The Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House

The Nathaniel Winsor, Jr. House, the Duxbury Rural Historical Society Headquarters, is open year round during business hours (Monday-Friday). The first floor is open to the public, free of charge, and is self-touring. The first floor is handicap accessible. Please note: We are a small staff, and we encourage you to call before visiting, to ensure someone is in the office.

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. DRHS properties Nathaniel Winsor Jr. House and the Drew Archival Library are open year-round for regular business. Face coverings are required for all unvaccinated staff and visitors; masks are still preferred for the general public. Occupancy limits are limited.