The John Adams Birthplace is a historic house at 133 Franklin Street in Quincy,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. It is the

saltbox A saltbox house is a gable-roofed residential structure that is typically two stories in the front and one in the rear. It is a traditional New England style of home, originally timber framed, which takes its name from its resemblance to a woode ...

home in which

Founding Father The following list of national founding figures is a record, by country, of people who were credited with establishing a state. National founders are typically those who played an influential role in setting up the systems of governance, (i.e. ...

and second

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Befor ...

, was born in 1735. The house was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

in 1960, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. It is now administered by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

as part of the Adams National Historical Park, and is open for guided tours.

Description and early history

The house is a story wood-frame structure, sheathed in wooden clapboards. There are two main rooms, one on either side of a central chimney, on each of the two floors, and there are two further rooms in the lean to section on the first floor. The main facade is three bays wide with the entry in the center. The doorway is framed by pilasters and topped by an entablature and triangular pediment.Polly M. Rettig and Charles E. Shedd, Jr. (March 5, 1975) , National Park Service and The land on which the house sits was first owned by William Needham, who built a house on the property c. 1650. According to dendrochronological analysis, "the front part of the (present) house was built in 1722, or shortly thereafter by Deacon John Adams. President John Adams refers to the fact that his father built the house in a letter to

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educa ...

of July 19, 1812. The framing of the east side incorporates a number of reused timbers dating to the 1670s."

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, the oldest son of Deacon John, was born in the east room on October 30 (October 19 O.S.), 1735.

Later history

Upon the Deacon's death in 1761, the house passed to his second son, Peter; the younger John received the house next door, where

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the sixth president of the United States, from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States ...

was born to John and

Abigail Adams Abigail Adams ( ''née'' Smith; November 22, [ O.S. November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She was a founder of the United States, a ...

in 1767. Peter lived in the house with his mother until 1768, when he married. In 1774 he sold the house to his brother John, who rented it out after their mother died in 1780. In 1803 John sold both houses to his son, who lived in the house of his birth, and rented this one out. The house was occupied from 1810 to 1818 by John Quincy Adams' son, Thomas Boylston Adams. Both houses remained in Adams family ownership, and were rented out until 1885, when most of the surrounding farmland was sold off. After sitting vacant,

Charles Francis Adams Jr. Charles Francis Adams Jr. (May 27, 1835 – March 20, 1915) was an American author, historian, and railroad and park commissioner who served as the president of the Union Pacific Railroad from 1884 to 1890. He served as a colonel in the Union Arm ...

authorized the local chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

to use the house as meeting space. This they did until the chapter folded in 1950. The Adamses sold the house to the City of Quincy in 1940, which turned administration of the property over to the Quincy Historical Society (which had earlier taken over the adjacent house) in 1950. The two houses are now part of Adams National Historical Park, and are administered by the

. They are open for guided tours.

Gallery

File:The John Adams Birthday and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace.jpg, John Adams birthplace and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace File:Birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, Quincy, Mass (68214).jpg, Birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams

References

External links

John Adams' birthplace NHL listing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, John Birthplace Houses completed in 1681 National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts Presidential homes in the United States Historic house museums in Massachusetts Saltbox architecture in Massachusetts Presidential museums in Massachusetts Museums in Quincy, Massachusetts Houses in Quincy, Massachusetts John Adams Adams National Historical Park National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts Adams political family residences Birthplaces of individual people 1681 establishments in Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Homes of United States Founding Fathers

Description and early history

Later history

See also

Gallery

References

External links