Loring-Greenough House
Encyclopedia
The Loring-Greenough House is the last surviving 18th century residence in Sumner Hill, a historic section of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
, a neighborhood of Boston
. It is located at 12 South Street on Monument Square at the edge of Sumner Hill.
This mid-Georgian
mansion was built as a country residence and farmstead in 1760 for wealthy British naval officer Commodore Joshua Loring
on the original site of John Polley's estate established in the 1650s. Originally, the Loring-Greenough house was situated on a 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) estate. Loring, a Loyalist prior to the American Revolution, abandoned the house in 1774, just prior to the conflict, and he fled from Boston in 1776. The house was confiscated by colonial forces and in 1776 served as a headquarters for General Nathaniel Greene and, soon after, a hospital for Continental Army soldiers following the Battle of Bunker Hill.
In 1780, the house was sold to Isaac Sears
, the rebel leader from New York
, and was then purchased in 1784 by Ann Doane, a rich widow, who soon after married David Stoddard Greenough. Their descendants lived here for five generations until 1924. At that time the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club (until 1993 a ladies'-only club and today a community group) purchased the house, along with almost two acres of landscaped grounds, to convert it into a museum and save it from development.
The Loring-Greenough House is a very well-preserved structure of almost 4500 square feet (418.1 m²), on property that includes sweeping lawns, historic flower beds, handsome trees, and the two-and-one-half-story house itself. The property is fenced and gated with wrought-iron restricting access except for times when the building is open to the public. The Tuesday Club has been careful to preserve the house and grounds over many decades. The most recent restoration occurred with a $350,000 grant and included painting and other repairs.
The Loring-Greenough property is now a historic house museum still owned and operated by the Tuesday Club, which offers tours and other events throughout the year. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and designated a Massachusetts Landmark and a Boston Landmark.
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
Jamaica Plain is a historic neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Boston Puritans seeking farm land to the south, it was originally part of the city of Roxbury...
, a neighborhood of 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...
. It is located at 12 South Street on Monument Square at the edge of Sumner Hill.
This mid-Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
mansion was built as a country residence and farmstead in 1760 for wealthy British naval officer Commodore Joshua Loring
Joshua Loring
Joshua Loring was an 18th century colonial American naval officer in British service. During the French and Indian War, he served as a commodore in the Great Lakes region and was active during much of the Ontario and Quebec campaigns.-Biography:Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Loring was apprenticed...
on the original site of John Polley's estate established in the 1650s. Originally, the Loring-Greenough house was situated on a 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) estate. Loring, a Loyalist prior to the American Revolution, abandoned the house in 1774, just prior to the conflict, and he fled from Boston in 1776. The house was confiscated by colonial forces and in 1776 served as a headquarters for General Nathaniel Greene and, soon after, a hospital for Continental Army soldiers following the Battle of Bunker Hill.
In 1780, the house was sold to Isaac Sears
Isaac Sears
Isaac Sears was an American merchant, sailor, Freemason, and political figure who played an important role in the American Revolution....
, the rebel leader from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and was then purchased in 1784 by Ann Doane, a rich widow, who soon after married David Stoddard Greenough. Their descendants lived here for five generations until 1924. At that time the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club (until 1993 a ladies'-only club and today a community group) purchased the house, along with almost two acres of landscaped grounds, to convert it into a museum and save it from development.
The Loring-Greenough House is a very well-preserved structure of almost 4500 square feet (418.1 m²), on property that includes sweeping lawns, historic flower beds, handsome trees, and the two-and-one-half-story house itself. The property is fenced and gated with wrought-iron restricting access except for times when the building is open to the public. The Tuesday Club has been careful to preserve the house and grounds over many decades. The most recent restoration occurred with a $350,000 grant and included painting and other repairs.
The Loring-Greenough property is now a historic house museum still owned and operated by the Tuesday Club, which offers tours and other events throughout the year. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and designated a Massachusetts Landmark and a Boston Landmark.
External links
- Official site
- Joshua Loring article, Jamaica Plain Historical Society