Founding Father John Hancock’s Boston Home Is on the Market for First Time in Half a Century—More Than 250 Years After It Was Built

A historic Boston property that predates the American Revolution and was once owned by Founding Father John Hancock has been made available for purchase for the first time in more than 50 years.

The iconic dwelling, which is known as the Ebenezer Hancock House in honor of John’s younger brother who used it while serving as the deputy paymaster of the Continental Army, is thought to have been built in 1767.

According to the listing, which is held by Dave Killen of LandVest, the building is the “last extant property associated with the founding father in Boston” and stands as a living time capsule, having been meticulously maintained by its current owners over the last five decades.

It is said that the dwelling—which has most recently been used as the office of a law firm—was where Ebenezer stored the 2 million silver crowns he was given by the French government before disbursing them to Continental Army troops.

While the property’s rich history already makes it a rare find, its one-of-a-kind status is further cemented by the fact that the structure is the only home from the Revolutionary period that is still standing in Boston.

“There’s nothing like the Ebenezer Hancock House that I’ve seen in terms of the level of authentic carpentry that goes all the way back to its original construction,” Killen told the New York Post, adding that the dwelling is the “best surviving example of later Georgian interior architecture in the city.”

An asking price for the property has not been released, but the structure was most recently valued at $1.65 million by city officials. Given its historical significance, the building could well sell for much more.

There is also ample opportunity to be found in the building; while it has been used as a commercial property for many years, having served as a bookstore before it was taken over by Swartz & Swartz law firm, it falls under mixed-use zoning, meaning that a buyer could use it as a residence, provided they get approval from the city.

For those who are eyeing it as a commercial space, the property’s location will no doubt be of particular appeal.

The structure sits on the Freedom Trail—one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city and routinely swarmed by tourists—and is located just a few steps from other local hot spots, like Faneuil Hall, City Hall, and the Haymarket.

Its red brick exterior extends into the home, where several brick walls can be found as well as stunning wooden beams that run across the ceilings in multiple rooms.

The property, which spans three stories in total and boasts 5,748 square feet of space, is currently home to 12 private offices, although those rooms could well be used for another purpose should a buyer desire.

Though the home was owned by John, who is perhaps best remembered for his outlandishly large signature on the Declaration of Independence, it is not known whether he ever lived there.

According to the Boston Preservation Alliance, John built the home after inheriting the lot on which it still stands in 1763 from his uncle, Thomas, who also bequeathed him a much grander dwelling at the top of Beacon Hill, one of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods.

“Over the next few years, John Hancock bought up the surrounding lots, and in 1767, he built the house that we now call the Ebenezer Hancock House,” the Alliance’s website states.

“A historic marker that once hung on the home’s facade claimed that it was the oldest brick structure in Boston, having belonged to the original town crier, William Courser, as early as 1660, but more recent research has confirmed that the current structure was not completed until 1767 … which still makes it one of the 35 oldest buildings in the city.”

Described by the New England Historical Society as “John’s hapless brother,” Ebenezer never achieved the same historic status as his sibling. He did receive plenty of guidance from John, who is said to have been the driving force behind Ebenezer’s decision to travel to Boston and take up the role as deputy paymaster.

In 1785, John sold the property to a Boston merchant, according to a 1977 report by the Boston Landmarks Commission, which noted that it then passed to a shoe dealer called Benjamin Fuller, who used it as his storefront for many years.

“[Fuller was] the first of a series of shoe merchants who occupied the store uninterruptedly until 1963, the report notes. “The remainder of the first floor (and perhaps all or part of the upper floors) served as a restaurant and tavern during much of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

“The upper floors have also served as a boardinghouse, officers’ club, and privately operated museum.”

Swartz & Swartz purchased the property in the mid-1970s after it had sat vacant for many years, and the law firm has been integral in ensuring that the residence retains its historic value.