Adams Building
Why it's listed
Dominating a corner of Quincy's business district, this crescent-shaped Jacobethan Revival block at Hancock and Temple Streets was built in two stages, 1880-85 and 1889-90. Heavy timber framing supports a pseudo-half-timbered facade with stucco panels, bay windows, seven steep cross gables and a slate roof. Boston architect J. Williams Beal designed it for John Q. Adams II, and it stayed in the Adams family until 1952. It was planned as an all-purpose building, with stores on the ground floor, offices above, an Odd Fellows Hall on the third floor and rooms on the upper levels. Doctors, lawyers, several mayors and legislators, a bank and the District Court of East Norfolk were among its tenants. Apart from altered ground-floor storefronts, the exterior remains largely intact. It was recognized as one of Quincy's first large business blocks and as a work of a noted regional architect.
Significance in brief: The building is described as an intact, early example of commercial architecture in Quincy and as the work of a noted regional architect. It was one of the city's first large business blocks and has long been a landmark in Quincy Center. The nomination states it retains integrity of design, materials, workmanship, location and setting.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83000593, listed June 23, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1342-1368 Hancock St.; 1-9 Temple St., Quincy |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | June 23, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000593 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880-1885; 1889-1890 |
| Architect / builder | J. Williams Beal |
| Architectural style | Jacobethan Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied. Only the ground-floor storefronts have been significantly altered; rehabilitation of the upper floors and approximate restoration of the storefronts was in progress. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.25052, -71.00262 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83000593.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4680299
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.