As most people involved with the Adams National Historical Park will tell you, the popularity of and interest in our 2nd President John Adams rose exponentially after the popular book John Adams by David McCullough was published and the HBO mini-series that followed was aired. No longer is he regarded as simply an oddball northerner and one-termer who was wedged amongst the other four of the first five Presidents, all of whom hailed from Virginia. Adams served as our nation’s President from 1797-1801, and had previously served as the first Vice President to George Washington from 1789-1797.
Prior to his Presidency, he was appointed to the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence, and thus was also a signer of the document. His presidency was successful in its stance on strengthening the central government, growing the armed forces, and maintaining peace with France. In a less popular move, he signed into law the Alien and Sedition Acts, which limited the rights of free speech in our country. Adams would lose his second election ot Thomas Jefferson and retire to his home in Massachusetts.
The Adams National Historical Park included the John Adams Birthplace, the John Quincy Adams Birthplace, and Peacefield
John Adams statue in Quincy
Coming some five years after my brushes with the sites of the Virginia Presidents, I was finally able to catch up with the Adams family of Massachusetts. Herewith are the locations that I visited:
Friday, July 6, 2012 – John Adams Birthplace – Adams was born October 30, 1735, in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, in the home of his parents Deacon John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston Adams. Deacon John had purchased the house and the surrounding six acres in 1720. The future President would live in this house from the time of his birth until his marriage to Abigail in 1764. At that time, he would move into the adjacent house (which was in fact older than this one), and his son John Quincy, who would become our nation’s sixth President, was born.
My friend Bob and I toured the small saltbox home that had been built in 1681, with a small group of folks and tour guide who resembled a younger version of Frankenstein’s monster. No photos were allowed inside, which was quite maddening.
Outside the John Adams Birthplace
Friday, July 6, 2012 – Home of John and Abigail Adams (John Quincy Adams Birthplace) – Although the home that is located just 75 feet away from the John Adams birthplace served as the home and law office of President John Adams from 1764-1788, it is more commonly referred to as the birthplace of our 6th President, John Quincy Adams. Of significance to the earlier President though, was that he composed the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts inside this home. Further details of the house can be explored in my posting on John Quincy Adams.
A copy of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the room in which John Adams wrote it
Friday, July 6, 2012 – Peacefield, Home of John Adams – The centerpiece of the Adams National Historical Site (which contained all of the above homes as well as a Visitor Center), was Peacefield, the home which was built in 1731, and saw the occupancy of four generations of the Adams family from 1788 to 1927. There is no doubt that this home is certainly one of the finest of all Presidential homes open to touring. Although it is a bit rundown and shabby in some places, there quite a good reason for that: the Adams family stipulates that nothing be added or removed from the home under any circumstances.
Outside of Peacefield, with our tour guide Don when he still liked me ok
Our tour guide Don informed us that a tourist has accidentally swung her purse into one of the lamps, causing the bulb to break, and the NPS’ request to the family that the bulb be replaced with a reproduction was denied. So in essence, virtually 100% of what you see in the home is original to one of the generations of the Adams family.
John Adams died in his upstairs bedroom in this home on July 4, 1826. His final words were reputedly “Jefferson lives,” although in fact Thomas Jefferson had died four hours earlier. I was able to see the chair in which he was sitting when he passed away, but unfortunately, the taking of pictures was prohibited and as I found out, circumventing this rule was an extremely sore subject with our tour guide Don!
After John Adams’ passing, Peacefield became home to his son, President John Quincy Adams, then his son Charles Francis Adams, and then his two sons Henry Adams and Brooks Adams. The home was given to the National Parks Department in 1947, at which time it became a National Historical Site.
Saturday, July 7, 2012 – Birthplace of Abigail Adams – If you were to search the internet for the Abigail Adams birthplace, you would see a distinctly different looking house than the one pictured below. That’s because the house in which she was born has been re-located twice. The house that we saw is the one that currently sits on location of the original birth home.
But I’ll confess… we didn’t know that when we visited it. Bob and I only knew that the location advertised as the birth home was closed for renovation, so we planned it merely as a drive-by. When we came upon this home, we assumed that this was the actual birth home based on the plaque on the outside. It turns out that we completely missed the moved and renovated birth home, and blindly came up with this much more uncommon location to the wife of President John Adams and the mother of President John Quincy Adams.
The house that now sits on the site of Abigail Adams’ birth
The plaque that proves it
Friday, July 6, 2012 – Grave of John Adams – John Adams passed away in his Peacefield home on July 4, 1826. He was originally interred at the Hancock Cemetery in Quincy, Massachusetts. Before he passed away, he financed the construction of the United First Parish Church across the street from the church, but didn’t live to attend there, as it wasn’t completed until 1828. His son John Quincy, would attend there, and before he died, he commissioned an area in the basement to be constructed to inter the remains of his father.
John Quincy didn’t live to see this area finished, and he too was interred at the Hancock cemetery in the family vault. The letters “J.Q.” were added to the already present word “Adams”.
Original location in Hancock cemetery where the Adams family was interred. Note how the J.Q. that was added now puts the wording off-center
Once the area in the church was completed, the remains of John Adams and his wife Abigail, and John Quincy Adams and his wife Louisa Catherine, were moved there. For a while, there was no access for visitors to see the actual tombs. In lieu of that, there was a marker placed in the church for each couple stating that their final resting places were located below. The area was eventually opened for public visitation.
Outside the United Church Parish Church
Plaque on the wall of the church
Sign in the church indicating the “Church of the Presidents”
Memorial marker in the church indicating that “Beneath these Walls are deposited the Mortal Remains of John Adams”
John Adams marker outside the crypt
Abigail Adams marker outside the crypt
John Adams and me
Abigail Adams tomb
Overview of the four tombs, with John and Abigail being the two in the background
It is certainly one of the most desirable Presidential gravesites to visit for the simple fact that you get two for the price of one. A guide gives a quick tour of the church itself and then allows visitors into the crypt to see the four graves inside.
Continue to the next President…
Return to Friday 2012 in Boston…
Return to Saturday 2012 in Boston…
Hancock Cemetery has a bunch of Adams family buried there including his parents. Also “Nabby” Adams (Daughter of John, sister of John Quincy) is buried in the family vault labeled “JQ Adams”. These are great sites! I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.
Tim Bash
August 11th, 2012
Hi Brad-
Just discovered your site. I’m facinated with the Presidential section. I’ve been to many sites, but I’m intrigued with so many places I haven’t been, that are connected to our chief executives. I just checked out Adams, Taft and Wilson, looking forward to viewing the others!
Mark
January 14th, 2013