The Shirley-Eustis House

The Shirley-Eustis House English country estate. Site of human enslavement. Symbol of the British Empire. Tours are available year-round by appointment.

Built in 1747, Royal Governor William Shirley's Georgian mansion is one of the only remaining country houses in America built by a British Royal Colonial Governor. The home later belonged to William Eustis, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was the site of the 1824 fete for the Marquis de Lafayette. During our summer season (Memorial Day-Columbus Day) we also offer guided tours of

the historic home Thursdays through Sundays from 1-4 pm. Additional parking is available behind the Ralph Waldo Emerson School (now Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter school) directly across from Shirley Place.

Ahead of Valentine's Day, we made this card for William and Caroline Eustis, Shirley Place residents from 1819-1825 and ...
02/07/2025

Ahead of Valentine's Day, we made this card for William and Caroline Eustis, Shirley Place residents from 1819-1825 and 1819-1865, respectively.

Caroline Eustis (née: Langdon) met William Eustis when she was just a girl growing up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Dr. Eustis' sister Anne had married Henry Langdon, Caroline's older brother, in 1792, and from then on, their families saw each other frequently. Caroline is said to have developed quite an infatuation with Eustis, going so far as to reject other suitors while in her early 20s because there was only one man she wished to marry.

Eventually, William came to his senses and proposed to Caroline. The two wed on September 24, 1810, when she was thirty-one and he was fifty-seven. Though she had waited for quite some time, Caroline's patience paid off. The couple was married until 1825, when then-Governor Eustis died on February 6. Caroline would never marry again, despite living another forty years. Their writings reveal a profound mutual respect and admiration for one another.

In the spirit of Caroline Eustis, send this Valentine to your one-and-only!

(Source: Allegiance: The Life and Times of William Eustis by Tamsen Evans George)

This Saturday from 12-4pm, join us for a fall festival with a local twist!The Roxbury Russet Festival celebrates Roxbury...
10/22/2024

This Saturday from 12-4pm, join us for a fall festival with a local twist!

The Roxbury Russet Festival celebrates Roxbury's very own heritage apple variety with food, drinks, demonstrations on an heirloom cider press, crafts, activities, and fun for the whole family! Free for all thanks to support from Grow Boston.

And at 4pm, the festival fun will 🍺spike🍺 as we shift to a craft beer tasting! Local brewer Long Live Roxbury has crafted a special graff beer (beer/cider hybrid) just for festival attendees that will be served between 4-6pm in the Carriage House, along with a few of their other brews. We'll also host a lecture from award-winning author Helen Humphreys, whose work "The Ghost Orchard: The Hidden History of the Apple in North America" examines the history of apples through an unexpected personal journey. Tickets for the 4-6pm tasting are $35 per person and include beer tasting, a buffet dinner, and lecture admission. Space for the tasting is limited - reserve your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/978395446117?aff=oddtdtcreator

Questions? Contact us at [email protected]!

Yesterday marked the third annual Massachusetts Emancipation Day, or Quock Walker Day, in the Commonwealth of Massachuse...
07/09/2024

Yesterday marked the third annual Massachusetts Emancipation Day, or Quock Walker Day, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This day recognizes the legal end of slavery in the Commonwealth on July 8, 1783.

Quock (also Quork or Kwaku) Walker was a man enslaved by James Caldwell in Worcester County. Quock had been promised manumission at the age of 25 by Caldwell - however, Caldwell died before Quock's 25th birthday. Quock's new enslavers refused to honor the promise, so Quock emancipated himself and began working for wages elsewhere. When his former enslavers found out, they beat Quock severely. Quock sued them for assault on the grounds that he was a free man at the time of the beating, and therefore had a right to life and liberty as outlined in the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution.

Over the course of the next two years, a court found Quock's former enslavers guilty of assault on a free man - then, when the case was appealed to the Supreme Judicial Court, they too found that Quock was a free man entitled to personal rights. The case ended slavery in Massachusetts on the grounds that the Declaration of Rights had made all people free and equal in the Commonwealth. However, while slavery was effectively illegal, enslaved people still had to petition their enslavers for freedom in a court of law. Many were not aware that this was the case, nor did they have the means or time to do so.

A case cited as part of Walker's defense was that of Elizabeth Freeman, another formerly enslaved person in Massachusetts who successfully sued for her emancipation in 1781. Freeman supposedly overheard a public reading of the state Constitution upon its passage, and contacted a local lawyer on the grounds that her enslavement conflicted with the phrase "All men are born free and equal." The Supreme Judicial Court agreed with her - and she won her suit, known as "Brom & Bett v. Ashley" in August 1781. She was the first person emancipated as a result of the MA Constitution, and Walker was the second.

