[2] The house was built in 1770 and was originally surrounded by fields and pasture overlooking Quincy Bay.

During the American Revolution, Quincy aided General George Washington by observing the British fleet in Boston Harbor from his attic windows.

He scratched on a pane of glass in the attic, "October 10, 1775 Governor Gage saild for England with a fair wind."

In 1937, Edward R. Hall arranged for the Josiah Quincy House to become the property of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997 for its architectural significance and for its association with the Quincy family.