The Stable Project

About the Property

The Shirley-Eustis House, known as “Shirley Place” while it was occupied by the Colonial Governor and his family, was a sprawling estate that included thirty-three acres of land and at least three buildings. One of the buildings on the estate was a grand stable, built to house Governor Shirley’s collection of fine horses. You can even see it just to the left of the house in the above engraving from 1776. In addition to the horses, the stable also housed the enslaved men who cared for them - these men held positions such as stableboys, grooms, and footmen.

In 2019, the Shirley-Eustis House Association discovered definitively that part of the stable and slave quarters still exists. It sits at what is now 42-44 Shirley Street and has been used as a private residence for over 150 years. Though its appearance has changed, the interior framing and some plaster work is original to the eighteenth century and are visible remnants of the world those stableboys and grooms knew.

Why Is It Important?

42-44 Shirley Street is more than just an old building. It is a site of remembrance for the enslaved people of Shirley Place. There were at least five that we can name, and probably more. In 2022 archaeologists uncovered a cowrie shell there, a tiny but important relic of left by the captive people whose lives were dedicated to upholding the comfort and status of the British Royal Governor’s household. That discovery is only one of many yet to be made at the stable. Our goal is to transform what remains of the old stable into an exhibit and program venue to explore the stories of the people enslaved at Shirley Place. Not just for themselves, but also for what they reveal about the origins of slavery and the slave trade in the British colonies. Not just for themselves, but for how they uncover the racial and social inequities inscribed in American history. Not just for themselves, but for all of us, the inheritors of an unfinished history.

By contributing to this effort, you are ensuring that the stories enslaved at Shirley Place, and throughout the British Empire, are brought to light. Their future depends on all of us. Please donate.

If you’d like to learn more or get involved with our planning efforts, reach out to Suzy Buchanan, Executive Director at director@shirleyeustishouse.org.