Adams National Historic Site
1250 Hancock Street (Visitors Center)
Quincy
617-770-1175

Summary: The Adams National Historic Site, managed by the National Park Service, comprises a visitors center and three homes associated with the lives and times of our second and sixth presidents, John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams.

This little-known historical gem offers insights into the lives of various members of the Adams family as well as a glimpse of what life was like in the early days of the Republic. The homes can only be seen on a guided tour led by a Park Ranger, so stop at the Visitors Center to purchase tickets and register for a tour. A free trolley service will take you from house to house, or you can drive on your own. If you don't have much time, we recommend you take the Old House tour, and leave the birthplaces and browsing in the Visitors Center for another trip.

The Adams "Old House"
The Old House is at 135 Adams Street in Quincy, just a few blocks from the Visitors Center (call 617-773-1167 for directions). John Adams and his wife Abigail purchased this beautiful mansion in 1787 sight unseen, based on John's remembrances of a boyhood visit. Abigail found the house to be quite small in comparison with the mansions she had recently seen in Europe, and soon work had begun on the first of several additions to the house. The spacious new wing she had built added an elegant receiving room for the family's many visitors, and a large second-floor study as a surprise for the President.

The Adamses lived by the written word, and later additions accommodated their library and collection of personal papers, as well as housing their ever-growing family. At one point there were seventeen members of what John Adams called "my complicated family" staying more or less permanently with them.

An elegant formal garden and apple orchards surround the house. The back yard is also the site of the stone library Charles Francis Adams constructed to house his father's and grandfather's books and papers. Here he wrote the Memoirs of his father, and his son, Henry Adams, wrote the classic 9-volume History of the United States.

All the furnishings in the house are those of the family, which heightens the sense of history and memory throughout. The tour guides skillfully weave the history of furniture and decorative objects with the successes and disappointments of the family on both personal and political fronts, against the backdrop of international events.

The Adamses and their descendants lived at "Peacefields," as the house was known, until 1927, when it was placed into the care of a private preservation society. In 1946 it became a National Historic Site.

The Birthplaces
John Adams Birthplace (133 Franklin Street) and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace (141 Franklin Street) are both in Quincy, about a mile from the Visitors Center (call 617-773-1177 for directions).

John Adams was born in the first house in 1735 and lived here throughout his childhood. Here he wrote the letters to Abigail Smith, later his wife, which have given us such a clear picture of the lives and times of these famous and resourceful patriots.

Later the couple moved to the house next door where his son, John Quincy Adams, was born in 1767. It was also in the law office of this second house where John Adams drafted the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780. This document was the model for the constitutions of many other states.

A Few Complaints
While we found the lives of the Adams family to be so fascinating that we plan to read more about them, we were disappointed that we had to work so hard to see the sites. If the National Park Service would modernize its customer service to include clearer signage, more professional literature and graphics, and a better-coordinated way to showcase the site, the overall experience would have been much more positive. Having said that, we should also mention that we found the rangers themselves helpful and knowledgeable and that we think these buildings are so interesting that it is worth the effort to visit them.

How to Get There
Take Route 93 south from Boston to Exit 8 (Furnace Brook Parkway). At the intersection with Hancock Street (about 1.75 miles), turn right. The Visitors Center is a few blocks ahead on the left, in a rented storefront at the Galleria at Presidents Place. There is a parking garage behind the Galleria, where parking is free on weekends.

Recommended Reading
Whether you want to read up on the Adams family before your visit to their homes, or you find that you are hungry to know more about them after your tour, the following books are recommended:

John Adams by David McCullough
Winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, this fascinating and readable biography provides an intimate look at the brilliant (and sometimes annoying!) 2nd U.S. president.

The Letters of John and Abigail Adams edited by Frank Shuffelton
Wonderfully written and full of insight into their relationship and their times, John and Abigail's letters are a joy to read.

Abigail Adams (History Making Bios) by Jane Sutcliffe
Just as adults have become fascinated with the role that Abigail played in shaping history, children who read this book will learn about the wife and mother of two early U.S. presidents.

Abigail Adams: Girl of Colonial Days (Childhood of Famous Americans Series)
Another great title for kids to read in conjunction with a visit to the Adams family homestead.

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