John F. Kennedy Homestead

This upper middle class home in Brookline, MA, now a National Historic Site, was the birthplace of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. After Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, his mother Rose Kennedy took it upon herself as her personal project in 1966 to return this home back to the original state when Kennedy was born here in 1917. She had the foresight to understand the importance of this home and their early years growing up here.

The Kennedy's lived her until JFK was 4 and then the family moved down the street. Although the property was sold twice, both owners were friends with the Kennedy family and Mrs Kennedy was able to acquire many of the original pieces or replace others that were very close to authentic.

We were struck by how this home was not just about President Kennedy's childhood but also a tribute to Motherhood. The docents discussed how the Kennedy's raised their children with family discussions on a wide variety of topics - political, popular culture, classical, and musical. We were also shown Rose Kennedy's detailed index card filing system where she tracked all of her children's progress academically and their health concerns (broken bones, vaccinations, etc). 

Original wedding gifts to Mr and Mrs Kennedy are on display in the dining room.

The Kennedy's were raising their children to be leaders, so I am sure they knew these silver engraved bowls were for a future president.