Frederick W. Adams
Encyclopedia
Frederick Whiting Adams (December 27, 1786 – December 17, 1858) was a noted physician
, author, and violin maker.
in 1786, and graduated from Dartmouth College
in 1822.
Upon graduation, he practiced medicine in Barton, Vermont, continuing there through 1836. Beginning in 1835, he also attended medical lectures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. In 1836, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont
, where he continued his practice.
He was a skilled violin
player, and early in life turned his attention to making violin
s as an avocation
. He was of the opinion that the superior tones of the Amati
and Stradivarius
instruments were due to their having been made of old and seasoned wood. Accordingly he selected the wood for his violins himself from the forests of Vermont
and Canada
, taking his wood from partially decayed trees. He constructed 140 violins.
He is the author of several works dealing with theology, including Theological Criticism: or, Hints of the Philosophy of Man and Nature, published in 1843. He died in Montpelier
in 1858.
He married Rachel Harmon (March 27, 1785 - December 16, 1818) on April 24, 1808. She was also born in Pawlet. They had five children. She died in Barton, Vermont, and he later married Mary Ann Wallace.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, author, and violin maker.
Biography
He was born in Pawlet, VermontPawlet, Vermont
Pawlet is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,477 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which 0.02% is water.Pawlet is a rural farming town...
in 1786, and graduated from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1822.
Upon graduation, he practiced medicine in Barton, Vermont, continuing there through 1836. Beginning in 1835, he also attended medical lectures in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. In 1836, he moved to Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
, where he continued his practice.
He was a skilled violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
player, and early in life turned his attention to making violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s as an avocation
Avocation
An avocation is an activity that one engages in as a hobby outside one's main occupation. There are many examples of people whose professions were the ways that they made their livings, but for whom their activities outside of their workplaces were their true passions in life...
. He was of the opinion that the superior tones of the Amati
Amati
Amati is the name of a family of Italian violin makers, who flourished at Cremona from about 1549 to 1740.-Andrea Amati:Andrea Amati was not the earliest maker of violins whose instruments still survive today...
and Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
instruments were due to their having been made of old and seasoned wood. Accordingly he selected the wood for his violins himself from the forests of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, taking his wood from partially decayed trees. He constructed 140 violins.
He is the author of several works dealing with theology, including Theological Criticism: or, Hints of the Philosophy of Man and Nature, published in 1843. He died in Montpelier
Montpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
in 1858.
He married Rachel Harmon (March 27, 1785 - December 16, 1818) on April 24, 1808. She was also born in Pawlet. They had five children. She died in Barton, Vermont, and he later married Mary Ann Wallace.