t o London where he continued to assist his
father throughout t h e latter's ministry to
G r e a t Britain. Returning in 1868, he taught
history a t H a r v a r d for 7 years and edited the
North American Review. H e was t h e author
of biographies of Albert Gallatin, John R a n dolph, a n d George C a b o t Lodge; two novels,
Democracy a n d Esther; the admirable History
of the United States 1800-1817, in 9 volumes;
Mont-Saint-Michel
& Chartres; a n d an American classic, The Education of Henry
Adams.
Since his death in I 9 1 8 , several volumes of his
letters, as charming as they are informative,
have been published.
Brooks A d a m s , born at Quincy, J u n e 24,
1848, was graduated from H a r v a r d College in
1870. H e served as his father's secretary
during the Alabama Claims Arbitration. Although a member of t h e Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1917, he never
sought for or held public office. H e was the
last of t h e family to occupy the old house
at Quincy. Brooks Adams was the author
of The Emancipation
of Massachusetts, Law
of Civilization and Decay, America's
Economic
Supremacy, The New Empire, and Theory of
Social Revolutions.
H e died in 1927.
T H E " O L D HOUSE"
J.HE HOUSE, first named by John Adams,
"Peacefield," b u t to become known in the
family as the " O l d H o u s e , " was very dear and
very close to them. Shortly after his father's
death, John Quincy wrote: " M y a t t a c h m e n t
to it, and the whole region round, is stronger
than I have ever felt before;" Charles Francis,
the younger, in his autobiography, wrote of
how fond he was of the " O l d H o u s e " and what
pleasant recollections clustered about i t ; a n d
H e n r y , in his Education, h a s left his memories
of t h e place.
T h e oldest portion of the house was built in
1731 by M a j . Leonard Vassall, wealthy West
Indian sugar planter, who h a d come to M a s -
sachusetts some 8 years before. T h e house
then comprised only t h e following rooms: on
ground floor, the Paneled Room, West E n t r y ,
and Dining R o o m ; on t h e second floor, two
bedrooms; and three smaller rooms in the
attic. T h e kitchen and servants' quarters
were not attached to the house. T h e firm old
staircase testifies to t h e soundness of the construction. John Adams, while still Minister
to Great Britain, bought the house in September 1787 from the major's grandson, Leonard
Vassall Borland, and on his return in 1788
took possession of t h e property. During his
Presidencv he built t h e large gabled ell containing the Long Room, E a s t E n t r y , a n d
upstairs Study. In 1836, John Quincy Adams
added the passage along the north side of the
house connecting t h e two ells. In 1869,
Charles Francis Adams added 3 0 feet to t h e
kitchen ell for servants' q u a r t e r s , a n d t h e
following year built the stone library overlooking his grandmother's garden, a n d , in
1873, the stone stable. T h e present entrance
gates were added by Brooks Adams in 1906.
After his retirement from the Presidency
in 1801, John Adams lived in the house the
year round until his death in 1826. John
Quincy Adams and Charles Francis Adams
m a d e it their summer home, a n d m a n y summers were spent there b y both H e n r y a n d
Brooks Adams. M u c h of the furniture within
the house reflects the diplomatic background
of J o h n , John Quincy, and Charles Francis
Adams, as each came back with prized
possessions from their various European
missions.
T h e continuity of life in t h e house is best
shown b y the furnishings, as t h e various
objects are of successive periods—each generation contributed something of itself and
each generation is remembered b y w h a t it
left. T h e house is n o t a " p e r i o d piece" b u t
a house which, from 1788 to 1927, clearly
shows the ever-changing style and taste of its
occupants.
THE
HISTORIC SITE
A D A M S National Historic Site was established in December 1946. This was made
possible by the gift of the property to the
F'ederal Government for t h a t purpose by the
Adams Memorial Society. In 1927, all the
living descendants of Charles Francis Adams,
Minister to Great Britain, organized the
Adams Memorial Society, its purpose being
to preserve a n d maintain as a memorial,
open to the public, the " O l d H o u s e " and
library j u s t as Brooks Adams had left it.
T h e Society well and ably carried o u t its
purpose until 1946 when t h e title was vested
in the United States.
How
To REACH THE SITE
ADAMS National Historic Site is situated on
Adams Street, N e w p o r t Avenue, a n d Furnace
Brook P a r k w a y , Quincy, Mass., approximately 8 miles south of Boston. T h e house
is on State R o u t e 135 and adjacent to State
R o u t e 3. A short distance from the site,
there is frequent train and bus service to and
from Boston.
SERVICE TO T H E PUBLIC
T H E SITE, containing 4.77 acres of land,
includes the house, library, garden, and
stables. Visiting hours are from 9 a. m.
until 5:15 p. m. every d a y from M a y 10 t o
November 10. Free guide service is provided
as far as facilities permit.
There is an
admission fee of 25 cents per person, plus
5 cents tax, with children under the age of
12 being admitted free when accompanied bv
responsible adults.
ADMINISTRATION
ADAMS National Historic Site is administered b y the National P a r k Service of the
United States D e p a r t m e n t of the Interior.
