The Adams Academy, built of Quincy granite, is an early and important example of Gothic revival architecture in America. Endowed by John Adams as a preparatory school for boys, it was built on the site where the legendary patriot John Hancock was born. Now home to the Quincy Historical Society whose museum showcases the city’s history from Native American times up through the early 21st century and archives are a major resource for information on local and area history. The collection includes books, pamphlets, manuscripts, images, maps, audio and moving-image recordings covering the full range of Quincy history with particular interest in Adams family ephemera, the Quincy granite industry, Quincy shipbuilding, and genealogy.