Painting of Hancock House

John Hancock House
Clement Drew (1806-1889)
Boston, 1859
Oil on board
Historic New England Purchase 

This painting depicts Hancock House, built in 1737, which stood atop Beacon Hill in Boston. John Hancock (1737-1793) inherited this stately mansion in 1764 from his uncle Thomas Hancock, a wealthy Boston merchant. Hancock House was a site of colonial resistance leading up to the American Revolution. Hancock celebrated the Stamp Act repeal in 1765 by holding a lavish party at his home. The Boston Gazette reported on “the grand and elegant Entertainment” offered by the host in honor of the Sons of Liberty. During the Siege of Boston, the British military took over this house and Generals Thomas Gage and Hugh Percy used it as their headquarters. After the war, Hancock returned to his mansion and enjoyed a successful political career, including two terms as governor of Massachusetts.