Abigail Playground

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

What was here before?

This area of the South Bronx was inhabited by the Siwanoy for thousands of years. This Munsee-speaking tribe was part of the Wappinger Confederacy, and the territory stretched from Hell Gate to the lower Hudson Valley.

How did this site become a playground?

The City of New York acquired the property through condemnation in 1959. The Housing Authority completed the John Adams Houses in 1964 and that same year, Adams Playground opened. It was renamed Abigail Playground in 1987.

Who is this playground named for?

Abigail Adams (1744-1818) was the wife of the second United States President, John Adams (1735-1826). Abigail Adams was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the daughter of Elizabeth Smith and Congregational minister William Smith. Young Abigail developed a deep Congregational faith and a habit of letter writing, which she retained for the rest of her life. In 1764, Abigail married John Adams, an aspiring lawyer. During their first decade of marriage, the couple had four children and maintained houses in both Braintree and Boston, Massachusetts.

In 1774, John Adams became involved in politics and moved to Philadelphia to serve as part of the First Continental Congress. Throughout the next ten years, Abigail lived and raised her children without her husband and managed the family farm. She stayed in contact with her husband and many others through letters. These letters, in which she referred to herself as Portia, indicate a growing interest in politics. In March 1776, she wrote a famous letter to John Adams that implored the statesman to dissolve slavery and create a new American government with equal rights for women.

In 1784, one year after the Revolution, Abigail traveled to Paris to join her husband who was serving a diplomatic post. While in Europe, Abigail directed the activities of the family farm through correspondence. In 1789, John began his eight years of service as Vice President under George Washington (1732-1799). Abigail spent the remainder of her life on the family farm in Braintree. Her son, John Quincy Adams, went on to be the sixth President of the United States. In 1840, her grandson, Charles Francis Adams, published her letters.