Royall House Awarded Massachusetts History Commendation

The Royall House and Slave Quarters received the 2013 Massachusetts History Commendation at Mass Humanities’ annual Mass History Conference in June. This award recognizes groups or individuals who do outstanding work to make history more relevant and meaningful to the people of Massachusetts.

“We are honored to receive this public recognition from Mass Humanities,” said Royall House and Slave Quarters co-president Penny Outlaw. “This commendation provides great incentive for us to continue our work to educate young people and the general public about the enslaved people who helped build Massachusetts and our nation.”

In the eighteenth century, the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford was home to the largest slaveholding family in Massachusetts and the enslaved Africans who made their lavish way of life possible. Today, the Royall House and Slave Quarters is a museum whose architecture, household items, archaeological artifacts, and programs bear witness to intertwined stories of wealth and bondage, set against the backdrop of America’s quest for independence. The Slave Quarters is believed to be the only remaining such structure in the northern United States, and the Royall House is among the finest colonial-era mansions in New England.

Explaining why the organization was chosen for recognition, Pleun Bouricius, assistant director of Mass Humanities, said, “During the past decade, the Royall House and Slave Quarters has acted upon the recognition that its concrete and physical connection to the local history of enslavement of African-Americans needed to be brought to the fore. The organization committed itself to historical honesty, wrote grant proposals and researched its history, collaborated on extensive archaeology work, and created and implemented a plan to adjust its identity as a historic site. With the help of dedicated volunteers, the Royall House and Slave Quarter is emerging as a leader in its field in Massachusetts, and an example to other organizations with small purses and large plans.” Past recipients of the Commendation include State Representative Byron Rushing and the Historical Journal of Massachusetts.

The award further strengthens the relationship between the Royall House and Slave Quarters and Mass Humanities. Over the past several years, Mass Humanities has awarded several grants to the museum to support its work. These have included funding to develop on-site school programs, research into the correspondence of the Royall family, and the launch of a new website to better tell the museum’s story.

– Information and photo from Tom Lincoln, Royall House and Slave Quarters Director