John Adams and John Quincy Adams

September 25, 2024.    Boston and Quincy

MBTA is working on the line through Quincy, so I had to take a shuttle bus that took a whole lot longer. I want to emphasize that MBTA and the bus company are doing everything they can to make the detour work. There are employees everywhere ready to get you to your destination. 

The National Park System visitor center is across the street from Quincy Center station. There was a nice film about generations of the Adams family.  Don’t confuse this with the Addams family from the sitcom, like my auto type just did.   The film features Paul Giamatti, Tom Hanks, and Laura Linney.   

John and John Q were the only two presidents of the first seven to only serve single terms.  Father / Son.  Both had extensive service as ambassadors/ministers to Europe, as well as secretary of state. The family was in Quincy for many generations. Quincy, by the way, was a family name of Abigail Adams, wife of John. She herself was intelligent and completed John.

The tour offers a shuttle bus between the three houses and the visitors center. The old house at Peace Field Has a tour guide.  Peace Field Was refurbished a number of times after J and JQ. The kitchen displays a number of stoves from throughout its history.

Probably the most awesome site is Stone Library, right behind Peace Field, Built by one of the descendants and located behind the main house. The Library houses, the Adams book collection and many artifacts, including a desk from Congress.(?).  The tour guide called this the first presidential library!

Both presidents and their wives are entombed In the basement of the United First Parish Church, which in of itself is quite a place.  By the way, count the stripes!

I found statues of John Hancock and John Adams in town, but JQ not only does not rate a statue, he does not rate a coffee mug.   His crypt is about the only thing I found with his name.

John, the second president, successfully defended the five British soldiers from the Boston massacre. JQ, the sixth president, went to Congress after the White House and successfully defended the Amistad enslaved people before the Supreme Court. He died in the US capitol And has the distinction of having known both Washington and Lincoln, who was in Congress with JQ.   

I went into Bank of America in Quincy Center for business. This is a beautiful old bank building with its own history, but I was asked not to take pictures inside. The stately structure could be a separate tour.

I have now seen something of 31 presidents!

On to New Hampshire and Vermont.