Day 74: Humble Beginnings

 In visiting the birthplaces of three presidents today, we were struck by some of the similarities...parents (especially fathers) who placed high expectations on their sons for leadership and civic responsibility; modest homes; an emphasis on faith and religion. John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, both were born in Braintree, south of Boston, in homes that literally were 75 feet apart. And John F. Kennedy was born just a few miles away in Brookline.

The home in which John Adams was born and raised was a modest, five-room structure.  To the initial disappointment of his father, he did not choose the professional path wished for him, that of a minister. He preferred farming to all else but, at his parents' insistence, did pursue a good bit of education and became a highly respected lawyer. His parents came to admire his success and even offered him the use of the family parlor (in which he'd never been allowed as a child) to use as his first law office. Interesting note: it was the only painted room in the home. Paint was a luxury, and a family's status was often evident in the amount of paint, both inside and out, on a house.

Upon John's marriage to Abigail, following five years of courtship (!), they moved into a second modest home on the family property; it happened to sit 75 feet away from the door of his parents' house. Both structures remain on their original foundations, and what once was a post road outside the front doors is now a busy street; huge trucks and buses pass just feet from the windows, and the noise is tremendous. But in spite of that, it's quite easy to envision the Adams families in their residences.

John Quincy was born in that second house. The second child of John and Abigail, he faced similar expectations from his parents as to his education and future success. He was a brilliant man and, at age 10, worked as his father's secretary during overseas political trips. Fluent in 10 languages, he served as ambassador to four different countries and totalled more than 70 years of public service over his lifetime. One of his passions was books, and during his many years of travel and work, he accumulated more than 12,000 volumes spanning a wide variety of topics and 14 languages. His books are on display in The Stone Library, a beautiful structure next to John and Abigail's final home, Peacefield, just a couple of miles away from their first. Four generations of their offspring lived at Peacefield, all the way to 1926, and many alterations and additions were made over the years; the library structure was added by John Quincy's son to house his father's vast collection. Sadly, the 6th president, who had served in Congress following his years as President (the only one to do so), died before seeing his precious books installed in their new home.

The final home we visited was that of Rose and Joe Kennedy, parents of John F. Kennedy, in Brookline. When they purchased the house around 1914, it was on the outskirts of Boston, and gave the newly married Rose the space she dreamed of for her future children to run and play. During the couple's six years there, she gave birth to four children in the master bedroom. John was her second son (and second child), and he and his older brother had big shoes to fill in the family line...their father was the youngest president of a bank in the entire country, and their grandfather (Rose's father) was a two-term mayor of Boston. When Joe Jr. (John's brother) was killed during WWII, all of the expectations placed on the older son were transferred to Jack, as he was called. He more than lived up to them, becoming a well-loved Congressman for Massachusetts and later the President.

It was interesting to be in these homes today and imagine the humble beginnings of three men who would go on to shape our country in monumental ways. Tomorrow we move into the heart of Boston, staying in a hotel for the next five nights. The long-planned time in the city is providential, allowing us to hole up in safety for as long as necessary while Hurricane Irene makes her way up the coast and across New England. We pray for a last-minute change in her anticipated course, but we feel as ready as possible for her onslaught. We've changed our camper storage to one that's more inland than Plymouth, our original plan. Assuming there's still a Plymouth Rock to visit when the storm is over, we'll pick up the camper and head to that area after Boston. Thanks for the prayers and concern on our behalf. We're being cautious and won't take any unnecessary risks in the days ahead.

Above, the birthplace of John Adams. His wife, Abigail, gave birth to their first son, John Quincy Adams, in the house below. The houses are called "Saltboxes" because they resemble the boxes used to hold tablesalt in the 18th century. They're narrow houses with two rooms up and down, and a long room added on at ground level along the back.

John and Abigail's Peacefield, and home to their future generations. The Old Stone Library, housing John Quincy's thousands of books, is below. It sits next to Peacefield.

Stan and Kendall worked together on her Junior Ranger book in the Kennedy home. In the background beyond Stan's hand is a small table at which Jack and his older brother, Joe, sat during formal meals in the dining room. Below is the home's modest kitchen.

A rare treat, dinner out, at the historic Colonial Inn in Concord. Past guests, both of the inn and its restaurant, include Jackie Kennedy (a regular), Elizabeth Taylor and FDR. We enjoyed the ambience almost as much as the delicious food!