King Caesar House
King Caesar House
5
About
This Federal mansion was built in 1809 for Ezra Weston II, known as "King Caesar" for his worldwide preeminence as a shipbuilder and merchant. Weston's enterprise dominated Duxbury in the early 19th century with a large portion of the population employed in the Weston shipyards, farms, wharves, mill, ropewalk, or aboard Weston's fishing schooners and merchant fleet. Ezra Weston's ship "Hope," built in 1841, was then New England's largest vessel. Purchased by the Society in 1965, the house is presented for tours as it appeared in the 1820s. The house is noted for its rare French scenic wallpapers, portraits of sea captains, and 19th century furnishings.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience King Caesar House and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
33 within 5 kms
Attractions
47 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
5.0
10 reviews
Excellent
10
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Diane S
Barnstable, MA67 contributions
Jul 2024 • Solo
Claire gave a wonderful tour of this fantastic house and gave interesting insight into the paintings, panels, and history of the inhabitants. I am so glad I went and recommend the tour. The rooms are beautiful and the views out to sea are fantastic!
Written July 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SThanas
Duxbury, MA22 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
The King Caesar House offers a rare view of shipbuilding during the 1820's-1840's. Ezra Weston II, the second "King Caesar," built this home in 1809. This house was where he and his family lived across from the wharf where nearly all his ships were fitted out.
I especially love the wallpaper in both downstairs parlors and the recreation of the Counting House as it was when Weston was the "king" of shipbuilders in New England, having two counting houses, one across from his home and one at Long Wharf in Boston.
I especially love the wallpaper in both downstairs parlors and the recreation of the Counting House as it was when Weston was the "king" of shipbuilders in New England, having two counting houses, one across from his home and one at Long Wharf in Boston.
Written July 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for this review. Duxbury is an amazing town and we are proud to share it with you.
Written August 20, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Rhea B
Boston26 contributions
Feb 2016
We had a private tour by the town historian and it was wonderful. We learned a lot because she was able to put everything into context. Duxbury has beautiful old properties.
Written February 28, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ben_Theretoo406
Chevy Chase, MD3,113 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
Ben and Mrs Too have once again been educated and astounded because of our system for finding little pockets of excellence in our young but proud heritage. Having worked out the basic route for a road trip, we look for little “burgs” along the way, then check Wikipedia, TripAdvisor, and other sources offering little known persons, events, or scenic wonders to investigate.
Little known Duxbury, Massachusetts was once home to one Ezra Weston, who began building small sailing vessels in 1743. As his success progressed, he became a de facto predecessor of vertical integration. He and his son Ezra II ventured into fishing, sailcloth making, larger shipbuilding, farming, and even built their own ropewalk. Such was their industry that the father, Ezra I became known as King Caesar, a pseudonym later applied to the son as well. The shipbuilding grew to the point at which Lloyd’s named him the largest shipowner in America, and his vessels sailed the world, trading and carrying both exports and imports.
Today’s King Caesar house was built in 1809 for the son, and has seen both a spectacular rise and heartbreaking fall in the family fortunes. The exterior shows a prime example of fortuitous siting and planting. The interior is as near as possible to its nineteenth century glory, and still features moldings, wall coverings and furnishings no doubt carried hence by his various captains.
Walk the grounds, and tour the grand home. If such is your wont, digging around to learn as much as possible about this extraordinary pair will fill your leisure time for weeks, if not months.
We are so glad we found this gem.
Little known Duxbury, Massachusetts was once home to one Ezra Weston, who began building small sailing vessels in 1743. As his success progressed, he became a de facto predecessor of vertical integration. He and his son Ezra II ventured into fishing, sailcloth making, larger shipbuilding, farming, and even built their own ropewalk. Such was their industry that the father, Ezra I became known as King Caesar, a pseudonym later applied to the son as well. The shipbuilding grew to the point at which Lloyd’s named him the largest shipowner in America, and his vessels sailed the world, trading and carrying both exports and imports.
Today’s King Caesar house was built in 1809 for the son, and has seen both a spectacular rise and heartbreaking fall in the family fortunes. The exterior shows a prime example of fortuitous siting and planting. The interior is as near as possible to its nineteenth century glory, and still features moldings, wall coverings and furnishings no doubt carried hence by his various captains.
Walk the grounds, and tour the grand home. If such is your wont, digging around to learn as much as possible about this extraordinary pair will fill your leisure time for weeks, if not months.
We are so glad we found this gem.
Written August 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for visiting the King Caesar House, and for this wonderful review! We are so glad to have met you.
Written August 20, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
SeverusAlexander
Hopkinton, MA557 contributions
Aug 2018 • Couples
My wife and I visited the King Caesar House and were impressed with not only the house, its beautiful location, and also the helpful knowledgeable staff who gave the tour. Being a life long native of the area I learned additional history of the area on the tour and the importance of the family in history. I highly recommend the tour to all.
Written August 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad to have met you. Thank you for your interest in the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society and for this lovely review.
Written August 20, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nikko4Me
Milford, MA5,936 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
This federal mansion has lovely gardens and great water views. Our guide gave a great insight into the family that lived there as well as the history of the home. The various wallpapers and furnishings are beautiful.
Written July 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are glad to have you! Thank you for this review and for your interest in the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society.
Written August 20, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
William D
Duxbury, MA14 contributions
Sept 2016 • Friends
Whenever family or friends visit Duxbury, this special home is always on the list of things to see. Christmas Time tours are a must. You can't visit Duxbury without a tour of one of our most historical homes!
Written October 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChelmsfordK
Chelmsford, MA65 contributions
Jun 2015 • Friends
This historica house, and the knowledge of its docents, is not to be missed! Duxbury is not a touristy town, which is part of its charm. If you have the opportunity to visit someone in town or otherwise stop by, this is a must-see historic site. The house and its history are pretty amazing. Who knew that sleep Duxbury was once an East-coast center of industry. You get an opportunity to see not only how beautifully some people lived a few hundred years ago, but you get a good idea of how a boom and bust cycle can affect even the most affluent. This house, in and of itself, is exquisite with hostoric wallpaper alone worth the visit. But take it all in, including the former wharf, Bumpus Park, and a drive through lovely Powder Point across the Powder Point Bridge (so named for Ezea Weston's gunstocks). Please consider donating a little extra to the Duxbury Rural and Historical Society to keep this treasure open and maintained.
Written June 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marciaw
Duxbury, MA30 contributions
Dec 2012 • Solo
Visiting the King Caesar House gives you such insight into how people lived in the mid 1800's.
Of course, this was a wealthy shipbuilder's home, not typical of how everyone lived. There are wonderful artifacts from ships including paintings of some of those built right there.
The docents are very knowledgeable and can answer any questions you may have. I highly recommend visiting during the holidays to see it decorated for Christmas.
Of course, this was a wealthy shipbuilder's home, not typical of how everyone lived. There are wonderful artifacts from ships including paintings of some of those built right there.
The docents are very knowledgeable and can answer any questions you may have. I highly recommend visiting during the holidays to see it decorated for Christmas.
Written November 25, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lucyjames410
Duxbury, MA13 contributions
Jun 2012
The King Caesar House is magical. I recommend it to anyone who is a history buff or new to the Town of Duxbury. The folks who work there are so pleasant and knowledgeable. We had a great time and look forward to visiting again this fall.
Written September 9, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing