The Myles Standish Homestead in Duxbury, Massachusetts

SITE OF THE

HOMESTEAD OF

CAPTAIN

MYLES STANDISH

THE

MILITARY LEADER

OF 

PLYMOUTH COLONY

HERE STOOD THE

HOUSE WHERE

CAPTAIN

MYLES STANDISH

LIVED AND DIED

On the peninsula called "The Nook" in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Mayflower Drive, is a small one acre property that looks like an empty lot over looking Duxbury Bay and Plymouth Harbor.  At one time most of this peninsula was owned by the Standish family.  This is the site of the original home Captain Myles Standish built in 1632.  He died here in 1656, and his home burned to the ground around 1665.  You can still see the cellar hole, marked by granite posts, with several commemorative markers.  This property was deeded to the town of Duxbury around 1930.  

There have been several archaeological digs here at this site, the first in 1832 by Rev. Benjamin Kent, and more in recent years. The artifacts that were found in an 1856 excavation by James Hall are now in the collections of Pilgrim Hall Museum.

Myles Standish was born about 1584 at an unknown location in England.  He was married first to Rose (maiden name unknown), and then married second to Barbara (also maiden name unknown) who was the mother of seven children.  He died on 3 October 1656 in Duxbury, and she died some time after 6 October 1659.  Myles was the Captain and the leader of the Plymouth Colony military forces until his death.  He also served in several civic leadership positions in the colony, such as assistant to the governor on 1 January 1632/3, treasurer in 1644, and deputy governor in 1653.  He was considered the first English person to settle in what is now the town of Duxbury. 

Captain Standish was buried nearby in the Myles Standish Burial Ground also known as the Old Burying Ground, which also the final resting place of several other Mayflower passengers (George Soule, John Alden and Priscilla Mullins).  Also on this peninsula is the Myles Standish Monument State Park, which a tower topped with a statue of Captain Standish. 

 

For the truly curious:

Myles Standish Park at Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Standish_Park   

"Myles Standish House Archeology", Pilgrim Hall Museum:  https://www.pilgrimhall.org/standish-archeology/  

My STANDISH lineage:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/09/surname-saturday-standish-of-mayflower.html   

Myles Standish Monument:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/05/not-so-wordless-wednesday-myles.html    

Myles Standish Burying Ground:    https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2013/04/tombstone-tuesday-myles-standish.html    

-----------------------------

To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Myles Standish Homestead in Duxbury, Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 20, 2026, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-myles-standish-homestead-in-duxbury.html: accessed [access date]).