Greek Revival in style and built by shipwrights in 1834 for whaling merchant William Rotch Jr., the Rotch-Jones-Duff (RJD) House and Garden Museum epitomizes the “brave houses and flowery gardens” described by Herman Melville in Moby-Dick. The property encompasses a full city block of gardens, which includes a boxwood parterre rose garden, a boxwood specimen garden, a woodland garden, and a cutting garden. It is the only whaling mansion open to the public in New England that retains its original configuration of grounds and outbuildings. Capacity: 200 in the Garden (with some extra rentals on the client’s end) and 50 inside the Museum with rows/standing room, or 40 with tables. The RJD House offers a unique space for special events like weddings, photo shoots, corporate meetings, and private cocktail parties. Other offerings include tea parties, including a traditional tea setting with tea, tea sandwiches, and desserts.
