ArtsBoston is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the arts.
The Otis House Museum exemplifies the elegant life led by Boston’s governing class after the American Revolution. Harrison Gray Otis made a fortune developing nearby Beacon Hill, served as a Representative in Congress, and later was Mayor of Boston. He and his wife Sally were noted for their frequent and lavish entertaining.
This was the first of three houses designed for the Otises by their friend Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Massachusetts State House. Its design reflects the proportions and delicate detail of the Federal style, which Bulfinch introduced to Boston.
The interior provides insights into social, business and family life, as well as the role played by household servants. The restoration of the Otis House, with its brilliantly colored wallpapers and carpeting, and high-style furnishings, is based on meticulous historical and scientific research.
The Otis House also houses Historic New England’s headquarters, its Library and Archives, and a museum shop with books, reproductions, and gifts. Walking tours of Beacon Hill and other programs and events are held at the Otis House.
