During the Revolutionary period, the house passed out of the hands of the Quincy family. It has been recently restored by the Colonial Dames of Massachusetts, who have brought back as far as possible its old-time dignity. In the restoration, great care has been taken with the furnishing. The central hall is entered through the colonial porch. It is long and wide, wainscotted and showing above this an odd, colonial paper, representing an English hunting scene. The baluster and newel-post are hand carved and fine examples of the early work of that period.
Plate LXXXVIII.—Dining Room, Quincy Mansion, showing the old Chinese Wallpaper.
At the right of the hall is the dining-room, hung with a quaint Chinese paper. This room shows high wainscot, wooden shutters, and the original beams cased in. The furniture is all of that period, including simple Dutch chairs, about 1770, with rush bottoms. The sideboard, too, is of the seventeenth century, and on this is a knife box of the latter quarter of this century. The corner buffet is about 1740, and unlike the majority of these cupboards, is movable, instead of being fastened to the walls. The table is a beautiful old Empire piece and a china closet at one side containing several rare pieces, shows the shell pattern at the top. The fireplace is tiled in blue and white Delft, dating back to about 1750.
Plate LXXXIX.—Kitchen, Quincy Mansion; Parlor, Quincy Mansion.
On the opposite side of the house is the parlor, which still shows the old wall-paper intended to grace the wedding of John Hancock to Dorothy Quincy. Here are Venuses and Cupids in vivid blue, with garlands of red flowers, all as fresh as when first hung. The panel front of the chimney-piece was recently removed, and the original fireplace, fifteen feet wide, discovered. The back of this chimney is curiously bricked in herring-bone pattern. Many interesting relics are kept in one of the cupboards. There is a parasol which once belonged to Mrs. Hancock, a shoe of a little son who died in childhood, a pipe filler which belonged to John Hancock, Edmund Quincy third's baptismal robe and cap, and a piece of the dress worn by Abigail Adams when she was presented at the Court of St. James. On the wall hangs her portrait showing the same gown.