John Adam's Home to upgraded with AFCIs

To launch National Electrical Safety Month, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) are pleased to announce a very special donation to the Adams National Historical Park.  They will be upgrading John Adams’ famous home with the most advanced electrical technology available ensuring that one of America’s treasures will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.

ESFI and NFPA will be upgrading John Adams’ homes with advanced circuit breakers known as arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs). As homes age, situations can develop where wiring and cords becomes damaged or cracked allowing electrical currents to arc or jump between wires. These arcing faults are extremely hot and can ignite nearby wood, insulation, and other combustible material.  Unlike conventional circuit breakers, AFCIs provide a higher level of fire protection by recognizing dangerous arcing situations and shutting down the electricity before a fire can start. It is estimated that AFCIs can prevent more than 30,000 home fires annually.

Additionally, ESFI and NFPA will be fitting the Adams’ homes with tamper-resistant outlets. These outlets look like normal receptacles but they have a built-in shutter system which prevents children from sticking objects into the outlets, but allows plugs to inserted and removed as normal. A Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 10-year study found that on average more than 2,400 children are treated in hospitals every year for injuries sustained from electrical outlets. ESFI and NFPA hope to raise awareness of tamper-resistant outlets and the automatic, continuous protection they offer.  

This donation will protect four homes on the property:

1.      The Old House (including the adjacent Carriage House and Stone Library):  Built in 1731, the Old House became the residence of the Adams family for four generations from 1788 to 1927. It was home to Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams.

2.      John Adams Birthplace: John Adams was born in this home on October 30, 1735. Located less than a mile away from the Old House, the John Adams Birthplace is oldest remaining presidential birthplace in the United States.

3.      John Quincy Adams Birthplace: Just 75 feet away from the home where his father was born, the John Quincy Adams birthplace is the site where John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin wrote the Massachusetts Constitution. This document, still in use today, greatly influenced the development of the United States Constitution.

4.      Beale House: Built in 1792 by Captain Benjamin Beale, the Beale House adjoins the Old House and is currently used as the administrative offices of the National Park Service.