History in our own backyard

On Sunday, we took a long-overdue visit to the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, MA. It’s just a few miles south of Boston and is the birthplace of two American presidents, John Adams (who was our nation’s first vice president, under George Washington, and later elected as our young country’s second president), and his son, John Quincy Adams, who was our sixth president.

The two-hour tour included a trolley ride to the saltbox homes where each of the men were born, as well as a tour of “Peacefield”, the mansion that John and Abigail Adams purchased following their extended stay in Europe where John served as an ambassador to Great Britain and the Netherlands. The home, which was purchased by the Adams’ in 1788, was home to four generations of the family until it was sold in 1927. Also on the tour was The Stone Library, a brick structure built next to the main house that was designed to keep the family’s vast library safe from fire.

It was fun to tour these historic properties and to walk in the shoes of two great American leaders. No photography is allowed inside the properties, but hopefully these snapshots will give you a sense of what we saw today.

The homestead of our second president John Adams. This is where John and his wife Abigail started their family and where John started his law practice.

The second home on the property, birthplace of John Quincy Adams.

John and Abigail Adams moved into "The Old House" in 1788 following their return from Europe. The house has quadrupled in size since it was purchased by the soon-to-be second president of the United States.

The Stone Library houses more than 14,000 books that belonged to the Adams' family.

The grounds of "The Old House" in Quincy, MA.

A rare, autographed photo of the Addams family.