William Hickling Prescott House
4.3 (16)museum
4.3 (16)
Overlooking Boston Common, this Federal townhouse pairs literary history with an extensive period costume collection.
Description
Commissioned in 1808 and designed by architect Asher Benjamin on land purchased from painter John Singleton Copley, the property gained its literary footprint under William Hickling Prescott. Prescott added a rear wing with an expansive second-floor library and a third-floor study where he wrote "History of the Conquest of Peru" and "Philip II." A later renovation replaced the original spiral stairs with a Colonial Revival staircase. Now owned by the Massachusetts Colonial Dames, the landmark keeps selections from its historic wardrobe on continuous display, showing dresses, fans, shoes, parasols, and children's clothing dating from the 18th through the 20th centuries.
