Quincy, Josiah, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1770 on Quincy's Wollaston shore, this two-story frame house replaced an earlier Quincy home lost to fire in 1769. Col. Josiah Quincy is generally credited with the design, and Dorchester carpenter Deacon Edward Pierce carried out the construction. Yellow clapboards, white rusticated quoins, a three-bay monitor on the roof, and a pedimented portico with fluted Doric columns mark it as New England Georgian work of the third quarter of the eighteenth century. Inside, a central hall holds a carved staircase approached from the rear. A Greek Revival porch was added about fifty years later. The house remained with the Quincy family until 1893. Its residents included Col. Quincy, a merchant and patriot who watched General Gage sail from Boston in 1775, his son Josiah Jr., who defended British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, and Josiah III, a Harvard president. Since 1937 it has served as a museum, with well-documented family furnishings.
Significance in brief: The house is a fine example of New England Georgian design that combines Palladian and chinoiserie influences with local carpentry traditions. It was the home of several generations of the Quincy family until 1893, including Col. Josiah Quincy, a merchant and Revolutionary patriot, his son Josiah Jr., and Josiah III, president of Harvard. Its furnishings are unusually well documented.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97001274, listed September 25, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 20 Muirhead St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | September 25, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001274 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1770 (specific date listed; the Quincy family occupied the house 1770-1893) |
| Architect / builder | Deacon Edward Pierce (builder); design generally attributed to Col. Josiah Quincy |
| Architectural style | Georgian with later Greek Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| National Historic Landmark | Yes, designated September 25, 1997 |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operated as a house museum since its acquisition in 1937 by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities; the form lists it as occupied and in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.27184, -71.01465 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97001274.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6290603
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.