Peacefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Peace Field
|
|
|
U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
|
The Old House at Peacefield at Adams National Historical Park
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
|
|
| Location | 135 Adams st , Quincy, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1731 |
| Part of | Adams National Historical Park (ID66000051) |
Peacefield, also known as Old House, is a historic home in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was once the home of the famous Adams family.
This house was home to two United States presidents: John Adams and his wife, First Lady Abigail Adams. Later, their son, President John Quincy Adams, and his wife, First Lady Louisa Adams, also lived here. Today, Peacefield is part of the Adams National Historical Park.
Right next to the main house is the Stone Library. This library was requested by John Quincy Adams. His son, Charles, who also lived at Peacefield, built it after both presidents had passed away.
Contents
History of Peacefield
Peacefield was the home and farm for many generations of the Adams family. It was where John Adams and his wife, Abigail Smith Adams, lived. Later, their son John Quincy Adams, his wife Louisa Catherine Adams, and their son Charles Francis Adams called it home. Charles's sons, the historians Henry Adams and Brooks Adams, also lived here.
Early Days of the House
The oldest part of Peacefield was built in 1731. It started as a summer house for Leonard Vassall, a wealthy man who owned sugar plantations in Jamaica where enslaved people worked. This part of the house had two and a half stories and a special roof called a gambrel roof. It also had separate kitchens and living areas for the enslaved servants. Vassall's will even mentioned two enslaved people on the property: Pompey and his wife Fidelia.
When Vassall died in 1737, the property in Braintree (now Quincy) included 60 acres of land. This land had orchards, meadows, and forests. The property was passed down through his family. During the American Revolution, the owner at the time, Anna Vassall Borland, who supported the British, leased the property. She got it back in 1783 and sold it to her son.
In 1787, John Adams bought the estate for £600. He was in England at the time, serving as the first U.S. Minister to the United Kingdom.
The Adams Family Moves In
The Adams family returned from England in 1788 and moved into the house. After living in grand homes in England, they were surprised by the house. Abigail Adams thought it looked like a "wren's nest" and felt like a "barracks." They often called it "Old House."
Over the next 12 years, while John Adams was busy in Philadelphia as Vice President and then President, Abigail Adams managed the house and farm. She made the house much bigger. She added what is now the right side of the front of the house. This new part included a beautiful hallway and a large living room on the first floor, with a big study above. These additions were built in the Georgian style, which was popular at the time.
John Adams returned to the house full-time in 1801 after he was not re-elected as president. His son, John Quincy Adams, also came back to Peacefield after serving as an ambassador in Berlin. Later, John Quincy's son, Charles Francis Adams, made even more additions to the house.
Peacefield Becomes a National Park
Brooks Adams, the youngest son of Charles Francis, was the last family member to live at Peacefield. When he passed away in 1927, the house became a museum. It was managed by the Adams Memorial Society until 1946. Then, it became part of the National Park Service.
The park later included other important nearby places, like the John Adams Birthplace and the John Quincy Adams Birthplace. These, along with the visitor center, make up the Adams National Historical Park. The United First Parish Church, where both presidents and their wives are buried, is close by but not part of the park.
The Adams family and their home are very important to understanding the history of the United States. Besides the main house, there are two older, smaller houses on the property. There is also the 1870 Gothic Revival Stone Library. This library holds 14,000 books that belonged to John Quincy Adams. The property also has an old orchard with special apple trees and beautiful 18th-century flower gardens.
House Furnishings
The house is filled with many valuable items and furniture that belonged to the four generations of the Adams family who lived there. These items help tell the story of the family. For example, you can see John Adams's law desk and the bed that John and Abigail Adams used.
The Stone Library
The Stone Library is a separate building on the Peacefield grounds. Charles Francis Adams built it in 1870. He did this because his father, John Quincy Adams, wanted to protect his books from "accidental fires."
The library has a huge collection of books from different family members. Most of the books belonged to John Quincy Adams. Some special books in the library include the Mendi Bible. This Bible was a gift to John Quincy Adams after the famous Amistad court case. There is also an early copy of the Book of Mormon that Joseph Smith himself gave to Charles Francis Adams.
The library is built from Quincy Granite. The city of Quincy is well-known for its granite quarries, where this strong stone is dug up. In 1996, some valuable items were stolen from the library, including the Mendi Bible. Luckily, these items were later found.
Peacefield Grounds
The property was originally a large farm. Over time, later generations of the family sold much of the farmland because they were no longer interested in farming. Today, the National Park maintains a beautiful decorative garden. This garden has been restored to look much like it did in the 1880s, during Charles Francis Adams's time.
The grounds also include the historic apple orchard behind the house. There is also a greenhouse for plants and a carriage house. The carriage house was used to keep horses and carriages. It also had an apartment for the coachman or other male servants.
See also
