Everyone who saw the John Adams miniseries or read David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, knows of the many great sacrifices John and Abigail Adams made for the sake of their country and the cause of individual liberty throughout the world. Did you know that John and Abigail's burial crypt (which is located under the United First Parish Church) is privately cared for by the church, a Unitarian church his family has belonged to since before John's time? Though the UFPC belongs in the Adams National Historic Park (to which the Adams birthplaces and Peacefield also belong), the church receives no Federal funds. It relies upon contributions from visitors and other charitable grants to do the expensive work of keeping up this vital national historic treasure. The care of most other Presidential burial sites is Federally funded.

There are a couple of ways you can help. The building fund has been established to care solely for the burial crypt and the visitors program. If you'd like to make a contribution to the church (they are a tax-exempt, non-profit organization), please see further information at this link.

If you'd like to help in a more pragmatic way, here's the IGive UFPC program. When you set UFPC as your charity, a portion of every purchase made through their links is donated to the UFPC. One day not long ago, I bought our family medical supplies through Drugstore.com, for instance, and 4% of the purchase price went to the church fund. There are a couple of bookstores that carry the John Adams biographies and movie. What better way to purchase them than through a link that will donate directly to the upkeep of John and Abigail's own crypt and their church? Remember, you must set UFPC as your preferred charity prior to purchase and you must purchase through the IGive link for the UFPC to benefit from your purchase.

Read all about the UFPC, including the visitors' program.

There's also the UFPC bookstore which carries a lot of Quincy historical and Unitarian books including a number of John Adams related ones. The Adams National Historical Park also has a bookstore which goes to fund its good work.

For more information about the rest of the Adams National Historical Park, click here.