NEW ABIGAIL ADAMS STATUE IN CITY OF QUINCY UNVEILED TO REMEMBER THE LADIES + CELEBRATE AMERICAN HISTORY

 

Photo of the Abigail Adams Statue Unveiling, Courtesy of Carl Stevens, WBZ

(November 5, 2022) – ‘Remember the Ladies’ was the theme in the City of Quincy today as city, state and federal officials gathered alongside historians, educators and local residents to unveil the new statue of Abigail Adams at the Hancock Adams Common.

Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch was joined onstage by US Congressman Steven Lynch and keynote speakers Catherine Allgor, president of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and Danielle Allen, professor of political philosophy at Harvard University. In the audience was former US Congressman Bill Delahunt, and various elected officials from Quincy.

Today’s ceremony honored the legacy of the Second First Lady of the United States of America, Abigail Adams, whose role as a defining voice of the Revolutionary War era has been praised in recent years. She was the wife of America’s second President John Adams and mother of the sixth President John Quincy Adams. Abigail was a farmer, writer and patriot.

Abigail’s now famous phrase, ‘Remember the Ladies’ written in a letter to her husband John on March 31, 1776, foresaw the inevitable power of the Declaration of Independence to treat all citizens as equal, no matter the gender, race, religion or economic status.

“Abigail is most likely the most important woman of her generation, whose actions and words continue to hold great influence even today,” said Mayor Koch. “There is not a marriage that, as a couple, has had a greater influence on who we are as a people than John and Abigail Adams, and the Common is absolutely the right place for both of their contributions to be recognized. Working with a group of Quincy advocates helped bring the project to life.”

Renowned sculptor Sergey Eylanbekov created the seven-foot bronze statue of Abigail on the same scale as two of his other sculptures in the park, of John Adams and John Hancock.

Located at 1305 Hancock Street, the Hancock Adams Common has become a focal point for the newly renovated downtown Quincy. Its tree-lined promenade is an attractive setting for three of the city’s most important historic sites: United First Parish Church, Old City Hall and Hancock Cemetery. At the corner of the park is the Discover Tourism Welcome Center, which provides information and marketing materials to visitors who come to Quincy from around the world.

Not far from the Hancock Adams Common is the Adams National Historical Park, located at 135 Adams Street.

In 2025, the City of Quincy celebrates its 400th anniversary of its settlement. A Quincy 400 organization has been established to mark the occasion and to create events in the years leading up to 2025.

For more information, visit Discover Quincy.