Josiah Quincy House

Built in 1770, this colonial house in the Wollaston neighborhood sits on Muirhead Street with distinctive architectural features including a hipped monitor roof and ornamental railings. The two-story residence shows the wealth and taste of its original owners through its carefully designed exterior and interior spaces.

The house was built in 1770 and became significant during the American Revolution when its attic served for observing British movements. After the war, it remained in family hands for generations, becoming a record of how a prominent local family lived and witnessed major historical events.

The house was home to the Quincy family across multiple generations, with members who shaped local government and institutions over time. You can sense in the rooms how this family lived and expressed their standing in the community.

The house opens to visitors on select dates throughout the year, with arrangements managed by Historic New England. Plan ahead since visits are limited and appointments may need to be scheduled in advance.

A window pane in the front hall preserves scratched notes from Colonel Quincy dating to 1775, etched with a glass cutter to mark important events he witnessed. These marks serve as a rare, direct record of how someone at this house lived through the war for independence.