All inquiries concerning the area should be
addressed to the Superintendent, Adams
National Historic Site, Quincy, Mass.
T h e National P a r k System, of which
Adams National Historic Site is a
unit, is dedicated to t h e conservation
of America's scenic, scientific, and
historic heritage for t h e benefit and
enjoyment of the people.
"OLD
DINING ROOM.
HOUSE"
* Adams *
The
furnishings
represent allfour generations of the family
who occupied the
house.
The portraits of George attd
Martha It ashi/igton
were painted
by
Edward Savage in
1797. To the right
is a portrait of
Edward Boylston.
National Historic Site
* ^Massachusetts *
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DOUGLAS M C K A Y ,
NATIONAL PARK
CONRAD L. W I R T H ,
Revised 1953
Secretary
SERVICE
Director
16
63296-2
0. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
ADAMS
NATIONAL HISTORIC
This is the home of four generations of the Adams family
in public service, in literature,
UNLIKE MOST HISTORIC
which memorialize a single event or
a great individual, Adams National
Historic Site stands as a living
memorial to four generations of one
family; a family which played a foremost part in shaping the destiny of
America. Distinguished in public life
and in our national literature, men of
each of these generations left their
stamp on the history of the United
States.
JOHN
ADAMS
J L T E R E , when not a t the seat of governm e n t , lived John Adams, first Vice President
and second President of the United States.
John Adams was born on October 19, 1735,
graduated from H a r v a r d College in 1755, and
admitted to the bar in 1758. H e took a keen
interest in town affairs a n d wrote on public
m a t t e r s for the newspapers. In 1764, he
married Abigail, daughter of R e v . William
and Elizabeth (Quincy) Smith of W e y m o u t h ,
Mass. M r s . Adams was a remarkable woman,
who, throughout her life, was to prove a tower
of strength to her husband. H e r sprightly
letters give wonderful pictures of the times
and t h e stirring events she witnessed, ranging
from her account of the Battle of Bunker Hill,
vivid descriptions of residence in France and
England, and her difficulties as the first mis-
SITE
— distinguished
and in the intellectual life of the
SHRINES
H e was in Paris during t h e m o m e n t o u s
" H u n d r e d D a y s " a n d next went to England
as Minister to the Court of St. J a m e s . In
1817, he became President Monroe's Secretary of State a n d in this capacity negotiated
the treaty with Spain for the cession of the
Floridas. H e also took a prominent p a r t in
the recognition of the Latin-American R e p u b lics, and, laying down the policy t h a t " t h e
American continents are no longer subjects for
any new European colonial establishments,"
was jointly responsible with the President for
the promulgation of the Monroe Doctrine.
Nation.
tress of the White House, to her domestic
concerns in Quincy. She is the only woman
who has been the wife of one President a n d
the mother of another.
Active against the S t a m p Act and early
concerned in the patriotic cause, John Adams
was to demonstrate his moral courage b y d e fending the British C a p t a i n , T h o m a s Preston,
charged with murder in the Boston " M a s s a cre."
In 1774, he was chosen one of the delegates from Massachusetts to the First Continental Congress. After fighting began a t
Lexington he took a leading part in t h e
Second Continental Congress, headed the
movement for independence, and was largely
responsible for the choice of Washington as
C o m m a n d e r in Chief of the Army. Chosen
as one of the Committee of Five to draft t h e
Declaration of Independence he was, in
Jefferson's words, " t h e pillar of its support on
the floor of Congress." After Burgoyne's
surrender at Saratoga he was chosen commissioner to France and together with his IOyear-old son, John Quincy, sailed tor E u r o p e
in F e b r u a r y of 1778.
Later he was commissioned Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland a n d succeeded in
securing loans from t h a t country. Together
with Franklin and J a y , on September 3 , 1783,
he signed the peace treaty with Great Britain,
recognizing the independence of the United
States. T h e following summer M r s . Adams
joined him a t Paris and accompanied him t o
London. In 1785, he was appointed Envoy
to t h e Court of St. James, where he remained
JOHN ADAMS STUDY-.
The desk and chair were used by John Quincy Adams.
until 1788. T h r o u g h o u t these trying times
there was no one who played a more important
p a r t than John Adams in fighting for independence and foreign recognition. Together
with Franklin and Jefferson, he selected
E Pluribus Unum (One O u t of M a n y ) for the
m o t t o on the obverse of the seal of the United
States. I n the new government under the
Constitution he was elected Vice President and
during both of Washington's terms presided
over the Senate of the United States. Elected
to t h e Presidency in 1796, A d a m s served with
great ability and, fortunately for the country,
despite t h e clamour of m a n y of the leaders of
his own p a r t y , prevented a war with France.
In 1801, he retired to his home in Quincy, b u t
never lost his keen interest in public questions
as is attested b y his voluminous correspondence. H e lived to see his son elected t o
the Presidency, and passed away on July 4 ,
1826, t h e same d a y t h a t saw the death of
T h o m a s Jefferson.
John Adams died in the chair in the corner.
