Hancock-Adams Room

Hancock Adams Room

Welcome to the Massachusetts Room at NSDAR in Washington, D.C.

Let’s retrace the history of the Hancock-Clark House in Lexington, Massachusetts, where John Hancock and Samuel Adams were awakened by Paul Revere on April 18, 1775. The men were asleep in “the parlor” of the house built in 1737 by Thomas Hancock for his father Reverend John Hancock. Reverend Hancock was the grandfather of our American Patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence by the same name, who at seven years of age came to live with his grandfather. The younger John Hancock was later adopted by his uncle Thomas Hancock. Reverend Jonas Clarke and his wife Lucy Bowes, a cousin of John Hancock, lived in the house from 1752-1805.

Almost 50 years ago, the Massachusetts State Society Daughters of the American Revolution created a replica of the room and we include photos here for your viewing.
Our State Regents and members tirelessly researched the history of the room and found its items.

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Tall
Clock Case

American, 1790-1820.
Marked: “William Crawford, Oakham” on the face of the clock. A scrolled crest above the arched hood, silvered brass dial, four plain free-standing columns, a scrolled panel on the waist, scrolled apron between bracket feet.

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Side
Chair

Late Baroque, cherry 1750-1800

Pencil Post Bed and
Bed Hangings

Maple, c. 1750-1790.
Octagonally carved posts. Woven rope supports feather mattress, bolster, hand-woven linen sheet, and quilted woolen coverlet. The bed hangings with valance are modeled after a Lexington example of 1770 using hand-woven and vegetable-dyed fabric hand-sewn by members of the Massachusetts State Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

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Gate Leg Table

Maple with pine secondary, 1720, all elements are original. The pewter plates were made in London between 1765-1779 by Burgum and Catcott.

Chest

The New England chest, in carved oak and pine, was made for Mary Burt of Northampton, Massachusetts. She was born in 1695 and married Preserved Marshall in 1716. It is decorated with stylized tulips and comma-like tendrils. It was probably made between 1700 and 1716.

All photos appear courtesy of MDAR Chapter Members.

The content contained herein does not necessarily represent the position of the NSDAR. Hyperlinks to other sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters.

The Massachusetts State Society Daughters of the American Revolution website is maintained by the state webmaster.
State VIS Chair

Last Updated February 18, 2024

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