(Images: Snippet from the MA Constitution; Miniature of Elizabeth Freeman)

07/02/2024

Updated Summer Hours!

Our hours are changing in a few ways this summer at the Shirley-Eustis House. See below for details:

-Regular administrative office hours remain the same (Tuesdays through Fridays from 9am-5pm daily).
-Tour DAYS remain the same, but tour START TIMES are changing to 12pm and 2pm daily (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays). As a reminder, all tours begin in the front forecourt and last approximately one hour.
-Throughout the summer, we'll be hosting several Summer Saturday Open Houses! These open houses, offered on select Saturdays through September, provide an opportunity for visitors to explore the Mansion at their own pace. Guided tours will be offered on these dates to those who want them, but non-guided visitation of the Mansion is also encouraged. Please check our events here on Facebook, or on our website, for more information.

As always, please contact us with questions at [email protected] or (617)-442-2275!

About two weeks ago, on June 19, we were so honored to host the Second Annual Juneteenth Freedom Cookout here at the Shi...
07/02/2024

About two weeks ago, on June 19, we were so honored to host the Second Annual Juneteenth Freedom Cookout here at the Shirley-Eustis House! It was fantastic to once again work with the brilliant Vania at Black.Brown.Boston and Rochelle with For Black Girls Inc., who put their hearts and souls into this event. Even though the day wound up being one of the hottest of the year so far, it was an absolute blast (and the pivot from lawn games to water activities was a wise decision!). We are so grateful for our community, our neighbors, and all those who pitched in to make this year's Freedom Cookout a success.

Though our site holds a painful history of enslavement and inequality, it is special to watch as our community transforms the legacy of this space into one where freedom, joy, and hope are celebrated today. We honor and remember those who lived here without their freedoms, and we commit to working toward a more equitable world for all.

We are honored to be a stop on the Black Men Run Boston annual 3/5/10k community walk run. Black Men Run is an internati...
06/14/2024

We are honored to be a stop on the Black Men Run Boston annual 3/5/10k community walk run. Black Men Run is an international organization that fosters Brotherhood, Reflection, Unity and Health through the simple but regenerative act of running (or walking!) together. Learn more about BMR Boston here: https://blackmenrun.com/blackmenrun-chapters/boston/

And best wishes to all of Saturday's runners and walkers.

Today is International Women's Day!Here at the Shirley-Eustis House, our organization would not exist were it not for th...
03/08/2024

Today is International Women's Day!

Here at the Shirley-Eustis House, our organization would not exist were it not for the remarkable life of Caroline Langdon Eustis. Madame Eustis lived in the mansion from 1819-1865, and her deep connection to the Roxbury community would lead the neighborhood to preserve the site in 1913.

Madame Eustis was self-conscious of her appearance and notoriously refused to sit for portraits (same, Caroline, same), but we still have a few things to remember her by at Shirley Place. The first is our heirloom orchard with a wide variety of apples and pears - Madame Eustis was one of the first women to exhibit plants at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society! The second is the tea set from the Eustis service, a beautiful China set which Madame Eustis likely used to host her famous tea parties while she lived at Shirley Place.


Today marks the 254th anniversary of the event known as the "Boston Massacre," which occurred at the base of the Old Sta...
03/05/2024

Today marks the 254th anniversary of the event known as the "Boston Massacre," which occurred at the base of the Old State House in downtown Boston. Last year, Mayor Wu also declared March 5 "Crispus Attucks Day" in Boston.

Crispus Attucks was a mariner of African and Native American ancestry, and is widely considered the first casualty of the American Revolution. He was killed on March 5, 1770 when a group of British soldiers fired on colonial protesters. Today, he is commemorated as one name among a list of those killed during the Massacre on a headstone in the Granary Burying Ground.

However, City Councilor Brian Worrell called this week for a standalone statue commemorating Attucks to be placed in Boston. Not only was Attucks killed while protesting for colonists' freedom from Britain, but he had also emancipated himself from slavery at some earlier point in his life. Attucks fled enslavement in Framingham and worked onboard ships across the Atlantic, preferring a life at sea to one spent in bo***ge.

