Well, I didn’t plan this at all…
Day 18 happens to be the day that we explore all of the sites pertaining to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, one of our most beloved Presidents…
And today happened to be his 102nd birthday.
So, not only was visiting his birthplace in Brookline on the day of his birth a fitting tribute, but so too was visiting the 13th and final official Presidential Library of all, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum!
So, without further ado, let’s delve deeper into one of the most esteemed individuals in American History…
John F. Kennedy National Historic Site
The birthplace home is carefully preserved by the National Park Service, and thus, on normal days, is open to visitors in certain periods of time.
At first, we were slightly worried. It looked like a special event was going on…
Indeed, it was the 50th anniversary of the House’s dedication as a museum! In 1969, Rose Kennedy, JFK’s mother, gifted it to the National Park Service as a memorial to her lost sons and her family dynasty. It also seemed that a nephew-in-law of the President was coming to speak, but we saw no such sign of him.
And that’s Mrs. Kennedy during the dedication ceremon 50 years ago today. She lived to be 100 years old, and outlived several of her children.
There wasn’t a good way to get a straight-on view of the house thanks to the event tent, so this picture from the side will suffice.
And here was the plaque dedicated in 1961 around the time JFK was sworn in. It’s still very easy to read.
To our relief, the site was open-house, and we could enter right off the bat and explore the interior!
Rose Kennedy supervised every miniscule detail of how the house was organized, especially the original wallpaper and carpets.
The kitchen was the center of life for the family, both Joseph and Rose Kennedy, and their nine children. You could probably just imagine them running up and down the halls and steps, screaming with joy. And meals here also represented the quality conversations that the family would go on to enjoy into all of their adult lives.
Some original Kennedy dinner pieces. The Kennedys and the Fitzgeralds were both very prominant families, yet the Fitzgeralds were certainly the more wealthy and well-known.
Now this is just adorable. Little Joseph Jr. and Jack (JFK) would sit at this mini-table. Jack would’ve been sitting in the chair closest to us. Unfortunetly, Joseph Jr. would be shot down in his plane during World War II, in Japanese-controlled waters.
Also more Kennedy dinner utensils and plates. Much of the house was organized to Rose Kennedy’s memory.
The living room, also assorted by Rose’s preferences. Some of the rooms were more dimly lit than others.
The master bedroom… it was in the bed furthest from us that John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, was born in 1917.
102 years to the day…
A towel, with the enitials “R.F.E.”, which stands for Rose Fitzgerald Elizabeth. The towels were a wedding gift to Joseph and Rose from Rose’s father, who wanted to remind the Kennedy family that the Fitzgeralds were the more superior and wealthier family. A bit of an ego-trip there…
Rose’s personal study, which she would use to run the affairs of the house.
The nursery of Joseph Jr. and Jack, wh loved to play in this room.
These two books were beloved by Jack when he was little: “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”, and “Billy Whiskers” (the story of a goat who went on adventures). These two books might have helped Jack to gain a sense of adventure and activity, as shown by his career in the Armed Forces and as a politician.
Little Jack Kennedy… one of the most adorable baby photos I have ever seen… Jack and John kind of went hand in hand, and is similar to how Robert is the same as “Bob”.
Joseph Kennedy with Joseph Jr. and Jack! Mr. Kennedy was an important Ambassador to the U.K. during World War II.
The backyard of the home was filled with more tents and lawn-chairs, likely for a later ceremony.
Complete with Cake too (don’t worry, we didn’t steel any slices).
Not wanting to impede on the ceremonies, we headed down the street to another childhood home that the family moved into when Jack was three and a half years old.
It’s a private home, but it’s still neat to see a piece of his story! He lived here before moving to Hyannisport.
Eager to obtain the last stamp of the Main 13 Libraries… we headed to the other destination of the day…
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Situated right on Boston Harbor, the JFK Library is the main museum dedicated to JFK, and the last of the Main 13 Libraries in the passport.
Nice view of the harbor. It was a very windy and cold day.
The EdwardKennedy Institute is a repository of knowledge concerning the United States Senate, and likely serves as an extension for the documents of the brothers of President Kennedy.
And here we are… the JFK Library…
It really is a beautiful building, with it’s own special taste.
At long last… THE QUEST IS DONE!
I received my official last stamp, a special souvenir pin, and soon to be in the mail, a special certificate!
I have no officially been to all the main 13 Libraries… it has taken me across the mountains of California, the plains of Texas, the dens of Michigan, the woods of New York, and finally here on Boston Harbor… it has truly been an extrordinary venture.
For now however, lets check out the library!
Kennedy’s Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented by his former Vice-President, Lyndon B. Johnson.
A section of the Berlin Wall. Hundreds of pieces are scattered in museums all over the world, this being just one out of many.
Also, the Library happens to house the collections of Ernest Hemingway, the famous writer. It was reported that he was a big fan of the Kennedy family.
Rose Kennedy with her nine children! From left to right is Joseph Jr., John (JFK), Rosemary, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert (Bobby), Jean, and little baby Edward (Ted) with Rose Kennedy.
Suffice it to say, Kennedy wasn’t the best student in early school grades, yet he managed to make something of himself well enough to become a student and graduate of Harvard University!
One of the last original pieces of PT-109, the flag taken down just weeks before the boat was destroyed…
Kennedy’s inaugural hat and gloves, that he wore in the picture behind the display.
JFK’s Cabinet Chair that he used during his administration. It was retired following his death.
More personal effects of the President, including several of his ties, and his personal cigarette lighter.
JFK had several health problems, including an aching back. He would use these crutches when his physical ailments were more extreme.
