Quincy: The History of the Adams Family and More

Quincy brings together different chapters of American history: the homes of the Adams family tell stories of births, family life, and political work; the USS Salem is located at a former shipyard site. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are most interested in family history, historic collections, or another aspect of history.

The Adams Family: Birthplaces and a Home Across Generations

The John Adams Birthplace is the house where John Adams was born in 1735. Old House at Peace field offers a different perspective on the family: four generations of the Adams family lived there from 1788 to 1927. Together, the two sites represent different stages of a family history—from a single birthplace to a home occupied across many generations.

The John Quincy Adams Birthplace is also associated with John Adams. He drafted the Massachusetts Constitution in this house. Visitors interested in political history will find a specific connection here to a historic document. Together with the birthplaces and Old House at Peace field, it offers a multifaceted picture: Quincy can be explored through places where people lived and family connections, not just individual dates.

Books and Historic Landscape

The Stone Library is part of the history of Old House at Peace field. It contains more than 12,000 books owned by the Adams family and was built in 1873. The collection adds a distinct, book-focused facet to the family’s history. For families who enjoy getting to know historic places through specific objects and collections, it offers a different focus from the history of the birthplaces or the family’s longtime residence.

The garden at Old House at Peace field is a historic landscape. It adds a landscape perspective to the houses without requiring another chapter of political history to take center stage.

A Different Historical Connection: The USS Salem

The USS Salem is located in Quincy, Massachusetts, at 549 South Street, Pier 3, on the former Fore River Shipyard site. Its location on the former Fore River Shipyard site provides a different focus from the Adams family sites: here, the emphasis is on the connection to a former shipyard. The site brings together several historical themes that differ in subject matter.

Visitor Center Orientation

The Adams National Historical Park Visitor Center is located in downtown Quincy. An introductory film is shown there, and a Junior Ranger activity booklet is available free of charge. The booklet offers a specific point of interest for younger visitors, while the film provides an introduction to Adams National Historical Park. If you are traveling with children, you can take this part of your visit into account as you consider which historical themes are especially interesting to your family.

The different sites have different historical connections; they do not form a single route. A vacation rental in Quincy is a good search option if you want to focus your stay on the city and its varied historical themes.

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