Governor Gage saild for England with a fair wind.” That glass pane has been preserved and now on view in the front hall.
The house is now owned by Historic New England
, a non-profit historical organization, and is open only four Saturdays a year and by special appointment.
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
, was the country home of Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
soldier Colonel Josiah Quincy I, the first in a line of six illustrious Josiah Quincys that included three Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
mayors and a president of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Having inherited the land from father Edmund
Edmund Quincy
Edmund Quincy is the name of:*Edmund Quincy , settled Mount Wollaston area of Quincy, Massachusetts around 1628*Edmund Quincy , colonist, Massachusetts representative, son of Edmund...
, Josiah built his mansion on a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm called the "Lower Farm," which had been in the family since 1635. It was originally surrounded by fields and pasture overlooking Quincy Bay
Quincy Bay
Quincy Bay is the largest of the three small bays of southern Boston Harbor, part of Massachusetts Bay and forming much of the shoreline of the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Locally in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy it is known as Wollaston Bay...
. It is constructed with an unusual monitor roof, the oldest known example of this roof style to survive from the original colonies, and includes a Chinese fretwork balustrade and classical portico. Its attic contains four small rooms for servants, one with a fireplace.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Quincy aided General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
by observing the British fleet in Boston Harbor from his attic windows. He scratched on a pane of glass in the attic, “October 10, 1775 Governor Gage saild for England with a fair wind.” That glass pane has been preserved and now on view in the front hall.
The house is now owned by Historic New England
Historic New England
Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities , is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England and is the oldest and largest regional preservation...
, a non-profit historical organization, and is open only four Saturdays a year and by special appointment.
External links
- Eastern Nazarene College history class project on the Josiah Quincy House. Includes an extensive bibliography; maps, prints, and photos; links; and more.