Adams National Historical Park

If you’ve ever visited Washington D.C., you may have noticed that there are no towering monuments or statues dedicated to John Adams, the 2nd President of the United States. One might find this odd (as I do), despite Adams himself once writing “mausoleums, statues, monuments will never be erected to me. I wish them not” (of course, following Washington as president was an unenviable position). But in Quincy, Massachusetts (part of his former hometown of Braintree), there are numerous statues and monuments dedicated to their hometown hero. Furthermore, three houses associated with John and his family still stand, which make up the Adams National Historical Park.

Adams National Historical Park

The Adams National Historical Park is comprised of three historic homes and the Stone Library, all associated with the Adams Family (cue the music). The homes include: the John Adams Birthplace, the John Quincy Adams Birthplace, and Old House at Peace field (this house served as a residence for four generations of the Adams family from 1788 until 1927). The Stone Library (circa 1870) was built to house the vast collection of books owned primarily by John Quincy Adams and sits adjacent to the Old House at Peace field.

Of note, the Adams National Historical Park Visitor Center (1250 Hancock Street), birthplace houses (133/141 Franklin Street), and the Old House at Peace field/Stone Library (140 Adams Street) are in three separate locations. Thus, you will have to drive to each, take public transit, or when available, utilize the trolley service (be sure to check the NPS website to see if it is running).

There is a lot to see and do within Adams National Historical Park and quite a bit of interesting facts to learn along the way (for example, the John Adams and John Quincy Adams birthplaces are the two oldest presidential birthplaces in existence and remarkably, both stand on their original foundations a mere 75 feet apart!). Below is a brief history of each house and some info about our visit.

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John Adams Birthplace (133 Franklin Street)

On October 30, 1735, John Adams was born as the first son (of three) to Deacon John Adams and Susanna Boylston. He was born in a second-story room on the eastern side of a modest 2 1/2 story saltbox house, which was built in 1681 by Joseph Penniman (Deacon Adams purchased the house and property in 1720). This property is a mere mile from the ocean and in the 18th-century, you could see the Atlantic from this house. Despite their proximity to the sea, Deacon Adams farmed his land in the summer (primarily corn, rye, wheat, and barley) and made shoes in the winter.

This house served a central role in John Adams’ formative years and early professional career and remained in the family for over two centuries. After graduating from Harvard and then spending three years in Worcester (a town ~40miles west of Boston) in professional pursuits, Adams returned to this house and moved back in with his parents. In fact, he was even allowed to take over one of the first-story front rooms to use as his law office!

Upon Deacon Adams’ death in 1761, this house was inherited by his second son, Peter Adams. Peter remained in this house for a few years with his widowed mother and in 1774, sold it to his brother, John (when his mother died in 1780, John rented out the house). Remarkably, the house remained in the Adams family well into the 20th-century, when it was used by a meeting place for the local DAR chapter before ultimately ending up in the care of the National Park Service.

Today, a tour of the John Adams birthplace includes the entire first floor, which consists of two front rooms and a large back room (none of the furnishings are original to the house, though they are period correct). As mentioned, John Adams was born on the second floor, which is not included in the tour; however, if you’re looking at the front of the house, the window on the right (eastern) side of the second story is the room in which he was born.

The first room of the tour was used as a kitchen, but was also where most of the family’s time was spent (it likely functioned as a sort of living room when John took over the other front room). You can almost imagine a young John Adams and his brothers playing on the floor, as dinner was being prepared and candles around the house were lit just as the sun set outside. There is also a door in this space, which leads down to a basement (it would’ve been dirt floors when the Adams lived there).

From there, the tour moves to the large back room, which runs the entire length of the house. This room was added on by Deacon Adams, who utilized it as a meeting and gathering space. John Adams grew up listening to the leaders of Braintree (which included modern-day Quincy) discussing and debating the news of the day in that room.

The third and final room on the tour is the other front room (western side), which was used by John Adams as a law office/work space after he returned home to begin his own law practice. My favorite part about this room is the wide plank flooring, which is original to the house- in other words, you can walk on the very floor that Adams once did!

Another part of this room that really stood out to me was the fireplace. Not only is it beautiful in its simplicity (and its original to the house), but I could imagine Adams pacing back and forth in front of that very fireplace and adding wood during those long nights, as he thought out and rehearsed defenses and speeches for court. The quaintness of the room really gave me a greater appreciation for John Adams and where he came from.

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John Quincy Adams Birthplace (141 Franklin Street)

This house was built in 1663 by Samuel Belcher and was owned by his family until Deacon Adams purchased it in 1744. After the deacon’s death in 1761, it was given to his son, John Adams. Though it is primarily known for being the birthplace of John Quincy Adams, this is also where John and Abigail Adams raised their family and where they lived during the American Revolutionary War.

After John and Abigail Adams married in 1764, they moved into this house and began their new lives together. On July 11, 1767, they had a son, named John Quincy Adams (the future 6th President of the United States). The Adams family remained in this house during the tumultuous years leading up to the American Revolution and throughout the war. In fact, this is where Abigail and a young John Quincy walked from to nearby Penn’s Hill to watch the Battle of Bunker Hill unfold (John Quincy recalled many years later hearing the cannon fire and watching the smoke rise from Charlestown, just over seven miles away). At the fireplace in this home, Abigail melted down pewter spoons to make musket balls for the Continental Army. A replica of the bullet mold she used is on display in the house, while the park has the actual mold she used in their archives.

During the war years, John Adams was away for most of the time, leaving Abigail to manage the household. Adams made the approximately two-week horseback ride to Philadelphia to serve in the First and Second Continental Congresses (he signed the Declaration of Independence in the summer of 1776). After a brief stop at this home, he sailed to France in 1778 (with young John Quincy) to join Benjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee to negotiate a treaty with France. To Adams’ anger and frustration, by the time he arrived, he was informed that Franklin had already negotiated a treaty and that his presence was not necessary!

In 1779, Adams and his son sailed back to Massachusetts, where they returned to this home in Braintree. The next year (1780), another amazing event occurred within this house: the drafting of the Massachusetts state constitution. John Adams, his cousin Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin met in the northeast corner room of John’s house to discuss and ultimately draft a constitution for Massachusetts. This was a historic document that went on to serve as a guide for the United States Constitution (today, the Massachusetts state constitution is the oldest such document in existence).

It was in this home that Abigail learned about the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolutionary War (John was in France for the negotiations and also signed the treaty). In 1785, Adams was appointed Minister to Great Britain and was soon joined in London by Abigail. They remained in London together for five years and didn’t return to Massachusetts until 1788. By then, they were looking for a new and more elegant house (more on that move in a bit).

Similar to the John Adams Birthplace tour, the walkthrough of the John Quincy Adams Birthplace includes just four rooms on the first floor. The first is a living space, complete with portraits of John and Abigail Adams, a tall clock, and even an 18th-century cradle (since this was the birthplace of their children).

The second room on the tour is perhaps the most famous (sorry John Quincy, not the room you were born in). In this space, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin discussed and drafted the Massachusetts Constitution. Usually, this room was used by John Adams for his law practice and he even added a door to allow visitors to enter without disturbing the rest of the household; therefore, it was a natural place for these three men to come together and create one of the most famous and lasting documents in history- imagine that!

The last two rooms on the tour are the dining room and the kitchen. Of note, this was the very kitchen and fireplace that Abigail Adams melted her pewter spoons down and molded them into musket balls for the Continental Army. It is believed that after she heard that the patriot forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill were forced to retreat due to lack of ammunition (largely gunpowder), she decided to do her part and make bullets for the cause. Beyond that action, Abigail was an active and intelligent woman, who wrote her husband candidly about the war and independence. In a letter to John dated March 31, 1776, Abigail famously wrote:

I long to hear that you have declared an independancy—and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.”

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Old House at Peace field

The house that would become known as “Old House at Peace field” was built in 1731. As previously mentioned, when John and Abigail Adams returned to the United States after five years in London, they made the decision to move to a more elegant house. Abigail recalled a house she knew as a young child and accordingly, they purchased it (and the 75 acres it stood on) and moved there in 1788. Unfortunately, the house was no longer as nice or elegant as it once was and much work was required to get the house up to snuff.

The name was given by John Adams, who wrote: “I think to christen my Place by the Name of Peace field…in commemoration of the Peace which I assisted in making in 1783.” Over the years, descendants simply referred to this residence as the “Old House,” hence the name Old House at Peace field. Shortly after moving here, John Adams became the 1st Vice President of the United States, serving alongside George Washington. During his eight years as Vice President, the new government convened in New York City and then Philadelphia- Adams spent a great deal of time away from his home during this time.

