The Shirley-Eustis House was built in 1747 as the private summer residence of Royal Governor William Shirley. Tours of the site examine Shirley’s connections to the British empire and colonialism in North America, including the ways Shirley Place itself projected power onto the New England landscape. Tours also explore the development of the Roxbury community into the present day through the eyes of Madam Caroline Eustis, wife of Massachusetts Governor William Eustis who purchased the house in 1819. Themes explored include slavery and the British Empire, the development of scientific agriculture in the early republic, architecture as an expression of national identity, and neighborhood development and diversity.

History Camp is a project of the non-profit organization The Pursuit of History.  We hope you’ll join us in the pursuit of history.