Around 1800, this area of the Blue Fish River thrived with shipyards, wharves, saw pits, mills, and warehouses. By 1900, Duxbury Village, as it was known then, had become Duxbury's main commercial district, with livery stables, a garage, grocery and general stores, and a restaurant. In 1906, Antone P. Lucas, known as Tony, built a house and barber shop at this site. He and his wife, Rebecca Doyle, were recent immigrants, Lucas of Portuguese descent born in the Azores and Rebecca from Canada. Along with running his business, Lucas was hired by the Duxbury Rural Society to operate the locks on the nearby Blue Fish River bridge. From 1910 to 1950, the Duxbury Rural Society, precursor to the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society, acquired additional marsh parcels in this area and tore down or moved many deteriorated Duxbury Village buildings as part of a larger neighborhood improvement project. This property was purchased by the DRHS in 1943, and the Lucas building was eventually moved to 39 Old Cove Road. Since the mid 20th century, the DRHS has partnered with the Duxbury Garden Club to care for the garden. In the 1980s, the garden was named for Mrs. Frank, Ella Maxwell, the first president of the Duxbury Garden Club. In 2018, the DRHS began a major restoration project to restore and raise the sea wall at Maxwell Garden to prevent damage from wash over during high tides and storms. Made possible through the bequest of Mary Reynolds and with the Garden Club's blessing, the garden was renamed the Reynolds Maxwell Garden and is open to the public.