From March 4, 1797 to March 4, 1801, John Adams served as the 2nd President of the United States. In 1800, the government finally moved to its permanent home in Washington D.C., which was then mostly swamp land, dirt roads, and a few structures (Adams moved into the White House on November 1, 1800). During his last year or so as president, Adams spent numerous months at Peace field with his family and away from the stress and frustration of the capital. Adams lost the next election to Thomas Jefferson and left town before the inauguration, undoubtedly thrilled to be returning to his home and civilian life.

The 65-year-old Adams came home to Peace field for his long-awaited retirement, likely believing he had but a few years left to enjoy (little did he know that he would live another 25 years!). He and Abigail remained in this house for the rest of their lives, staying there year-round.

On July 4, 1826, the 90-year-old John Adams died at Peace field, possibly in his study, but more likely in his bedroom where he may have been moved. His last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives,” although Jefferson had died a few hours earlier on that very day, unbeknownst to Adams. Old House at Peace field was inherited by John Quincy Adams and over the following century or so, was lived in by four generations of the Adams Family (to include Charles Francis Adams and lastly, Brooks Adams).

Today, Old House at Peace field provides one of the most remarkable tours of any historic home that we’ve been to. It mostly looks as it did in the 1920s, although numerous original pieces owned by John and Abigail Adams still adorn the home (the contrast of furnishings from different centuries is oddly appealing). Some of the most fascinating items on display include a dining room table owned and used by John and Abigail Adams, a mirror used by Abigail, a tall clock owned by the Adams family, and paintings of George and Martha Washington from circa 1790 (the Washington’s actual sat for these paintings, which were done by Edward Savage).

Other rooms on the tour include a formal parlor, multiple bedrooms, and the large second-floor study (my favorite room in the house). The presidential bedroom is also included on the tour, which was used by John and Abigail Adams. This is also the bedroom where Abigail passed away on October 28, 1818.

After walking through the house, the tour proceeds outside into the (beautiful) garden to visit the incredible Stone Library.

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Stone Library

The Stone Library was built in 1870 and was never used by John Adams or his son; however, it’s construction was laid out by John Quincy Adams prior to his death, because he wanted a stout stone building separate from the house to better protect his library. Accordingly, his son Charles Francis Adams had it constructed. Today, many of the 12,000 volumes in the library were once owned by John Quincy Adams, while about 10% of the volumes were once owned by John Adams.

Other than an impressive collection of books, the library boasts a series of really neat paintings, to include a presidential portrait of John Adams and a copy of the 1783 painting by Benjamin West titled “Treaty of Paris.” Interestingly, this painting is half-complete and shows only the American delegation, to include John Jay, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, William Temple Franklin, and of course, John Adams. The reason the painting is incomplete (and remained so) is because the British delegation refused to pose for the painting- I suppose they didn’t want to have pictorial evidence of the loss of the war and the North American colonies!

One of the most fascinating items that is usually on display (but not during our visit) is the Mendi Bible. This was given as a gift of gratitude to John Quincy Adams by the Amistad captives, who he successfully defended in court in 1839 (if you’ve seen the movie “Amistad,” it is about this historic event).

The Stone Library is one of the most beautiful and inspiring spaces I’ve visited and easily rivals the libraries of Jefferson and other founding fathers. It was artfully crafted in the medieval style and fosters an environment for reading, learning, and reflection. I imagine that John Adams and John Quincy Adams would’ve been thrilled with such a space during their lives!

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Legacy

John Adams was one of the most important founding fathers of the revolutionary generation and is on par with Benjamin Franklin and George Washington in regards to contributions to the patriot cause. Yet he is not revered or even remembered as much as those men, or others such as Jefferson or Madison. Perhaps it was Adams’ frank and oftentimes fiery personality, which gained him just as many enemies as friends (Alexander Hamilton was perhaps Adams’ biggest critic). Or perhaps because he followed George Washington as president, he was doomed to the shadows of history. Whatever the reason, John Adams deserves a rightful place in the pantheon of American founding fathers.

Thankfully, there have been quite a few biographies and books written about John Adams, his amazing love story with Abigail, and their lives (“John Adams” by David McCullough and “Passionate Sage” by Joseph J. Ellis come to mind). Not to mention the hit HBO miniseries “John Adams” was well received by historians and the general American public, which shed more light on the life and contributions of Adams. To me, the best way to learn about John and Abigail Adams is to visit their homes- I learned so much more about the John and his family during this trip and am grateful for the opportunity to visit such beautiful and educational historic sites.