Headquarters House (Boston) facts for kids
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William H. Prescott House
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Of the two units depicted here, the Prescott House is the one on the left.
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 Location in Boston
Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 55 Beacon Street, Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1808 |
| Architect | Benjamin, Asher |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Website | William Hickling Prescott House |
| Part of | Beacon Hill Historic District (ID66000130) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000765 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1964 |
| Designated NHLDCP | October 15, 1966 |
The William Hickling Prescott House, also known as the Headquarters House, is a historic house museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located at 55 Beacon Street on Beacon Hill. This special building is the left part of a double townhouse. It was built in 1808 and designed by the architect Asher Benjamin.
The house is famous because of William Hickling Prescott (1796–1859). He was one of America's first important historians. Because of his connection to the house, it was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Today, the house is a museum. It is run by the Massachusetts chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. They bought the house in 1944 to use as their main office.
Contents
Discover the Prescott House
The Prescott House is a great place to learn about history. It shows what life was like in Boston a long time ago. The house itself is a beautiful example of early American architecture.
Who Was William Hickling Prescott?
William Hickling Prescott was a very important historian. He lived in this house from 1845 to 1859. Prescott became nearly blind after an accident when he was young. Even with his vision challenges, he wrote many famous history books.
His most well-known book is History of the Conquest of Mexico, published in 1837. This book was very popular in both the United States and Europe. To write his books, Prescott hired researchers and secretaries. They helped him find historical documents and prepare his writings. He even had famous guests like the novelist William Makepeace Thackeray visit him at the house.
The House's Unique Design
The Prescott House is part of a pair of twin houses. They were built in 1808 by architect Asher Benjamin. The houses look almost exactly alike, like mirror images. Each house has four stories and is three bays wide. A "bay" is a section of a building.
The outer parts of each house have a rounded front. This rounded shape is decorated with tall, thin columns called pilasters. These go from the first floor porch all the way to the roof. The porch itself has a row of columns that follow the rounded shape. The main doors are in the middle, with windows on either side and a fan-shaped window above.
From Home to Museum
The original owner of the houses was James Smith Colburn. He was a successful merchant in Boston. He hired Asher Benjamin to build these twin townhouses. When they were first built, the houses stood alone. They even had a view of the water before the area that is now the Boston Public Garden was filled in. These homes were very fashionable at the time.
William Prescott bought his house in 1845. After he died, his wife sold it to their cousins, the Dexters. The Dexters made some changes to the house. They updated the staircase and added an elevator. They also changed Prescott's library into a dining room.
In 1944, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America bought the house at 55 Beacon Street. They wanted to use it as their headquarters. In 1968, the Dames worked to restore Prescott's study. They used old documents to make it look just like it did when he lived there.
The house was recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1964. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. This was because of its strong connection to William Prescott and his important historical writings.
Images for kids
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The house in a photo published in 1912
See also
