City Of Boston: Designation Of Shirley-Eustis Place As Boston Landmark Celebrated

Press release from the City of Boston:

August 20, 2021

With its well-known historical significance comes a hidden history that is often untold, unrecorded, and unrecognized. Ongoing research suggests that when Governor Shirley and Governor Eustis’ owned the property, the house and lands were maintained by enslaved persons of African descent. It further suggests that enslaved people may have occupied portions of 42–44 Shirley Street, which was then an outbuilding, likely a barn. 

Mayor Kim Janey joined residents, local leaders, and members of the Boston Landmark Commission for the official sign off of "Historical Landmark" status for the Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury.

Mayor Janey’s support for the designation of the Shirley-Eustis grounds as a historic landmark in Roxbury expands the City’s history that is often centered in Downtown Boston. The milestone comes after more than a year of combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, and a national reckoning with acts of violence against Black and other communities of color.

This press release was produced by the City of Boston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.