The Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum

The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum encompasses 150 years of New Bedford's history. The property symbolizes New Bedford at its height of prosperity, when wealth was derived from maritime and commercial activities, related to whaling. This property is especially remarkable because it has survived with its original house, gardens and grounds intact. Designed in the Greek Revival style by Richard Upjohn, the building is considered to be one of the finest examples of its type in New England. Upjohn was one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects, with commissions that included Kingscote in Newport, Rhode Island, and Trinity Church in New York City. As a Quaker, William Rotch, Jr. preferred fine workmanship, simple design, and quality without a display of wealth. These preferences are expressed in the use of fine mahogany and cherry for the doors on the first floor, silver-plated door fittings, and deep ceiling moldings in the hallway. The parquet flooring, laid over the original random-width Colonial style flooring, was a Duff family alteration. Ceiling heights for the first floor are eleven-and-a-half feet while the second-floor measures ten-and-a-half feet. The house encompasses approximately 12,480 square feet and contains a total of 42 rooms, counting all the halls and bathrooms.

Three families have occupied the mansion: the Rotches (1834 to 1850), the Joneses (1851 to 1935), and the Duffs (1935 to 1981). Each is represented throughout the house by elements of the décor and gallery exhibitions. In 1981, the Waterfront Area Historic League (WHALE) of New Bedford purchased the property from the Duffs to preserve it for the enjoyment of future generations. In 1985, members of the community formed the corporation that established the house and garden as a museum, dedicated to education and preservation.