HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

This week I’m pleased to be able to share a recent talk from the Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury about recent archaeological discoveries at Shirley Place that help shed light on the lives of enslaved residents at the 18th century governor’s residence, as well as evidence of the home’s original location before it was moved into its current position in the 19th century. The presenter is past podcast guest Joe Bagley, the archaeologist for the city of Boston, who has led a series of digs at the Shirley house and at the house’s original location across Shirley street. This work is important because written records have only revealed the identity of one of the Africans who were enslaved at the house by Royal Governor William Shirley. In the talk, Bagley explains how discoveries of animal bones, forgotten paving stones, and a cowrie shell connect the dots to the enslaved lives that history otherwise overlooks. He also shares stone flakes and pottery shards that remind us that the history of Shirley Place long predates William Shirley, encompassing the Massachusett people who first called it home.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/297/

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Recent Archaeological Discoveries at Shirley Place

• See a composite 3D rendering of 42-44 Shirley Street showing the test trenches Bagley describes in the talk.
• A 2021 Boston Landmarks Commission report includes pictures and diagrams illustrating how Shirley Place and 42-44 Shirley Street appear today and in the past, replacing some of the slides Bagley refers to in the talk.
• A view of Shirley Place in relation to downtown Boston in the 1770s
• An overview of 42-44 Shirley Street on the Boston Archaeology web page.

Shirley Place in its original location Shirley Place after it was relocated in the 1860s