Wander into the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society’s headquarters to enjoy our 2025 exhibit, Portraits of Duxbury: The Art of Cephas and Cephas G. Thompson, 1826-1833 . We are beautifully situated on Washington Street with a back-porch view of the bay. Come in, enjoy the artwork, and relax a moment on our newly renovated and furnished porch. This summer, visitors are also welcome to enjoy the newly installed Harborwalk, on the south side of the property, which provides pedestrian access between the town pier and Washington Street.
The Nathaniel Winsor Jr. house is open to the public, free of charge, Monday-Friday. We are a small staff and occasionally step out for other business; we encourage you to call ahead at 781-934-6106.
Acquired by the Society in 1997 through a community fundraising effort, the Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House is perhaps the most architecturally significant building in Duxbury. Its construction, on a grand scale uncommon in houses of the area, was based on designs by Bulfinch and Asher Benjamin.
Nathaniel Winsor, Jr., a carver of figureheads by trade, inherited a thriving mercantile enterprise from his father. The Winsor family built at least 40 sailing vessels in Duxbury including several large brigs which traded in ports around the world. When the age of sail passed, the Winsors moved to Boston, began to acquire steamships, and ran one of the first regular clippership lines from Boston to San Francisco.
As the Society’s headquarters, the building houses our administrative offices and is used for educational programs, special events and meetings.
