Historic New England: Eustis Estate
In December 2022, I visited Eustis Estate, a mid 19th century Queen Anne Revival mansion and a Historic New England (HNE) property in Milton, MA. Open to the public since 2017, the house and surrounded area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offer a different experience than other HNE buildings. Visitors have the option to freely roam the house and grounds or join a guided tour. Additionally, Eustis Estate hosts chamber music concerts and acts as a venue for weddings and other private events.
Eustis Estate has a significantly shorter history than most HNE properties. William Ellery Channing (W.E.C.) Eustis and his wife Edith Hemenway Eustis hired architect and Milton resident William Ralph Emerson constructed the large family home in 1878 on about two hundred and fifty land previously belonging to Edith’s mother, Mary Porter Tileston Hemenway. Edith’s father, philanthropic millionaire Augustus Hemenway, died a few months before her wedding to W.E.C. in 1876 and left an enormous amount of money. Additional family wealth came from the ownership of two mines and a smelting company where iron was extracted from rock. Twins Frederic “Fred” Augustus Eustis and Augustus “Gus” Hemenway Eustis had been born the year before in 1877, while little sister Mary Channing Eustis (Scott) was born in 1885, seven years after the house was constructed. The technology in the house was the best of its time, as the Eustis family kept the house updated to include indoor plumbing, electricity generated on the property, and even an elevator. The family was self-sufficient, hiring servants to managed their hobby farm to have fresh milk, eggs, meat, and fruit throughout the year.
After the twins graduated from Harvard, Fred married and constructed his own mansion on the neighboring property. Gus married later and took over Eustis Estate. Despite their seemingly perfect life, tragedy struck the Eustis family. During an extravagant nineteenth birthday party for Mary, when she was formally presented to high society in the Greater Boston area, their mother Edith suddenly became sick of an unknown illness and died four days later. Their father W.E.C. died of age-related causes in 1932. While subsequent generations enjoyed the family estate, the grandchildren of W.E.C. and Edith sold the house to HNE in 2012.
William Ralph Emerson is known both as a second cousin to Transcendentalist writer Ralph Waldo Emerson (who may have encouraged William to publish some poetry) and as the “Father of Shingle Style” according to HNE. Shingle style is a combination of traditional seaside English Cottage style and American Colonial Revival replicated at a grand scale with signature plain shingles on the roof. In contrast, Eustis Estate is built in another Emerson specialty, the Queen Anne Revival style, a loosely defined design that might include terra cotta roofing tiles, an asymmetrical facade, and large porches. Emerson partnered with German-American, Boston-based architect Carl Fehmer to renovate or construct many buildings besides Eustis Estate, including Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion (now part of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park) in Woodstock, VT and multiple properties in Bar Harbor, ME. Emerson also collaborated with Frederick Law Olmsted when designing buildings for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and New England painter William Morris Hunt
Between the architectural expertise of Emerson and the design taste of the Eustis family, the home is filled with ornate furniture and decorative elements, although not as packed as some other HNE houses, like Codman Estate or Cogswell’s Grant. Fireplaces come in multiple shapes, from large post-medieval style hearths found in the original Queen Anne period to a round Art Nouveau fireplace in the Small Parlor on the first floor. Parquet flooring in a square design covers the main hall. Persian rugs, antique chairs, and family mementos add a personal touch to the space. As an added bonus for those who visit during the month of December, HNE staff decorate the estate for Christmas with brightly lit trees and garlands found throughout the house. Since Christmas first became a federal holiday in 1870, the tasteful decorations are accurate to the time period.
Eustis Estate is open all year, a rarity for HNE properties. Days of the week vary depending on the season. The property is open on Saturday and Sunday from January through April, Friday through Sunday from May to November, and Thursday through Sunday in December. Self-guided tours are admitted on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while guided tours take place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Admission to enter the house is standard large house pricing for HNE at $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, $10 for students, and $0 for HNE members (like me!), with an additional $5 per person charge for a guided tour. A spacious parking lot fits vehicles of nearly any size. Plus, this historic house was built with an elevator and is fully accessible for those using wheelchairs or with other mobility-related disabilities! Additionally, those who cannot travel to the site can explore the mansion using an informative virtual tour, which has information matching the kiosks found inside the house. If you are looking for a fun, education, historical, and relaxing activity for the whole family during the winter holiday season or any time of year, this is an amazing option.
Abby Epplett’s Rating System
Experience: 8/10
Accessibility: 10/10