Nansemond County-Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Adams, John Q., 1952 

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JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, II 

JOHN Q. ADAMS FORMER ACTIVE REALTOR, DIES 

  John Quincy Adams, one of the largest holders of Norfolk investment 
properties a few years ago, died January 4th at Tampa, Fla., where he had 
been making his home since about 1946.

  Adams first began acquiring real estate in Isle of Wight County while 
operating his ferries by purchasing woodlands and farms when they could be 
bought cheap.

  He made quite an impact on the Norfolk realty market in the early 1940's 
by acquiring upwards of 80 pieces of property valued in excess of $1,500,000. 
Since 1948, however he had disposed of most of his interest in Norfolk which 
included apartment houses, office buildings, homes, a dock and three 
warehouses.

  Adams became interested in resort property upon moving to Florida and at 
one time had control of the operations of four Tampa hotels - The Puritan, 
Bay View, Fort Thomas and Mirasol.

  A native of Crittenden, Nansemond County, where he culled oysters for 25 
cents a day in his youth Adams raised sufficient capital to start a ferry 
business in 1907 from Chuckatuck Creek to Newport News.

  It grew through the years to a four ferry business until he was "bridged-
out", as he described it, by the James River Bridge System.  Then he shifted 
his fleet to the upper Potomac where he operated until 1941 between Colonial 
Beach and Morgantown, Md.

  He was "bridged out" again, but soon made a name for himself in the real 
estate investment field, particularly in Norfolk.

  His first investment there was in a Holt Street dwelling which he bought 
for $8000.  He then acquired some additional property on York and Bute 
streets before reaching over to Colley and Colonial avenues, buying late in 
1944, he had holdings all over the city.

  In an interview several years ago, he said his formula for success was, 
"Work hard and buy when the price is cheap."

  His only hobby was walking through the woods, but he admitted that he 
enjoyed a little fishing at times.  Soon after moving South he acquired a 
heavily wooded 300 acre farm on which he made his home, later acquired 
another 1,000 acres near Tampon Springs.

  His son, John Quincy Adams, III left for Florida two days ago upon learning 
that his father was dying.  Another son, Stanley, resides in Tampa and was in 
charge of the hotel operations.  A third son is a tugboat captain.


John Quincy ADAMS, II, real estate investor, former ferry operator, 
b. 13 Jan 1878, Crittenden, d. 4 Jan 1952, Tampa, Hillsborough Co., FL, 
interred in Garden of Memories Cemetery, Tampa, FL, 
"The Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 34, No. 32, Jan. 10, 1952 

Birthdate from WW-II draft registration; WW-I & 1900 Census give 1879. 

His (flat, bronze) marker, pictured with Find a Grave Memorial #35755984, 
   shows 1878.  There is another John Quincy Adams (1879-1967) in the same 
   cemetery. 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Carolyn Keen (VAHistoricHouses@aol.com) & 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/a352j1ob.txt