Remember the ladies: Quincy to unveil bronze Abigail Adams statue Saturday - The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY − The city on Saturday plans to unveil a new 7-foot-tall bronze statue of Abigail Adams in downtown Quincy following a wave of public support for first lady representation in front of city hall.

Italian sculptor Sergei Eylanbekov has carved a statue of the first lady and presidential mother on the same scale as the existing sculptures of John Hancock and John Adams on the Hancock Adams Common. The new statue will be unveiled during a ceremony next to United First Parish Church at 11 a.m. Saturday.

“Abigail is most likely the most important woman of her generation, whose actions and words continue to hold great influence even today. Her statue belongs on the common near her husband," Mayor Thomas Koch said in a statement. "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.”

About 100 residents rallied in front of the Church of the Presidents in March after it was announced that a statue of Abigail and her 10-year-old son, who would one day be president, was to be placed in Merrymount Park. The statue was commissioned by a group of private citizens alongside one of Abigail's husband, President John Adams, and both were situated for years on opposite sides of Hancock Street to depict a relationship marked by separation.

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The statue of Abigail and her son by Lloyd Lillie stood for years, but was put into storage during construction of the Hancock-Adams Common five years ago. The statue of the first lady has been out of the public eye ever since, and protesters said moving it to Merrymount Park and out of the heart of downtown was a disservice to the first lady.

Koch, who said he'd planned to dedicate a future performing arts center to both Abigail and Louisa Catherine Adams, met with residents and agreed to commission the new statue. The Lloyd Lillie statue has since been placed in the park, the land for which was donated to Quincy by the Adams family in 1885. 

Now that Abigail's statue will stand in Quincy Center, Koch said the performing arts center will likely no longer be dedicated to the first ladies but to famous performers from the city such as Lee Remick and Ruth Gordon. He said he doesn't yet know how the city will honor Louisa Catherine. 

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2022-11-01 09:14:48Z
CBMieGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnBhdHJpb3RsZWRnZXIuY29tL3N0b3J5L25ld3MvMjAyMi8xMS8wMS9xdWluY3ktdG8tdW52ZWlsLWFiaWdhaWwtYWRhbXMtc3RhdHVlLWRvd250b3duLXNhdHVyZGF5LzY5NjAwMjIzMDA3L9IBAA

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