Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sunday is for Church

[click image to enlarge]

Tomorrow is Presidents Day so the "Church of the Presidents", also known as "Stone Temple" seems fitting to post because it contains the tombs of two Presidents: John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams and their wives.

Architecturally one of the finest houses of worship in New England, it illustrates a transition in style from Georgian and Federal to Greek Revival. Designed and built in 1827-28 by noted architect-engineer Alexander Parris, the designer of Quincy Market in Boston, the First Parish Church was constructed of blue granite from nearby quarries and represents one of the earliest uses of native granite as a building material in the United States. The 4 massive Doric columns in the front portico measuring 25 feet long and weighing 25 tons each, were hauled by oxen teams from the quarries to the construction site. John Quincy Adams provided the money for this edifice.

This church is a National Historic Landmark and a "must see" if you visit Quincy.

4 comments:

BeanTownBoy said...

Awesome ... what a treasure!

The Lone Beader® said...

I love living in a city with so much history! :D

marley said...

That is a very impressive looking building, love the history too.

Janet Kincaid said...

Interesting that this is called the Church of the Presidents. There's a church here in D.C. that has the same moniker. I just posted a picture of it today! I wonder how many other churches in the U.S. have this same distinction?

I love this blog. You do a great job of photographing and providing good information about what we're looking at. Thank you!

Summer Attraction

This tiger swallowtail butterfly was a delight to see pollinating the phlox bed along my driveway.