Rose Kennedy: gives a tour of JFK's Birthplace in Brookline, MA., just as it was in May of 1917.

The house was purchased by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. in 1914, shortly after his marriage to Rose Fitzgerald; John and his sisters Rosemary and Kathleen were born in the upstairs master bedroom. The family lived there until 1920, when the growth of the family motivated the Kennedys to move to a larger home just a few blocks away on the corner of Abbottsford and Naples Roads. The Kennedys sold the Beals Street house to Joe Kennedy's advisor Edward Moore and his family. The Kennedys lived in the Abbottsford Road home until 1927, when Joe Kennedy's business interests prompted the family's move to Riverdale, Bronx, New York.
The home was built in 1909, a period of rapid growth in Brookline. The Kennedys moved into the home, then the last on the street, after returning from their honeymoon in 1914. A few months after they were married, Joe Kennedy purchased a new Model T Ford that he used to commute to downtown, where he worked as the president of the Columbia Trust Bank. The "T" line to Coolidge Corner existed when the Kennedys were living in Brookline. Rose Kennedy would often walk from the Beals Street house down to the shopping district in Coolidge Corner, where there used to be an S.S. Pierce store among the other shops.
The master bedroom is where Jack, Rosemary and Kathleen Kennedy were each born. Jack Kennedy was born at 3:00pm on May 29, 1917. Rose Kennedy had seven of her nine children at home, and the same doctor, Dr. Good, delivered all seven, as well as the final two who were born in a hospital. The bedroom has a number of photographs including the 6 month old baby pictures of Joe Jr., Jack, Rosemary, and Kathleen.

The nursery contains a bassinet that will eventually hold each of the nine Kennedy children, as well as a christening cap, gown, and a number of books and toys that Joe Jr. and Jack would have played with. Jack's two favorite books can be viewed; "King Arthur and his Knights" and "Billy Whiskers and His Kids."

The guest bedroom showcases linens bearing Rose's initials - REF as well as a toiletry set belonging to Rosemary Kennedy. The guest room was converted to a girl's bedroom as soon as Rosemary and Kathleen were born.

The boudoir acted as Rose's private space within the house as well as her office space. She would use the desk in the room to keep track of the accounts of the household and to do her correspondence. The desk showcases a card file. Rose kept an index card for each of her children where she would list important milestones in their medical history - things like vaccinations, major illnesses and hospital stays, as well as birthdays and confirmation dates. Jack Kennedy's card can be seen on the desk.