Abigail Adams Cairn facts for kids
The Abigail Adams Cairn is a special pile of stones built to remember an important moment in history. It marks the exact spot where Abigail Adams and her young son, John Quincy Adams, stood. On June 17, 1775, they watched the town of Charlestown burning. This happened during the famous Battle of Bunker Hill. This historic cairn is located on Penn's Hill in Quincy, Massachusetts. You can find it today at the corner of Franklin Street and Viden Road.
What is a Cairn?
A cairn is a human-made pile of stones. People build cairns for many reasons. Sometimes they mark a trail or a special place. Other times, like the Abigail Adams Cairn, they are built as memorials. They help us remember important events or people.
A Historic Viewpoint
On Saturday, June 17, 1775, Abigail Adams was taking care of her own four children. She was also looking after the four children of Dr. Joseph Warren. Dr. Warren was an important leader in Massachusetts at the time.
That day, news arrived that Dr. Warren had been killed by British soldiers. In the afternoon, Abigail walked up Penn's Hill. She took her son John Quincy, who was seven, and her daughter Nabby, who was ten. From the top of the hill, they could see far into the distance. They saw the smoke rising from Charlestown. They also heard the loud sounds of guns and cannons from the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was a scary but important moment in American history.
Building the Cairn
The Abigail Adams Cairn was built on June 17, 1896. This was exactly 121 years after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The Adams Chapter of the Society of the Daughters of the Revolution put it up.
The cairn is made of several marked stones. One stone is inscribed with "Concord." Another says "5th Regt. Co. K., M.V.M." There is also a stone marked "From Bunker Hill Quarry, June 17, 1896." The stone used for the famous Bunker Hill Monument also came from a quarry in Quincy. A local stonemason named John J. Stanton built the cairn.
A Hidden Discovery
In 2008, something exciting was found inside the cairn. A time capsule was discovered! A time capsule is a container filled with items from a certain time period. It is meant to be opened much later. This discovery gave us a glimpse into the past.
