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 | 1681 |
| 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 special old house in Quincy, Massachusetts. It's where John Adams was born in 1735. John Adams was a very important person in American history. He was one of the Founding Fathers and later became the second president of the United States.
This house is known as a saltbox style home. It's a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a really important historical place in the country. Today, the National Park Service takes care of it. You can even take a guided tour to see inside!
Contents
What the House Looks Like
This house is a two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has wooden boards called clapboards on the outside. It's a classic New England home with two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs. All these rooms are built around a big chimney in the middle.
Over many years, the house changed a bit. In the 1700s, a lean-to was added. This added two more rooms downstairs and two small rooms upstairs. The front of the house has three sections, with the main door in the middle. The doorway has decorative columns on the sides and a triangular shape above it.
How Old is the House?
The land where the house stands was first owned by William Needham. He built a house there around 1681. John Adams himself wrote a letter in 1812 saying his father built the house. Some of the wood used in the house's east side is even older, from the 1670s!
John Adams, the oldest son of Deacon John, was born in the east room. This happened on October 30, 1735. Back then, they used a different calendar, so sometimes you might see the date as October 19.
Who Lived Here Later?
When John Adams' father, Deacon John, passed away in 1761, the house went to his second son, Peter. John Adams, the future president, received the house next door. That's where his son, John Quincy Adams, was born in 1767. John Quincy Adams also became a president later!
Peter lived in the house with his mother until 1768. Then, in 1774, he sold the house to his brother John. John Adams rented out the house after his mother died in 1780. In 1803, John Adams sold both houses to his son, John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams lived in his own birthplace next door and rented out this house. From 1810 to 1818, John Quincy Adams' son, Thomas Boylston Adams, lived here.
The House Becomes a Museum
The Adams family owned both houses for a long time. They rented them out until 1885. After being empty for a while, Charles Francis Adams Jr., a descendant of John Adams, allowed a group called the Daughters of the American Revolution to use the house. This group helps preserve history. They used the house for meetings until 1950.
In 1940, the Adams family sold the house to the City of Quincy. The city then gave the job of managing the property to the Quincy Historical Society in 1950. This society already managed the house next door. Now, both houses are part of the Adams National Historical Park. The National Park Service takes care of them, and you can visit them on guided tours.
More to Explore
- Peacefield, another important Adams family home in the national park
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Quincy, Massachusetts
- Presidential memorials in the United States
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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