Dorothy Quincy Homestead
The Dorothy Quincy Homestead was the country seat of Edmund Quincy IV in the mid-18th century and home to three earlier generations of the influential and well-connected Quincy family. Originally built in 1681, the Homestead evolved to become a sophisticated home and gentleman’s farm by the period of the American Revolution. Edmund Quincy IV’s youngest daughter, Dorothy Quincy, married the famous patriot and founding father, John Hancock. Today, the remaining landscape includes a formal garden and a kitchen garden, both typical of the 18th century. As part of an innovative partnership, the Homestead is owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and operated by the NSCDA-MA.
The Homestead served as a home for five generations of Quincys, one of the leading families of Massachusetts. Their progeny include Josiah Quincy, Samuel Quincy, President John Quincy Adams, and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. During the pre-Revolutionary period, this estate house was likely visited by influential American patriots such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Hancock. The house was also the childhood home of Dorothy Quincy Hancock, the first First Lady of Massachusetts, the wife of John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the first governor of the Commonwealth.
The Dorothy Quincy Homestead represents four architectural periods. In 1680 the original two-story house was built and the kitchen portion remains to this day. In 1706 extensive additions were made under the occupancy of Edmund Quincy III, from 1708 to 1738, the general current form of the house emerged. Finally in the mid-18th century, bay windows and a few additional rooms were added. It is one of the few houses in Massachusetts in which the elements of a 17th-century building are still clearly visible, although they have been surrounded by a later style. The house is an excellent illustration of how architectural styles developed during the colonial period.
The Homestead’s furnishings provide an intriguing historical record of daily life in a house dating back three centuries. Worthy of attention are three bedsteads dressed with documented treatments and fabric, one of which is a field bedstead with arched tester.
The parlor features wallpaper which was created in Paris around 1790. The design belongs to the Pompeian revival style which exploited the delicate and expressive possibilities of painted wall decoration.
Also available for viewing during tours is a restored chariot owned by John Hancock. Built in England in 1777 and captured by Americans at sea, the chariot was later presented to Hancock, who used it as his vehicle. In the 19th century, the wheels were removed from the chariot, and it was converted into a horse-drawn sleigh.
The heritage garden is accessible to the public sunrise to sunset each day of the year. The garden features a colonial parterre design as well as a herb kitchen garden.
In 1904, the NSCDA-MA purchased the Dorothy Quincy Homestead, and then entered into a long-term cooperative relationship with the Commonwealth whereby the Department of Conservation and Recreation would own the property and would be responsible for maintaining the exterior of the house and grounds. The Dames agreed to furnish and maintain the interior of the house and to interpret its important history for visitors. This relationship continues today.
The Dorothy Quincy Homestead is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
