National Register of Historic Places

Quincy, Josiah, House

Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
May 27, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000285

About this property

The Josiah Quincy House , 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 men named Josiah Quincy 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 (81 ha) farm called the "Lower Farm," which had been in the family since 1635. The house was built in 1770 and was originally surrounded by fields and pasture overlooking Quincy Bay. It is constructed with an unusual hipped 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. In 1895, the house and some adjoining properties were sold to Frank E. Hall of Boston. In 1937, Edward R. Hall arranged for the Josiah Quincy House to become the property of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. The house is now owned by Historic New England, a non-profit historical organization, and is open for tours from June to October. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997 for its architectural significance and for its association with the Quincy family. List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts Eastern Nazarene College history class project on the Josiah Quincy House. Includes an extensive bibliography; maps, prints, and photos; links; and more.

Location

20 Muirhead St.
Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
42.27165, -71.01493

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Quincy, Josiah, House
Industrial
0 mi
Massachusetts Fields School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Quincy Shore Drive
Industrial
0.3 mi
Wollaston Branch, Thomas Crane Public Library
Industrial
0.4 mi
White, Charles E., House
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston — Dorchester Heights
1776Revolutionary War
4.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Quincy, Josiah, House listed on the National Register?

Quincy, Josiah, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Quincy, Josiah, House?

Quincy, Josiah, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Quincy, Josiah, House?

The period of significance for Quincy, Josiah, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Quincy, Josiah, House?

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