Two sides of Adams birthplace to be replaced this winter – The Patriot Ledger

Restoration project is under way at the John Adams birthplace in Quincy.

QUINCY It's set to be a busy off season at the John Adams Birthplace.

The national park has only been closed for a few weeks, but the small historic home on Franklin Street is already shrouded in scaffolding as workers prepare to replace the south and west-facing sides of the house. The siding hasn't been replaced since 1984, facilities manager Kevin Kelly said, and the restoration work "is greatly needed."

"The exterior has really deteriorated," Kelly said. "But it gets tricky to find the talent and materials necessary to do restoration projects like this There's not a lot we can just pick up at Home Depot."

The John Adams Birthplace is a two-story wooden house at the corner of Franklin Street and Presidents Avenue. It was built in 1722 by Deacon John Adams, father to the second president of the United States. John Adams was born there in 1735.

Pine clapboards make up the current siding of the house, and the wood isn't treated or finished in anyway to preserve the historic feel. Kelly said pine isn't rot resistant at all, so this time around builders are going to replace the current wood with boards of Sitka spruce sourced from Alaska in hopes the similar-looking material will hold up better in winter weather.

Wood was replaced on a non-historic addition to the home two years ago and builders took the opportunity to try out another type of wood - ponderosa pine that had been treated with ammonia and quartz. But Kelly said that type of wood ended up with a greenish tint to it and "wouldn't be appropriate" for the historic parts of the house.

And it's not just sourcing material that makes the project hard. Kelly says the way the boards are laid is very particular and hard-to replicate, making the restoration a time-consuming endeavor.

"Each clapboard laps 2 inches and it's an angled, tapered cut that we've tried many times to do with modern machinery," Kelly said. "But it always proves faster and more efficient by hand."

Kelly said the south-facing side the front of the house is expected to be completed by mid-January and the west-facing side by March. If they have extra time before the park reopens in May, they'll start working on the other sides as well.

"We really just thought we were going to replace the bottom 10 boards because those are in the worst shape and have deteriorated the most, but it turns out that we have the talent and it's worthwhile to try to do what we can now," Kelly said.

Last year, the exterior of the Adams Carriage House on Adams Street was replaced.

The birthplace project also includes the replacement of window glass and sashes the part of the window that holds the glass and framework in place.

The restoration is expected to cost $100,000 and will be paid for by visitor fees.

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Two sides of Adams birthplace to be replaced this winter - The Patriot Ledger