Presidential Sites: John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site Brookline, Mass

NPS photo

Having spent Saturday visiting the Adams family sites in Quincy, it seemed important to add one more president to our weekend. Finding the house on Beal Street was a challenge. It is very poorly signed and we kept going around in circles.  I am sure if Google Maps will help but I would give it a try.

Once you are on Beal St. you will be surprised by the street itself. It isn’t filled with mansions or large fancy houses. It almost looks like an urban working class neighborhood. There is a marker in front of the house and you can park along the street. This is a real neighborhood so please be aware of not blocking someone’s driveway.

What you will find most striking is that this is a real family home, you can imagine raising your own family in a very similar house. The entrance is around the back in the basement. There is an introductory film that runs about 15  minutes. The film is narrated by Rose and she talks about raising her nine children. This house is about Rose and her life as much as about Jack Kennedy.

Rose Fitzgerald was the daughter of the mayor of Boston. Her father Honey Fitz was the son of famine immigrants, and the first son of Irish immigrants to be elected mayor of any city. At 17 Rose wanted to attend Wesley College, but her father refused permission because it wasn’t a Catholic college.

She and Joe had a 7-year courtship. They married in 1914 and five of their children were born in this house.

Rose was very organized. She had a card file on each of her none children, this way she had all their information at her fingertips. She trained them from birth that those who had a lot owed a lot. Service was one thing that all the Kennedy children understood.

After watching the video you will be taken on a guided tour of the first and second floor of the house. It is every bit a family home with toys on display and comfortable not overly formal furniture. The Kennedy’s had money though, they had two live-in servants--a cook, and a nanny. We get to see the parlor where Rose darned socks, Joe read the newspaper, and the children played.
The children had a strict upbringing. Rose believed in healthy living and Joe expected his children to be able to participate in dinner conversation. They were encouraged to know about current events and were groomed to be articulate. It is obvious when you listen to any of them speak that they were born to public service.

You will see the room where Rose gave birth to the future president and also the room where he spent his early years. You need to be able to climb stairs to visit here. I highly recommend a visit to the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site for anyone who remembers Camelot or who wishes they did.

Presidential Sites: United First Parish Church Quincy, Mass.

Now a Unitarian Church, United First Parish Church was Congregational when John and Abigail were buried here. Like many of our early leaders, John's leanings would have fit in very nicely with the direction the church has gone. The present church was built in 1828 but it has been a congregation for over 350 years and has had several different buildings (the current is the second stone church) and at least two different locations.

Today you will find the burial place of both Adams presidents and their wives in the crypt. While we were waiting for one tour to end we sat in the rear of the church. What we learned there was a little about the history of the town of Quincy, which began its life as the north precinct of the town of Braintree. Each of the suburban Boston towns had its own charter and by 1640 each was looking to form its own church since attendance was mandatory in Massachusetts Colony.

John Hancock was born in Braintree and both he and John Adams were baptized by Rev. Hancock. In 1792 the town received its name of Quincy, after Abby’s grandfather. Now you starting to get a picture of just how much a part of the Massachusetts fabric these two families were, think of the names of some of the towns Adams, Quincy, Boylston just to name a few.

We sat in the Adams family pew while our docent gave us our verbal tour of the church. The pews are the original ones, there is a mahogany pulpit and some of the glass is the wavy original. The ceiling is beautiful with a passion flower in the center. Two plaques in the church are dedicated to the Adams family.

One interesting fact that I took from this tour was that "It came upon the Midnight Clear" was sung in this church for the first time ever in 1849. A bit of trivia that might come in useful.

What most people come here for is to visit the graves of the second and sixth presidents and their first ladies. John and Abigail were buried first in the cemetery across the street but were later moved into the more secure crypt of the church.