Duxbury, MA
Duxbury was settled in the 1630s by families moving north from Plymouth and was incorporated in 1637, making it one of the earliest towns established from Plymouth Colony. Among its first residents were prominent Mayflower passengers and colonists, including Myles Standish, John Alden and William Brewster. With its location along Duxbury Bay, the town later developed into an important shipbuilding and maritime center.
During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Duxbury became known for building large merchant vessels, connecting this small Massachusetts community with ports around the world. Although the shipbuilding era eventually faded, much of the town's early character survived. Today, its historic homes, ancient burial grounds and coastal landscape preserve nearly four centuries of history, from the generation that came aboard the Mayflower to the maritime families who helped shape the town that followed.
Recent Posts
The Myles Standish Homestead
On our camping trip to Plymouth, we wanted to explore more of the Pilgrim story beyond the places we had visited in Plymouth itself. That brought us to nearby Duxbury and the homestead of Captain Myles Standish. Standish is closely associated with the founding of Duxbury, and this was the community where he established his […]
The Gravesite of Myles Standish
After visiting the site of Myles Standish’s homestead, we continued following his story in Duxbury to the place where he was laid to rest. Standish died here on October 3, 1656, more than three decades after arriving aboard the Mayflower and after spending much of his later life helping establish the community of Duxbury. There […]
The Old Burying Ground
The Old Burying Ground is a quiet piece of land with a remarkable connection to the earliest years of Plymouth Colony. Established around 1632, it served as the first burial ground for the settlers who moved away from Plymouth and established the community that became Duxbury. The cemetery dates from the period when families were […]
The Alden House
The story of Duxbury is closely connected to the Mayflower families who moved beyond the original settlement at Plymouth, and few are better known than John Alden and Priscilla Mullins. Both arrived aboard the Mayflower in 1620, survived the difficult beginnings of Plymouth Colony, married, and eventually established their family on this land in Duxbury. […]
Finding John and Priscilla Alden’s Original Home
Not far from the surviving Alden House is a much less obvious but perhaps even more intriguing piece of the family’s history. An open grassy area marks the archaeological remains of the earlier house where John and Priscilla Alden lived. A stone marker identifies it simply: “Site of John Alden House — Built 1627”. The […]
Inside the Alden House
Stepping inside the Alden House gives us a different perspective on the generations of the Alden family who lived on this property. The house was not frozen in a single moment in time. Its rooms, furnishings and possessions changed as one generation followed another, and these two photographs capture that progression particularly well. In the […]
Remembering John and Priscilla Alden
After finding the land where John and Priscilla Alden established their home in Duxbury, there was another place where their story could be followed: the Old Burying Ground, where they are believed to have been buried. John Alden died in 1687, more than sixty years after arriving aboard the Mayflower. Priscilla’s exact date of death […]
