10/14/2011

It rained all night and all day today. We drove to Quincy and went to the Adams National Historical Park. This park has the birthplaces of John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams. The Old House, built in 1731, became the residence of the Adams family for four generations. It was home to two presidents. They are the oldest presidential birthplaces in the U.S. In 1735, John Adams (2^nd President of the U.S.) was born in the house located only 75 feet away from the birthplace of his son John Quincy Adams (6^th President).

After John Adams and Abigail returned to the U.S. from France where he was the U.S. Ambassador, they purchased a larger house a few blocks away. We toured that house also. The first two had period furnishing but no original items. The larger house had all original furnishings from all generations of Adams. John Adams died in this house on the 50^th anniversary of the 4^th of July. Thomas Jefferson died on the very same day and they were two of the three surviving signers of the Declaration of Independence. At the time, John Quincy Adams was the president. We also saw the tombs of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and their wives in the crypt of the United First Parish Church.

We had a place to park for free so we hopped on the train and went into Cambridge. We walked back past Harvard University and went back to the Longfellow National Historic Site. The last time we went here it wasn’t open. We took the tour and we were the only people on it. This house is where in July 1775 General George Washington commanded the Continental Army which was laying siege to British occupied Boston after the Battle of Bunker Hill. He resided here with Martha until the British evacuated Boston in March 1776. Andrew Craigie, the nation’s first Apothecary General, and his wife Elizabeth bought the house in 1791 increasing its size. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (the famous American poet) rented two rooms in 1837. In 1843 he married Fanny and her parents bought the house for them as a wedding present. Fanny died in this house when her dress caught on fire. Longfellow tried to put the flames out with a rug but she died later that day. He was left with three young children. In 1972 it was given to the National Park Service by Longfellow's descendents.