The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
The People
Between 1859 and 1954, three generations of Gibson family members and dozens of servants lived and worked at 137 Beacon Street. In many ways, their experiences are typical of individuals of their particular gender and social class. And yet, their unique stories allow us to explore this period of Boston’s history through a distinctly personal lens.
Click below to learn more about who lived at 137 Beacon.
Welcome to the Gibson House Preservation Month Open House
There are a few important guidelines to keep in mind during your visit:
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Please DO NOT touch anything in the museum. Even a small brush against the wallpaper can cause damage, so we ask that you be mindful of where you are at all times and help us preserve our historic space. That being said, please DO use the handrails when navigating the stairs!
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Please DO ask questions! There are staff members throughout the museum who are happy to answer any questions you may have about the Gibson House Museum.
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Please DO take pictures, but please DO NOT use flash. (be sure to follow and tag us on instagram!)
To celebrate Preservation Month, we ask you:
"What's your favorite thing in the museum?"
In asking this question, we hope to highlight the objects in our collection that might often get overlooked. As you walk around the museum, keep an eye out for various answers to this question that we have gathered from museum staff, preservationists, and friends of the museum. And before you leave, be sure to share with us what your favorite thing in the museum is!
A Brief History of the Museum
Catherine Hammond Gibson and her nephew, Samuel Hammond Russell, purchased the plots at 135 and 137 Beacon Street on September 1, 1859. She paid $3,696, over $100,000 in today’s dollars.
To design the houses, Catherine and her nephew hired Boston architect Edward Clarke Cabot, who had become famous with his design for the Boston Athenaeum. Cabot would go on to design many Back Bay residences; these two at 135 and 137 Beacon were his first.
Three generations of the Gibson family lived in this home between 1860-1954: Catherine Hammond Gibson, her son Charles and his wife Rosamond, and their three children Mary Ethel, Charlie, and Rosamond. Towards the end of his life, Charlie Gibson began to turn his grandmother's home into a museum and it officially opened to the public in 1957, three years after his death.
135-137 Beacon (ca. 1942), photograph by Bainbridge Bunting, courtesy of the Boston Athenaeum
As you continue to make your way through the Gibson House Museum, select from the menu below to learn more about each room.
 Parlor |  Entry Way |  Dining |
|---|---|---|
 Kitchen |  Laundry |  Library |