Sally Foster Otis
Mrs. Otis had seven children by the time the family moved out of the first Otis House, and eleven altogether. Eight of those children survived to adulthood. Large families were common in the Federal era, but Mrs. Otis may have led an easier life than most women of the period. The Otises had several servants who took care of the children and the housework, jobs most women had to do for themselves. Mrs. Otis’s responsibilities included managing her large home and being a hostess. Because her husband was a public figure and did a lot of entertaining, these were important jobs. Sally seems to have been a natural hostess; she, like her husband, loved city life and knew how to throw a good party. Because Mr. Otis was away serving in Congress during much of the time they lived in this house, Mrs. Otis ran the household and took care of a good deal of the family’s business matters.
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