Historic New England: Quincy House

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A black, white, and dark blue striped header image reading Historic New England Quincy House

On the same day I visited Otis House in Boston, MA, I traveled twenty minutes away to another Historic New England (HNE) property: Quincy House in Quincy, MA. Built in 1770 by colonial carpenter Edward Pierce for Josiah Quincy, a retired colonel who spied on British ships during the American Revolutionary War, the Georgian style mansion with unique Chinese-inspired woodwork has been a National Historic Landmark since 1997.

Quincy House; a two-story Georgian style mansion painted mustard yellow across a green lawn underneath a blue sky Sign for Quincy House; a black and blue sign with the words Quincy House 1770 and the Historic New England logo on the bottom right National Historic Landmark Plaque for Josiah Quincy House

While the historic home currently sits in a quiet residential neighborhood, the property was not always surrounded by other buildings. Quincy owned a lot of land, stretching all the way down to Quincy Bay, which was, of course, named after him. As a wealthy and retired gentleman in his sixties, Quincy liked to watch “his” bay, observing the movement of boats through Boston Harbor. During the revolution, the monitor roof at the top of the house allowed him to see whatever British troops were doing and report the movement to political and military leaders, including close friend John Adams and General George Washington.

French Mantel Clock; a round, white clock face in a black wooden frame Curio Table; a table holding antique books, decorative containers, a magnifying glass, and the French clock West Parlor at Quincy House; in the corner is a large mahogany china cabinet between two brightly lit windows
Ivory Pagoda in the East Parlor at Quincy House Insurance Painting of a Ship in the West Parlor of Quincy House Fireplace and Chairs in the East Parlor at Quincy House; a large mirror hangs above the fireplace

Colonel Quincy impressed a sense of fairness into his children. In 1770, his patriotic youngest son Josiah Quincy, Jr. made history with Adams as the lawyers defending British soldiers during the Boston Massacre, since they believed every person had the right to a fair trial. Ironically, Quincy’s older son, Samuel Quincy, was a loyalist who acted as prosecutor in support of the colonial patriots. The soldiers were acquitted, but the brothers never spoke again. Josiah, Jr. died in 1775 at thirty-one years old while returning from an ambassador trip in England, while Samuel moved to England that same year.

A Pair of Antique Globes on a Bureau in the Upstairs Hall at Quincy House Bedroom of Eliza Quincy; a double bed with a floral cover and a writing desk at the foot Tiny Bronze Statue of Benjamin Franklin

When the colonel died in 1784, having seen the end of the war, his twelve-year-old grandson, Josiah Quincy III, inherited the property. Quincy III followed in the footsteps of his namesakes as a man of political importance. He was the second Mayor of Boston (where Quincy Market is named after him), a U.S. Representative, an author, a trustee of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture, and a president of Harvard University. Quincy III and his family — which included his wife, Eliza Susan Morton Quincy, along with their seven children — lived in the house only during the summer as a break from Boston. Quincy III used the house as an entertainment venue, renovating the building to include its current porch, a larger dining room, and servants’ quarters. The piano and music still in the house are evidence of this purpose.

Portrait of Colonel Josiah Quincy above the Fireplace Bedroom with Portrait of a Woman Hung above the Bed Tall dresser with Japaning, a black lacquer and floral painting technique Writing Desk of Eliza Susan Quincy; a tiny desk with a mismatched black chair

Four of the five Quincy daughters — Eliza, Maria, Margaret, and Anna — were considered exceptionally bright and received the nickname “The Articulate Sisters”. The other sister, Abigail, was apparently just average, an exceedingly rare occurrence for Abigails, which I know from experience. However, she was also the last surviving Quincy to live in the house, so perhaps she got the last laugh. In any case, oldest sister Eliza took charge of documenting the history of the family and the house, often traveling to find antique furniture that had originally belonged to the property. Thanks to her work, the house holds many unique treasures, including a French clock, a ship insurance painting, an ivory pagoda, antique globes, portraits of Quincy family members, and a little bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin.

Close-up of Antique Spinet and Sheet Music; the pink music book reads Cansons de France Spinet in the Dining Room at Quincy House Japanese Inspired Room Divider in the Corner of the Dining Room at Quincy House
The Spying Windows in the Attic at Quincy House; bare wooden walls with two bright windows. The window on the left has a small wooden platform. Servant's room inside the monitor, part of the attic at Quincy House; a small room with bare walls, a fireplace, and brightly lit windows Faded Wallpaper Found in the Attic at Quincy House

After the death of Abigail in 1893, the home was bought by the Hall family and then briefly used as a senior living facility. By 1937, Quincy family members Edmund Quincy and Alice Bache Gould joined forces to rally their relatives into purchasing the property and transforming it into a museum, which they turned over to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), the precursor to HNE. When not preserving the family homestead, Quincy was a professional artist, while Gould was a famous historian best known for her work studying the crew of Christopher Columbus. As for the house, it is currently furbished in the same style as in 1880 near the end of the lives of the Articulate Sisters.

Lithograph featuring 19th century People on the Boston Common Detail of the Lithograph Featuring 19th century People on the Boston Common; near the center, surrounded by people in European style clothing is a Chinese man Oilcloth Floor Covering on the First Floor of Quincy House
Blue Delft Tile Surrounding a Fireplace at Quincy House Diptych Portraits of Maria Sophia Morton and Her Husband; Morton's portrait is charcoal and white pastel drawing on pink paper, head and shoulders side view; wearing white ruffled cap, fiscu, and sprigged shawl Balusters on the Staircase on the Second Floor of Quincy House

Quincy House is open on Saturdays during the regular season from June through October. Tours are on the hour from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. and last about 60 minutes. Cost is standard small HNE house pricing at $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students, $5 for children, and $0 for HNE members (like me!). Like most historic buildings, entering Quincy House requires navigating a few steps on the front porch, so the museum is not wheelchair accessible. However, a 3D tour hosted by Matterport is available through the HNE website. Free parking is available on-street directly in front of the house. If you are looking for something to do in the Boston area but want to get away from the busyness of the city, this is a great option.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 7/10



Location: 58 Plympton St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA