John Adams Birthplace

The John Adams Birthplace is a historic house at 133 Franklin Street in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is the saltbox home in which the second President of the United States, John Adams, was born in 1735. The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is now administered by the National Park Service as part of the Adams National Historical Park, and is open for guided tours.Description and early historyThe house is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, sheathed in wooden clapboards. There are two main rooms, one on either side of a central chimney, on each of the two floors, and there are two further rooms in the lean to section on the first floor. The main facade is three bays wide with the entry in the center. The doorway is framed by pilasters and topped by an entablature and triangular pediment.The land on which the house sits was first owned by William Needham, who built a house on the property c. 1650. The oldest portion of the present house, the southeastern side, was probably built around 1681, although there is evidence it was built on the foundation of the older house, and may include some of its parts. The asymmetry of the main facade suggests that the northern side of the house was added later. The lean to section, which gives the house its saltbox appearance, was added sometime before 1720, when the house was purchased by Deacon John Adams, Sr. His oldest son John was born in the east room in 1735.