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John Quincy Adams House Tour
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" Our tour guide this morning at Seattle's mansion is Caroline [unk], who is in-charge services. Hi, Caroline!"
" Hi, Bob."
" Not too many visitors to Boston know that we have treasures like the Adams Mansion here."
" No, this is one of our greatest treasures here in Quincy."
" It was the home---- the old house to our second and sixth presidents of the United States, John and John Quincy Adams and there's over 140 years of history."
" It also served as the summertime White House through both well presidents, so it's a pretty special place."
" It's a magnificent house. Now, how big your place is it?"
" Originally when John and Abigail moved into the house, there were a total of 6 rooms to it. Today, there were 21."
" So it grew. Could we maybe see 3 of the rooms?"
" Yeah, sure you can."
" Good."
" What a beautiful front door, Caroline."
" Yes, it is Bob. It's part of their original 1731."
" [unk] of the old house."
" Yes."
" I'm gonna ask you to take off your shoes while we're inside."
" Oh, sure."
" To protect the---- the [unk]."
" Very, very delicate place."
" Yes,"
" Beautiful little staircase."
" Yes it is and we're carrying on the tradition that was started by Brooks Adams, the last generation to live in here."
" The tours don't up the stairs because he requested that only family members used the staircase."
" Oh, that's nice. And this is the---- the front parlor?"
" Yes, we're going into the---- yes, the front parlor."
" Oh."
" Or panelled room."
" The woodwork in here is gorgeous. It's all the height, isn't it?"
" Yes and that's they called it the panelled room, you know, the original builder brought it in 1731, a Santo Domingo mahogany."
" Everywhere including the crown molding, that one on the ceiling."
" Very [unk]."
" It's the earliest known floor to ceiling paneling in the United States."
" Is it?"
" It's a little bit dark. Tell me a little about the history of the room?"
" Well, when John and Abigail moved in the house they felt it was a little bit dark too."
" And to take care of that they added a window on either side of the fireplace to bring more light into the room."
" Beautiful."
" They also white-washed the wood exactly."
" They white washed it?"
" White it up a little bit. But their grandsons were very thankful, brought it back to the original Santo Domingo mahogany as you see it today."
" So he restored it back in the 19th century."
" Yeah, in 1860 about and it cost him 285 dollars, which he said was a very expensive luxury."
" Big bucks exactly."
" Yes."
" What's the room on the other side?"
" The original dining room to the house. This is the dining room----"
" in the home and it's really a reflection of 4 generations of the Adams Family tastes----"
" likes. We have originally, Abigail's mahogany table, which she would have used in the paneled room."
" Right."
" And you can see how beautiful that would have looked."
" Yes."
" And then, the fourth generation added the Hepplewhite sideboard, right over here."
" Beautiful piece, yeah."
" yeah. And then we have the third generation's taste, which would be the addition of the terra-cotta fireplace. "
" Which is probably 1860s or 70s like that."
" And then finally John Adams is---- holding a place of honor above the fireplace. This painting was originally painted bike Gilbert Stuart."
" His daughter was also an artist and she made a copy of their father's painting."
" Oh, how marvelous."
" It originally hangs here today and this is the last portrait that was ever painted of John Adams at the age of 88."
" Very talented, and the architecture of the room is pretty simple."
" Yes, it is."
" What's next?"
" Next, long room."
" But why they called it the long room?"
" It's called the long room because it extends the length of the house."
" Okay."
" Abigail had it built in 1800 and she more or less doubled the size of the home. It's about 30 feet high."
" But---- it's about 30 feet---- yes, it's a large room."
" Yes."
" Very interesting. Now, most---- everything in here look French except for this piece in the corner."
" This particular piece is a sewing chair and it was brought into the house by Charles Francis Adams. You can see the original sewing box on the top of it and this is where the pin cushion is and it's all 1 piece."
" I've never seen anything like it, but it's a very formal room that's presidential. It's quite beautiful."
" It is----"
" Where did they get all the French furniture?"
" John Adams served as our ambassador or minister to the Netherlands and that he---- purchased his furniture second-hand while he was over there to furnish the [unk]."
" And the room is beautifully detailed, what a wonderful mantelpiece with all the carved oak [unk] and of course, it's a similar situation to what we have in our little house and that the masonry is actually built away from the wall, so that the polyester and the mantelpiece itself is built out. And what great and elaborate chair rail molding, you've got here, huh. Wonderful room! Caroline, is the house open all year around?"
" No, it's not. It's open April 19 to November 10."
" That's great."
" 7 days a week."
" Very special. Thank you for the tour."
" My pleasure."