The "Old House"

Yesterday's close-up image was taken from the Adams National Historic Site that we are fortunate to have in Quincy.  The grounds and gardens can be visited anytime free of charge. 

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This handsome Georgian style brick residence, complete with widow's walk, is located on Adams Street. All of Adams Street was a section of the old Boston-Plymouth Highway and a important settlement area in the early days.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This mansardic residence on Norfolk Street built in the late 1800s is one of three such houses in the Wollaston/Forbes Hill neighborhood. It is set on a typical Quincy granite foundation. Its asymmetrical facade is composed of an angular one-story bay window and an entrance which has retained its original double doors with arched panes inset at the top. It is a simple version of the numerous doors illustrated in A. J. Bicknell's 1873 Detail, Cottage and Constructive Architecture.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This is one of many Tudor style houses located on Adams Street. All of Adams Street was a section of the old Boston-Plymouth Highway and a important settlement area in the early days. What a wonderful slate tiled roof.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This old house was acclaimed as the grandest local estate in the 17th and 18th centuries in Quincy. "The Quincy Homestead" was chosen for the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, because it represents the evolution of over 300 years of American architecture by combining Colonial, Georgian and Victorian design.
The Quincys were one of the leading families of Massachusetts. Their decendants include President John Quincy Adams and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. It was the childhood home of the First Lady of Massachusetts, Dorothy Quincy Hancock, wife of John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and first governor of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Colonial Dames negotiated a sale-leaseback agreement with the state in 1904 to save the mansion. The state is mostly responsible for the exterior and The Dames look after the interior. Since 2005, this old house has undergone much renovation to restore this stately historic building to its former grandeur.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This Mansard style house on Union Street, in the Quincy Point section has some gorgeous details and a very dynamic sky.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This old house on Crabtree Lane on the Squantum peninsula was refurbished recently and commands a view of Quincy bay from the top floor.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

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This impressively sited Colonial Revival Georgian house sits square on its high site on President's Hill. It was probably built in 1915 by a Morton T. Swallow. It is a particularly fine and imaginative example of this architectural style; one of the best in this neighborhood filled with with Colonial Revival houses. I especially enjoy the setting and symmetry of 105 Presidents Lane and glad I don't have to mow this lawn.

The Stone Library

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The impressive Stone Library, built in 1870, was built to house the books of President John Quincy Adams. It is believed to be the first Presidential library, containing more than 14,000 historic volumes. The library is located on the grounds of the Adams Mansion and is part of the Adams National Historic Site.