THE ISAAC ROYALL HOUSE
The original portion of the Royall House appears to have been a
farmhouse constructed in 1637 by Governor Winthrop as part of his
"Ten Hills Farm". New Hampshire Lt. Governor John Usher enlarged the
house and lived in it from 1692 until 1726. Colonel Isaac Royall, Sr., a
wealthy merchant, purchased the property in 1732 and commissioned the
rebuilding of the residence. He lived here from 1737 until his death in 1739.
From 1739 until 1775, Isaac Royall, Jr. resided here in a lavish
manner. Despite apparent sympathy towards the patriot's cause, Royall
fled to England after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. He
never returned.
General John Stark Headquartered here before the British evacuation
in 1776. Generals Washington, Lee, and Sullivan visited the mansion.
Washington's aide, Colonel Cary, resided in the mansion from 1782 to 1784.
In 1806 the estate was returned to the heirs of Isaac Royall who
subsequently sold it. A portion of the money was used in the founding
of Harvard Law School. The ownership changed several times until
finally, in 1908, the Sarah Bradlee Fulton Chapter of the D.A.R. assisted
in raising funds for its purchase by the Royall House Association, which
continues to maintain the property.
THE SLAVE QUARTERS
The small building was constructed in 1732 by Colonel Isaac Royall, Sr.
as housing for the twenty-seven black men and women he brought from
Antigua. Several of the former Royall slaves became prominent
members of the Medford community. This building is the only surviving
slave quarters in the northern United States.
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