JOHN
JOHN
CJTJINCY
In 1825, he took the oath of office as sixth
President of t h e United States. Retiring to
Quincy in 1829, where he planned to write
history, he was within 2 years elected to Congress, where he served continuously for 17
years, being the only President to become a
member of the National House of Representatives after a term in the White House. H e
literally died a t his post, when on F e b r u a r y
21, 1848, a t the age of 81 he was stricken on
the floor of the House.
CHARLES
FRANCIS
President, was born August 18, 1807. At the
age of 2 he was t a k e n b y his father to St.
Petersburg a n d was to remember incidents of
Napoleon's return to Paris in 1815. H e
graduated from H a r v a r d College in 1825 and
was admitted to the practice of law in 1829,
after spending some weeks in t h e office of
Daniel Webster. T h a t same year he married
Abigail Brown, daughter of Peter Chardon
Brooks of Boston. After serving in the Massachusetts Legislature, he was, in 1848, nominated for Vice President on the Free Soil
ticket as running m a t e with Van Buren.
Elected to Congress in 18 58, and again in i 8 6 0 ,
he was the following year chosen b y President
Lincoln as Minister to the Court of St. James,
a post held b y his father and grandfather before him. As Minister he served his country
with distinction throughout the trying years
of the Civil W a r . Resigning in 1868, he declined the presidency of H a r v a r d University
Q U I N C Y ADAMS, born J u l y I I , 1767,
T H E LONG ROOM.
This room was the
scene of three golden
wedding anniversaries. The portraits
shown are Abigail
Adams.
John
Quincy
Adams.
John Adams, and
Charles
Francis
Adams.
GENEALOGY
JOHN ADAMS
L / H A R I . F . S FRANCIS ADAMS, son of the sixth
ADAMS
was enabled from childhood to gain an extraordinary knowledge of Europe. During his
father's ministry to Great Britain, he returned
to America and graduated from H a r v a r d
College in 1787. In 1794, Washington commissioned him Minister to t h e Netherlands,
and during his father's Presidency he was
Minister to Prussia. In 1803, he was elected
to t h e United States Senate, where he was t o
show his independence of mind b y his support
of Jefferson's embargo as an alternative to war.
Under President Madison he became, in 1809,
Minister to Russia, where, on friendly terms
with T s a r Alexander I, he witnessed m a n y
stirring events. H e refused a nomination t o
the Supreme Court of the United States,
remained in E u r o p e as one of the peace commissioners, and, on December 2 4 , 1 8 1 4 , s i g n e d
the T r e a t y of Ghent, ending the War of 1812.
ADAMS FAMILY
ADAMS
1735-1826
Second President
of the United States (1797-1801)
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
1767-1848
Sixth President
of the United States (1825-1829)
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS
1807-1886
Minister
to Great Britain
(1861-1868)
J O H N Q U I N C Y ADAMS
C H A R L E S F R A N C I S ADAMS
H E N R Y ADAMS
B R O O K S ADAMS
1833-1894
1835-1915
1838-1918
1848-1927
and retired t o Quincy. H e returned to
Europe as one of t h e arbitrators who passed
upon t h e Alabama Claims a t Geneva. H e
wrote on history for the North American Review, published the letters of his grandmother,
Abigail Adams, The Works of fohn Adams in
IO volumes, together with an admirable
biography of his grandfather, a n d published
his father's diary under the title Memoirs of
fohn Quincy Adams.
H e died November 2 1 ,
1886.
THE
FOURTH
GENERATION
X H E ELDEST of the four sons of Charles
Francis Adams was John Quincy. Born in
1833, he served on Governor Andrew's staff
in the Civil W a r and was a leader of his p a r t y
in Massachusetts. Though considered for a
post in President Cleveland's cabinet he did
nothing to encourage it. H e died in 1894.
Charles Francis Adams, J r . , born M a y 2 7 ,
1835, was graduated from H a r v a r d College in
1856. Serving in the Union Army throughout t h e Civil W a r , he rose to t h e rank of
colonel, commanding a Negro regiment.
Riding a t its head, he was t h e first t o enter
Richmond after Lee evacuated t h e city.
Mustered o u t in J u n e 1865, he received t h e
brevet of brigadier general. I n 1884, he became t h e President of t h e Union Pacific Railroad. F o r years, active in t h e civic affairs of
Quincy, he served on t h e S t a t e commission
which planned a system of parks a n d public
reservations in t h e vicinity of Boston. F o r
24 years he was a member of t h e Board of
Governors of H a r v a r d University. H e was
author of Three Episodes of Massachusetts
History; The Life of Richard Henry
Dana;
Studies: Military and Diplomatic
Ij"j5-l865;
Lee at Appomatox;
t h e life of his father,
Charles Francis Adams, in The American
Statesman Series; and an autobiography. H e
died M a r c h 20, 1915.
H e n r y Adams was born F e b r u a r y 16, 1838.
After graduation from H a r v a r d College he
studied civil law in Berlin a n d began his
travels, which were to carry him about t h e
world for m a n y years to come. Serving as
his father's secretary in Washington during
the winter of 1860-61, he accompanied him