Nearby: The Houses of Salem

 I was not fully prepared for the beauty of Salem. 

 When I left for Salem this past Saturday from North Station, I anticipated a typical exhibition of New England charm combined with an exceptional amount of paranormal kitsch. Without a doubt, there was quite a display of the latter (it is October, after all), but to my delight, I found such elegance in the streets that promised only a predictable quaintness. I found a wide range of early American architecture scattered throughout Salem's well-kept avenues, enough to keep any student of architecture satisfied. Perhaps my love for early America has me biased, but I left smitten with Salem, a place that felt even more impressive than nearby Concord or Lexington in terms of reflecting the early days of our country.  Even beyond Chestnut Street, affectionately described as "New England's Prettiest Street," I found style and significance.

 

Nearby: Peacefield

My lovely mother visited this weekend and in honor of her love for colonial history, we visited John Adam's Peacefield, also known as the Old House. We left Somerville while it rained but the clouds-very appropriately- broke upon our arrival at Peacefield. The place is quite idyllic, even surrounded by 21st century bustle. The house was actually built a few years before John Adams was born and the family did not move there until 1788. But once they settled, they stayed. In fact, four generations of Adamses stayed, until 1927. What you see is not what originally was there, however. Like any house, Peacefield underwent renovations several times and each generation left their own mark. But for the most part, the rooms are what John and Abigail would have remembered. 

They would not, however, notice the Stone Library, what lies adjacent to the house and what is considered the country's first presidential library. It was built in 1873 to hold John Quincy Adams collection of 14,000 volumes-scores and scores of books in dozens of languages and on hundreds of subjects. Of course, no photographs allowed in the library or the house, but the gardens, the orchard and the exterior of these buildings were enough to delight this amateur....

Granary Burying Ground

Many times I have walked past the Granary Burying Ground, but only twice have I took true notice of its gravestones. The first was nearly a year and a half ago, when my mother and I spent a weekend in Boston exploring the Freedom Trail, which this cemetery is on. Today was the second time I lingered within its confines, taking note of its inhabitants and reflecting on the mark many of them left in our society. 

The Burying Ground is home to many names Americans know best: Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, among many others. They are the names vested in American folklore and they all rest here, in this relatively small plot of land sandwiched in between tall, shamelessly modern office buildings. My first response is that the land surrounding the burial ground should have been better preserved, but now it seems almost refreshing to me-this little enclave of revolutionary spirits (and some Tory spirits as well) dwelling here while modernity continues to rise around its center. However, the informational posts within the burying ground informed me that it had always been a somewhat congested area, so perhaps there was no real opportunity, or desire even, to make the area a larger memorial.  Home to 2,345 gravestones and 204 tombs, the Granary Burying Ground is not Boston's oldest graveyard, but it certainly seems as if it is the city's most beloved.  

Through sites like this, Boston has rekindled my love for colonial history. I am re-watching the HBO mini series of "John Adams" for the first time and the hope is that I can soon visit Quincy. I have also begun reading First Family: Abigail and John Adams by the historian Joseph J. Ellis and almost every page is filled with lovely bits of their correspondence. 

I think I'll go read some of it now.