Harrison Gray Otis (1765-1848)

Leader of the Federalists & U.S. Senator from Massachusetts

He was the social arbiter of his era in Boston and his wife was the "Queen of Boston Society". He wore gold-laced hats and the finest waistcoats in town. He ate four meals a day, starting with pâté de foie gras for breakfast. He owned three homes, one of which on Beacon Street was so large it also accommodated three of his married children, each family having a private drawing room, "with plenty of room for their own guests as well as an entire floor of their own for ballroom entertaining". He died in 1848 when his estate was valued at $800,000.
Contributed by Mark Meredith on 04/05/2020 and last updated on 14/08/2023.