Harrison Gray Otis House rear service wing and garden

The Harrison Gray Otis House on Cambridge Street, designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1796, preserves a rear service wing, back staircases, and a private garden that reflect Federal-era household circulation. The house museum's tours explicitly interpret these less-visible domestic spaces and how household staff and deliveries were managed in the early Republic. The enclosed garden and service areas are accessed only as part of guided visits, offering a behind-the-scenes view of early Boston domestic life. The building is managed as a historic house by a preservation organization and maintains archival furnishings and records.