Royall House and Slave Quarters facts for kids
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Isaac Royall House
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East (front) facade, built by Isaac Royall Sr. over the original farmhouse
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 15 George Street, Medford, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1732 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000786 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
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The Isaac Royall House and Slave Quarters is a very old house in Medford, Massachusetts. It's near Tufts University. This historic place was started by Isaac Royall, a rich merchant from the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It's important because it shows us what life was like for enslaved people in Massachusetts.
The house is a National Historic Landmark. This means it's a very important historical site. Today, it's a museum that you can visit. It's usually open from June 1st until the end of October.
The Royall House is special because it's so well-preserved. It also has the only remaining slave quarters in Massachusetts. It played a part in the American Revolution, with famous people like General John Stark and General George Washington connected to it. You can see a tea box there that might be from the same tea dumped into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party! The Royall family owned more enslaved people than any other family in Massachusetts history.
Contents
How the House Began
In 1631, Governor John Winthrop received the land where the house now stands. But he probably didn't build a house there. The oldest part of the mansion was built around 1692. It was a strong brick building, two and a half stories tall. Its walls were very thick.
On December 26, 1732, Isaac Royall Sr. bought the house and a large amount of land. He was a wealthy merchant from Antigua. Between 1733 and 1737, he made big changes to the house. He added a third story and decorated the outside. Royall also built other buildings in 1732. This included the only known separate slave quarters still standing in New England. After building these, Royall brought 27 enslaved Africans from Antigua. This doubled the number of enslaved people in the area.
Later Changes and the Revolution
Isaac Royall Jr.'s Additions
Isaac Royall Jr. (1719–1781) took over the property in 1739 after his father passed away. He made the house much bigger between 1747 and 1750. He added more depth to the main building. He also built large chimneys at each end of the house. The inside of the house was redone with beautiful wooden panels and decorations. Many of these rooms are still original today. He turned a simple farmhouse into a grand, three-story mansion. It was one of the most impressive houses of its time in North America.
Art and Family
Paintings of Isaac Royall Jr.'s teenage daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, were made by John Singleton Copley around 1758. A copy of this painting hangs in the Royall House. Copley also painted their father's portrait. An earlier family painting from 1740 is at the Harvard Law School Library.
The Revolution's Impact
During the American Revolution, the Royall family were Loyalists. This means they supported the British king. After fighting started in 1775, the Royalls left Medford. They sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and then to England. Isaac Royall never came back to Medford.
After the Royalls left, the government took over their estate. General John Stark used the Royall House as his headquarters. This was before the British left Boston in March 1776. Other generals, like Lee and Sullivan, also used the mansion. Legend says that George Washington questioned two British soldiers in one of the house's rooms. There's also a story that Molly Stark watched British troops from the roof. But there's no proof of this.
In 1806, the estate was given back to Isaac Royall's family. They sold it. Isaac Royall's will said that part of his money should go to Harvard University. This money helped start Harvard Law School.
The Slave Quarters
The Slave Quarters were located about 35 feet from the main Royall House. More than 60 enslaved Africans lived there over 40 years.
When Isaac Royall Sr. made the house bigger in the 1730s, he built an "out kitchen." This was a separate kitchen. It was meant to keep the main house cooler in the summer. In the 1760s, they added an extension to this building. This part became the original slave quarters.
The Slave Quarters had areas for working and sleeping. It also had a summer kitchen. Today, when you tour the Royall House, you can see a "kitchen chamber." This was a room on the second floor where enslaved people worked and slept.
One enslaved woman from the Royall House was named Belinda Sutton. She is famous for asking the court for money from the Royall family's estate. This is seen as one of the first times someone asked for "reparations" in the United States. Reparations mean making up for past wrongs.
Saving the House
In 1898, a group called the Sarah Bradlee Fulton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution wanted to save the Royall House. They wanted to keep it because of its history and beauty. Joseph Everett Chandler helped restore it. On Patriots' Day in 1898, they opened the house to the public. They showed old furniture and historical items.
In 1906, these women formed a bigger group called the Royall House Association. Their first goal was to raise $10,000 to buy the house, the slave quarters, and some land around it. They wanted to turn it into a museum. They reached their goal by April 1908.
Over the years, the Royall House has been restored many times. In 1960, it was named a National Historic Landmark.
In 2023, Harvard Law School and the Royall House and Slave Quarters started working together. Harvard Law School is providing money to the house. This is one way the school is honoring the work of enslaved people. Their work helped create Harvard University.
See also
