Quincy, Josiah, House

The Josiah Quincy House is situated in the residential Wollaston section of Quincy. Until the end of the nineteenth century the Quincy House was surrounded by an extensive estate with an uninterrupted view to the water's edge. Its site is now reduced to a three-quarter acre lot, and is surrounded by late nineteenth and twentieth century deve lopment. The 1770 house, facing southwest on Muirhead Streef, is a two-story structure surmounted by a three-bay monitor containing four small rooms. A two-story ell for servants ex- tends from the northwest end. A number of outbuildings, including a glass works, a salt works, a windmill and two barns were once on the property; none of them is extant. A garage now stands on or near the site of a former barn.

The house, of frame con- struction with yellow clapboards, has rusticated quoins painted white on both the main structure and the monitor. Local granite was used for its foundation. The house plan, elevation, and construction are typical New England Georgian design of the third quarter of the eighteenth century. In plan, four rooms are symmetrically disposed on each of two similar floors. A nine foot wide central hall contains a staircase with elaborately carved balusters and newel post. The staircase is approached from the rear of the hall, an unusual feature of the house. On each side of the hall pairs of rooms share interior chimneys with back-to-back fireplaces. Each is flanked by doors to allow maximum circulation.

The symmetrical elevation of the Quincy House is composed of five bays, with 6/6 sash windows. A central entrance flanked by half length sidelights of 4/4 sash is monumen- talized by a pedimented portico with dentilled cornice, supported by two fluted Doric columns.

/ARCHITECT Deacon Edward Pierce The Josiah Quincy House is distinguished for its architectural merit in addition to its historic interest as the residence of succeeding generations of the Quincy family until 1893. Since its acquisition in 1937 by SPNEA, it has functioned as a house museum. The present structure was erected in 1770 on land which was originally purchased by Edmund Quincy from the Indian Sachem of Moswechusett in 1636. It replaced the previous house, built in 1750 for Col. Josiah Quincy, which was subsequently destroyed by fire in 1769. Col. Josiah Quincy is generally attributed with the design of the new house. Records indicate that the construction was undertaken by a Dorchester carpenter, Deacon Edward Pierce (1735-1818). The earliest of five extant letters from Col.

Josiah Quincy to Edward Pierce, dated December 19, 1769, enlists the help of the Dorchester carpenter. "I beg this Favour you woud dine with me Tomorrow, or on Thursday, and assist me in projecting a Plan of such a House as I want, making a Schedule of Materials to be collected for the Purpose, and an Estimate of the Cost." (Copy - SPNEA: Permanent File) Architecturally, the Quincy House is a fine example of New England Georgian design in which an advancing classicism characterized by eighteenth century Palladian and chin- oiserie influence is joined together with an indigenous carpentry tradition. TO3 S. 5.) AEIOTC: Eaucco The interior of the Josiah Quincy House is furnished to a large extent with items that have Quincy family associations.

Some of these, like the English settee and the japanned high chest, were brought to the house by Col. Josiah Quincy; these items are also men- tioned in his inventory of 1784. Others were brought to the house or accumulated by family members through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.