We echo Councilor Worrell's call for a greater commemoration of Crispus Attucks in Boston, and aim to work toward greater recognition for all of those who witnessed white colonists fight for freedom while they still enslaved African and Indigenous people.

Today we recognize Presidents' Day! We have several Presidential connections, one of which is in our collections: a port...
02/19/2024

Today we recognize Presidents' Day! We have several Presidential connections, one of which is in our collections: a portrait of William Eustis by Presidential portraitist Gilbert Stuart.

Stuart painted nearly a thousand people over the course of his career, most famously the first six American Presidents. His "Athenaeum Portrait" of George Washington is perhaps his most well-known, as it is printed on all $1 bills. Though he spent the Revolutionary period in London, he also painted a wide swath of Revolutionary Americans upon his return to the states in 1793, from Horatio Gates to Dolley Madison to John Jay. Stuart painted Washington several times throughout the latter's Presidency, and would go on to paint John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams.

In 1806, Stuart painted our very own William Eustis, who was then a Congressman in the Massachusetts State Legislature. Five years later, Eustis would serve as the U.S. Secretary of War under President James Madison, and from 1814 - 1818, the U.S. Envoy to the Netherlands. In 1820 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (a seat he had held prior to his tenure as Secretary of War), and in 1823 he was elected Governor of Massachusetts, a position he served in until his death in 1825. Stuart's portrait of Eustis gives us a clear picture of what this occupant of Shirley Place looked like, albeit about thirteen years before he lived at our site.

Reminder: Registration is now open for "A Colonial History of Beer and Brewing," an online lecture by Historian Malcolm ...
02/16/2024

Reminder: Registration is now open for "A Colonial History of Beer and Brewing," an online lecture by Historian Malcolm Purinton on Thursday, Feb. 29 at 6pm!

Beer and brewing have been an important part of Boston history from before the American Revolution through to today’s Craft Beer Revolution. We’ll follow the colonial beginning of a local brewing industry through the stylistic changes of the nineteenth century from ale to lager beer production and into the end of the twentieth century when Samuel Adams Brewing and Harpoon led the way into the era of Craft Beer. We're taking a look at beer's history from Sam Adams the man to Sam Adams the brand! Feel free to sip your favorite brew while listening in from home.

Registration is $10 for the public and free for those who qualify for Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program (WIC, EBT, and Connector Care recipients). To register, use this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/815880459417?aff=oddtdtcreator

Today we honor Civil Rights leader and social justice advocate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. King's tireless work broug...
01/15/2024

Today we honor Civil Rights leader and social justice advocate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King's tireless work brought discussions of racial and economic inequality to the forefront of Americans' minds. Just before his assassination, he began work on what he called "The Poor People's Campaign" - a multiracial effort to combat economic inequality in the United States. The Campaign advocated for a universal basic income, increased amounts of low-income housing, and legislation to level the playing field regarding income disparities in the country.

Dr. King knew that poverty was not only a present problem, but a generational, systemic one. The roots of economic inequality in America can be found in our colonial history. Colonial economies exploited the labor of the poor, indentured, and enslaved, as well as the resources of colonized land.

It is only by learning about this history, and implementing programs to promote equity well into future generations, that we can begin to combat racial and social inequality in the present day. Systemic injustices may not be our generation's fault, but they are now our responsibility.

Address

33 Shirley Street
Boston, MA
02119

Telephone

+16174422275

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Shirley-Eustis House posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to The Shirley-Eustis House:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

A National Historic Landmark, the Mansion was erected in 1747 by William Shirley. Designed by “America’s first Architect”/ Father of American Palladianism, Peter Harrison, it is an architectural treasure. American Architecture vol. 1 1607-1860 notes was it considered to be the finest New England House for the late 1740’s and the “most purely Palladian House in America”. It was remodelled several times between the late 1700’s and 1820. Fully restored to c. 1820 in 1985, “Shirley Place” might best be described as a quintessential Georgian beauty wearing the best of Federal attire designed by Charles Bulfinch.

The only remaining house in America originally built by a British Royal Colonial Governor it has had many owners, including William Eustis, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. William and his wife Caroline Langdon returned the estate to the level of social prominence enjoyed during the Shirley era. In 1824 it was the site of a fete for the Marquis de Lafayette. Tours are available year-round by appointment. Admission is free for SEHA Members, $8 for adults; $5 for students, seniors (65+) and residents of Roxbury and Dorchester. We are a Blue Star Museum. Additional parking is available behind the Ralph Waldo Emerson School (now Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter school) directly across from Shirley Place.