Adams Family

Today we returned to the Adams National Historical Park to take the tour of the homes in which Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born and Peacefields, the Old House which sheltered four generations of the Adams family. What a remarkable family! We were fascinated at what we learned about the major role members of the family played at critical points in American history, from the founding of the republic to the Civil War.

Peacefield

Stone Library and Garden

The two birth homes are in their original locations and furnished with period furniture. The real gem is Peacefield, which passed directly from the Adams family to the National Park Service, with all its contents intact. The furnishings and artifacts in the house are from all four generations who lived there. Among the most impressive were the desks at which important historic documents were drafted and John and Abigail's bed (the one in which she died of typhus). Outside a lovely formal garden includes a rose tree planted by Abigail in 1788. The Stone Library, built in 1870 is by some accounts the first presidential library. It contains 14,000 volumes collected by John and John Quincy Adams for their own study rather than being the official documents of their administrations.

After the tour we walked to the Fours Restaurant & Sports Bar for a bowl of clam chowder and a Samuel Adams. My cousin Beth used to work in Quincy and recommended Fours for the best chowder she had ever eaten. We agreed.

Cheers

Classy address

Afterwards we took the train to the Boston Commons and walked around a bit. We strolled past the Cheers Bar and watched other tourists having their pictures taken by the sign. Then we walked over to Trinity Church on Clarendon Street (the one we missed touring on Sunday). One the way we passed a couple of other historic churches (you can't walk around Boston without tripping over history).

Trinity Church and Farmers' Market

Boston Public Library, Copley Square

On the square in front of Trinity was a great Farmers' Market, where I couldn't resist picking up some fresh veggies. Then across the street is the Copley branch of the Boston Public Library, a really wonderful temple to the arts and sciences and an oasis in the midst of the bustling city. An interior courtyard surrounds a lovely fountain.

Peaceful fountain in courtyard

The marble and columns and artwork made the library feel like a state house or art gallery. We saw murals painted by John Singer Sargent. One room was filled with an exhibit of hand-bound books that were among the top entries in an international competition. Here's the winning binding: