The DRHS & Legacy
The Duxbury Rural & Historical Society’s collections also include a number of lands and historic house parcels that are intricately connected to Duxbury’s Pilgrim history and its legacy. All of the properties below are owned by the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society.
King Caesar House
The King Caesar House (120 King Caesar Road) was built in 1809 on land once owned by Ezra Weston’s ancestor, George Soule. Westo
n was also a descendant of Mayflower passengers John & Priscilla (Mullins) Alden; Elder William Brewster and his son, Love; and of Fortune passenger, Philip de la Noye (Delano). Ezra’s wife, Jerusha Bradford, was descended of Gov. William Bradford; John & Priscilla (Mullins) Alden; and both Elder William Brewster and his son, Love. Today, the property is a historic house museum run by the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society and there is a plaque in the gardens dedicated to the Soule family.
Bradford House
The Bradford House Museum (931 Tremont Street) was built by Capt. Gershom and Sarah (Sally) Hickling Bradford in 1808. Gershom and his four daughters were direct descendants of Mayflower passengers Gov. William Bradford; John & Priscilla (Mullins) Alden; and both Elder William Brewster and his son, Love.
Allen Property
The Allen Property on Crescent Street in Duxbury was once part of Capt. Myles and Barbara Standish’s farm, in the Nook area of Duxbury.
Clark’s Island (Cedarfield)
The DRHS property, Cedarfield, is located on Clark’s Island in Duxbury Bay. Clark’s Island was named for the first mate of the Mayflower, who is purported to be the first to step on the island in 1620 when the island was an early stop by the advance shallop of the Mayflower. The DRHS property at Clark’s Island includes Pulpit (or Election Rock), a historical landmark linked with the Mayflower voyage.
Reynolds-Maxwell Garden (Blue Fish River)
The Reynolds-Maxwell Garden is located adjacent to the Blue Fish River bridge and has always been a crossroads of sorts. During Duxbury’s early colonial days, the Alden and Delano farms were just to the west, and the Soule property on Power Point, to the east.
Nathaniel Winsor Jr. House
The Nathaniel Winsor Jr. House (479 Washington Street) is today the headquarters of the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society and is nestled at the heart of the Shipbuilder’s District in Snug Harbor. Built in 1807, Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. was a direct descendant of George Soule, Henry Samson, Myles Standish and John & Priscilla (Mullins) Alden as well as Fortune passengers, Philip de la Noye (Delano) and Moses Simmons. Nathaniel’s wife, Hannah (Loring) Winsor, was a descendant of John and Priscilla (Mullins) Alden.
Second Meeting House Lot
This parcel is located in conjunction to the Burying Ground on Chestnut Street and is owned by the DRHS. The First Meeting House (which was built around 1637 and stood within the present bounds of the Chestnut Street cemetery) was replaced by a Second Meeting House just to the east of the cemetery around 1706. This building was the center of Duxbury affairs, both religious and secular, for nearly 80 years until it was, in turn, replaced by a Third Meeting House built in 1785 on Tremont Street. The Second Meeting House was taken down on June 7, 1785.
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Digging Duxbury
The quest for archaeological evidence of the Pilgrim past began with an 1833 dig, one of the earliest in U.S. history.
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Coming to a Pilgrim Town
Duxbury’s Pilgrim history, combined with the town’s natural beauty, initiated a tourist boom.
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
Collecting in a Pilgrim Town
The tourism boom brought another enterprise, the creation and sale of Pilgrim-themed souvenirs.
Lasting Legacy
Duxbury's Lasting Legacy
Duxbury never forgot its Pilgrim origins. How could it? The names continue to generate interest today.
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