John Adams Birthplace facts for kids
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John Adams Birth Home
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Birthplace of President John Adams, Quincy, Massachusetts
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Quincy, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1722 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000129 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
The John Adams Birthplace is a very old and important house in Quincy, Massachusetts. It's where John Adams, who became the second president of the United States, was born way back in 1735. This house is special because it's a saltbox style, which was common long ago.
In 1960, the house was named a National Historic Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the National Park Service takes care of it. It's part of the Adams National Historical Park and you can visit it on a guided tour.
Contents
Discovering the John Adams Birthplace
This historic house is made of wood and has two and a half stories. It is covered with wooden clapboards, which are long, thin boards. Inside, there are two main rooms on each floor, with a large chimney in the middle. There are also two more rooms on the first floor in the back part of the house.
The front of the house has three windows, with the front door in the middle. The doorway has decorative columns called pilasters. It also has a fancy top part with a triangular shape, called a pediment.
How Old is the House?
The land where the house stands was first owned by William Needham around 1650. He built a house there. However, the current house was built later.
Scientists used a method called dendrochronology to figure out the age of the wood. This method studies tree rings. They found that the front part of the house was built in 1722. It was built by Deacon John Adams, who was President John Adams's father. President John Adams himself wrote about his father building the house in a letter in 1812. Some of the wood used in the east side of the house is even older, from the 1670s!
John Adams, the oldest son of Deacon John, was born in the east room of this house. His birthday was October 30, 1735.
The House's Journey Through Time
When Deacon John Adams passed away in 1761, the house went to his second son, Peter. John Adams, the future president, received the house right next door. That house is where John Quincy Adams, John and Abigail Adams's son, was born in 1767.
Peter lived in the house with his mother until 1768, when he got married. In 1774, Peter sold the house to his brother John. After their mother died in 1780, John rented the house out to other people.
In 1803, John Adams sold both houses to his son, John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams lived in the house where he was born. He rented out the John Adams Birthplace. From 1810 to 1818, John Quincy Adams's son, Thomas Boylston Adams, lived in the house.
Becoming a Historic Site
Both houses stayed in the Adams family for a long time. They were rented out until 1885. After that, much of the surrounding farmland was sold. The houses were empty for a while.
Then, Charles Francis Adams Jr., a later member of the family, allowed a local group called the Daughters of the American Revolution to use the house for their meetings. They used it until 1950.
In 1940, the Adams family sold the house to the City of Quincy. In 1950, the city gave the Quincy Historical Society the job of managing the property. The Historical Society was already taking care of the house next door.
Today, both houses are part of the Adams National Historical Park. The National Park Service manages them. You can visit them and learn about the Adams family's history on a guided tour.
Images for kids
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John Adams birthplace and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace
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Birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams
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