King Caesar House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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King Caesar House
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 Location in Massachusetts
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| Location | Duxbury, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1809 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000477 |
| Added to NRHP | March 29, 1978 |
The King Caesar House is a historic home located in Duxbury, Massachusetts. It was built a long time ago, in 1809. Today, it is a museum managed by the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society. This special house helps us learn about the important history of shipbuilding in Duxbury.
The house is built in the Federal style, which was popular in the early 1800s. It was made for Ezra Weston II (1772–1842) and his wife, Jerusha Bradford Weston. Ezra Weston II was known as "King Caesar" because he was very successful in building ships and trading goods. In the 1830s and 1840s, his company, E. Weston & Sons, was the biggest trading business on the South Shore of Massachusetts. A famous U.S. Senator, Daniel Webster, even said that Ezra Weston II was probably the biggest ship owner in the whole United States!
Contents
A Family of Shipbuilders
The First King Caesar
The Weston family's shipbuilding business started with Ezra Weston I (1743–1822). He began building smaller ships like sloops and schooners in Duxbury in 1764. Ezra I was also called "King Caesar" because he was very bold and had a lot of power in local politics. After he passed away, his son, Ezra II, took over the nickname and the business.
Ezra Weston II: Expanding the Business
Ezra Weston II made the family business much bigger. He built many large sailing ships and made the Weston name famous all over the world. The company was most successful in the 1820s and 1830s, when Ezra Weston II was in charge.
The ships built by the Weston company came in many sizes. They built small schooners, but also huge ships like the Hope. Launched in 1841, the Hope weighed 880 tons. It was the largest ship ever built in Duxbury and the biggest merchant ship launched in Massachusetts at that time. While some ships were for fishing or coastal trade, most of Ezra II's ships were large brigs and ships that traveled to faraway countries. Over three generations, the Weston family built or bought more than 110 sailing ships.
Running the Empire from Home
From the King Caesar House, Ezra Weston II managed his huge fleet of ships. He also oversaw a ten-acre shipyard, a farm, a rope-making factory, a sailcloth mill, and many workers. After Ezra Weston II died in 1842, his three sons took over the business. They continued to run it until 1857. However, the company's success declined after their father's death. It seems his sons did not have the same business skills as "King Caesar."
The King Caesar House then went to Ezra II's second son, Alden Bradford Weston (1805–1880). After the family business closed, Alden's brothers quickly spent the family's money. Alden, however, lived a simple life in the King Caesar House. He married late and did not have any children. He died alone in the house in 1880. The house then passed to King Caesar's grandchildren, but most of them lived in Boston and did not want to keep the large Duxbury mansion.
New Chapters for the House
A School for Boys
In 1886, Frederick Bradford Knapp (1857–1932) bought the King Caesar House and its land. Knapp wanted to open a school for boys. He turned King Caesar's old barns into gymnasiums and classrooms. This school was called the Powder Point School for Boys. It quickly became very well-known. During this time, the King Caesar House was where the headmaster lived with his family. The Powder Point School for Boys was successful for almost 40 years. It later joined with Tabor Academy in the 1920s.
Restoration and a Museum
Frederick B. Knapp passed away in 1932. By then, the mansion was starting to show its age. His family sold it in 1937 to Dr. Hermon Carey Bumpus, Sr.. Dr. Bumpus was a former director of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He carefully restored the mansion, making it beautiful again.
In 1945, Miss Alice Moran, a lawyer from New York City, bought the King Caesar House. She lived there with an Austrian couple, Emil Weber and Elizabeth Weber-Fulop. Elizabeth Weber-Fulop was a respected painter, so the servants' area was turned into an art studio for her. After Emil and Elizabeth passed away in the mid-1960s, Miss Moran was alone. In 1966, she offered to sell the house to the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society.
The community worked together to raise money to buy and fix up the house. On June 25, 1967, the King Caesar House officially opened as a museum. It was dedicated to remembering Duxbury's busy shipbuilding days.
See also
