Nichols House Museum opens staff quarters and showcases sisters' woodwork
The historic Boston home adds two new tours in November, one revealing the labor of domestic employees and another displaying early 20th-century furniture built by Rose and Margaret Nichols.
By Nia Foster ·
The Nichols House Museum at 55 Mount Vernon Street is expanding its November offerings to include tours that focus on the people who lived and worked in the home. The museum, a preserved 1804 residence, will host two special programs this month. These events shift the focus from the famous resident family to the domestic staff and the specific crafts practiced by the Nichols sisters.
The first special tour, titled 'Honest, Neat & Capable: Staff Stories from 55 Mount Vernon Street,' takes place on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10:30 a.m. This program provides a view of the house from the perspective of the employees who maintained it. The route includes areas of the building that are not typically open to the public, allowing visitors to see the spaces where the domestic staff performed their daily labor.
A second special tour, 'Those Crafty Nichols Sisters,' is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, with sessions at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon. This tour highlights objects created by Rose and Margaret Nichols in the early 1900s. At that time, woodworking was an unusual profession for women. Margaret built and sold her own handcrafted furniture. Rose worked as a woodcarver and embroiderer, creating designs for the family home.
Both of these tours are part of the Handwork 2026 initiative. The museum will also host its annual bellringing celebration on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free, family-friendly event features members of the Back Bay Ringers. Visitors can watch, hear, and play handbells with the group.
Local mystery author Frances McNamara will be present at the Nov. 21 event to sign copies of her Nutshell Murder Mystery series. The books are set on Beacon Hill in the 1920s. Her latest title features Margaret Nichols, later known as Margaret Shurcliff, and includes handbell ringing. The museum will also debut new bellringing ornaments in its shop during this event.
The Nichols House is open for general guided tours Wednesday through Sunday. The museum preserves the home of a family of artists and activists. Rose Standish Nichols, a pioneering landscape architect, preserved the house as a museum. The interior is furnished with an original collection. This includes works by sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, as well as the furniture and textiles handcrafted by Rose and Margaret.
Regular tour times vary by day of the week. Visitors can check the museum's website for specific ticket information and registration details. The address for the museum is 55 Mount Vernon Street on Beacon Hill.