Anyone seen the movie PT-109 here?
When Kennedy was a commander of a PT boat in the Second World War, the boat was split in half by a Japanese Cruiser, and Kennedy and the rest of the crew were forced to swim miles away to safety, and to try to make it home safely. He inscribed a special message on this coconut piece so it could be passed to a native who would take it to the nearby Naval Command Base. It reads:
And so, he made it into a paperweight that he used during his Presidency. It is perhaps the most famous item here at the museum.
His special medal awards, including the Purple Heart award on the right,
And his dog tag, which identified him should he have been killed in action.
The Presidential Campaign of 1960 was very close indeed… Republican/Vice President Richard Nixon VS. Democrat/Senator John F. Kennedy.. which would win? Normalcy or Change?
A bit of nostalgia for those who lived in the 50’s and 60’s… radios and refridgerators, among others.
Henry Cabot Lodge, Nixon’s Vice-President, came from a long and prominant political family, and Nixon himself had much experience in the Executive Branch as Eisenhower’s Vice-President.
Kennedy, though young, certainly had special charisma, and his Vice-Presidential Canidate, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas helped to balance the regionalticket.
One thing for certain however, the Kennedy fans certainly had spirit! It easily carried him through the Democratic National Convention.
The actual monitor used during the 1960 Presidential Debate. The first televised debate in elections, Kennedy shined with his youthful and energetic appearance, which made him seem more likable than the stiff-necked Richard Nixon. Perhaps it was that that helped Kennedy to prevail in the General Election and win.
Though not the longest Inaugural Speech of all (yes, this is comparatively short), it is nonetheless masterful in it’s idealistic writing, with one very famous line: “Ask not what your Country can do for you, Ask what You can do for your Country.”
I love that…
The Kennedy Family Bible, which was used during his Inauguration. The Bible was brought to Washington D.C. in a shopping bag from a grocery store, but nonetheless made it safe for the swearing-in of the only Catholic U.S. President to date.
A hallway looking exactly like one in the White House! A neat touch.
The original Freedom 7 Space Moduele! It was in here that Alan Shepard became the first American to enter space, and the one where he was greeted by President Kennedy following his landing.
One of the most trying moments of his Administration, the Cuban Missile Crisis, where soviet missiles were being placed on Cuba in close proximity to the U.S., could have meant nuclear war and annialation. Thankfully, through tense and slow negotiations, the crisis was averted. Kennedy’s greatest moment was perhaps dealing with this event.
The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty prohibited the testing of Nuclear Weapons of any sort in America, which went a long way into helping out Detenté.
Did I mention that he also started the Peace Corps? To this day they remain one of the most powerful forces of charity and change in the world.
And really, what could be said about Jacqueline Kennedy that hasn’t been said already? She was beautiful, charming, intelligent, and truly one of the best first-ladies that we have ever had. JFK once said to a crowd of onlookers in Berlin, that “he was the one to accompany Jackie Kennedy into Berlin”. She was beloved by all, and her strength and perseverance following November 22, 1963 proved to be an inspiring banner for the nation.
Robert Kennedy served as the Attorney-General for his brother Jack, and like his older brother, was gunned down by an assasin, this time in 1968 in Los Angeles. One could not begin to comprehend the amount of grief that family had to endure…
Though not the most accurate Oval Office replica I’ve seen, it still got the basic premise of the construction down.
Kennedy’s visit to the Berlin Wall preceeded that of Reagan’s fateful visit in the 80’s. The former gave a very passionate speech condeming the wall and promoting the spirits of the people of Berlin, and it was on this note that he inscribed his authentic last line in german. He wrote it down so he wouldn’t have trouble pronouncing it.
The actual assasination of President Kennedy was barely touched upon in this Library… though we were a bit disappointed at this, I suppose that, in an artistic sense, that is not what the Library wants us to focus on. Rather, it is President Kennedy’s ideals and values that everything else is centered around.
Still, who could forget Walter Cronkite’s report on the assasination? Those who could remember, much like 9/11, remember exactly where they were when it happened, and, much like Cronkite in the shot above, were dismayed and simply stunned by the gravity of it all.
Though President Kennedy did not live to see through his term, his premature death made him only a martyr, and his image only amplified in significance, as did his beliefs.
We exited out into the giant glass pavillion, and into the bright sunlight (or at least as bright as it could be with it being a cloudy day).
.. Woah.
Looking towards the Boston Skyline.
Simply a stunning place with great acoustics…
We walked along the backside of the library to find the edge of Boston Harbor…
And this, is the Victura… Kennedy’s favourite sailboat that he loved to ride on the waters… he loved it dearly, and the last sketch that he drew on a napkin just hours before his death was of the Victura… sailing on the waters of Massachusetts…
The glass pavilion. If you squint, you can see the american flag hanging from the ceiling.
President Kennedy remains in our hearts particularily for, in my mind, one reason. Though he is not perfect, his inspiration is one where we see not who we are, but what we could be. President Kennedy had fresh optimism for a new birth of freedom, and of an age in which all Americans would share in the promises of the land that it offers. And so, let us live on in his memory, and strive to better our society in whatever way we can, and leave the world a little better than we found it.
Thank you once again for tolerating my late post, at this rate I think that I will not be able to find time to get fully caught up, so just expect spontaneous blog posts at random times. We still got plenty of suprises in store for Boston, both for sightseeing and historical ventures! In the next post, we will cover the town of Quincy and two of it’s most esteemed citizens, Presidents John and John Quincy Adams!
This is Mark, over and out!
Mark's Historical Roadtrips! 