The Abigail Adams Birthplace’s Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on June 29, 2013.
“Abigail Adams is most commonly known for being the wife of one president and the mother of another,” says Cathy Torrey, President Emeritus of Abigail Adams Historical Society, an organization dedicated to the conservation and educational upkeep of Abigail Adams Birthplace in North Weymouth, Massachusetts. “She is also known for her letter writing and most commonly, her letters between herself and John [Adams, the 2nd President of the United States]. Abigail is also a letter writer to her friends, family, and notable historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson and Mercy Otis Warren.”
The second first lady lived in her birthplace for the first 20 years of her life. Education was important to her and her father, Reverend Smith, who regularly taught boys who were going to attend Harvard University subjects like law, ministry, and medicine at the home. Her mother taught Abigail how to read and write, and Abigail would later read from her father’s many books in the study’s library. She and President John Adams left to make a life of their own after exchanging vows at the home in 1764.
Such an early introduction to the world of learning would follow her for the rest of her life, manifesting in the famous correspondence between her and her husband that started while she was still living at the house. The letters provided a descriptive picture of what the era looked like through the eyes of a woman, says Torrey.... Read More →
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Paulina Tam is an intern at Preservation magazine as well as the Features Co-Editor of The Observer at Fordham University. A WWII and aviation fanatic, she maintains a growing collection of WWII model airplanes that accompanies her hometown writing station.