Mark is on a course at Harvard for a week so I decided to come over with him and spend a week in Boston. When he is finished we are off on holiday - Hawaii and then a few days in San Francisco (tough gig but someone has to do it! <g>)
I decided to spend the first day in Boston checking out the Freedom Trail.
Massachusetts State House is the first stop on the trail. Constructed in 1798 it is considered Charles Bullfinch's masterwork. The dome is clad in 23 carat gold!
The Park Street Church was constructed in 1809 by a small group of Christians disenchanted with the Unitarian-leaning congregation.
The Old Granary Burying Ground, where Samuel Adams - a leading politician in the years leading up to the Revolution - is buried, is followed by The King's Chapel.
The Old State house, built in 1713, was the seat of colonial government.
Next to Faneuil Hall is the Quincy Market, which was built in the early 1880s. It was once home to Boston's wholesale food distribution, 1825-1960s. It is now home to a variety of food outlets and market sellers.
I decided to spend the first day in Boston checking out the Freedom Trail.
Massachusetts State House is the first stop on the trail. Constructed in 1798 it is considered Charles Bullfinch's masterwork. The dome is clad in 23 carat gold!
The Park Street Church was constructed in 1809 by a small group of Christians disenchanted with the Unitarian-leaning congregation.
The Old Granary Burying Ground, where Samuel Adams - a leading politician in the years leading up to the Revolution - is buried, is followed by The King's Chapel.
The King's Chapel, constructed in 1749, is made from granite. The original building however, was built in 1686 at the command of James II as an outpost of the Anglican Church to serve officers in the British Army. The burial ground next door houses the remains of the colonial Governor John Winthrop.
The Old South Meeting House witnessed many speeches advocating the overthrow of the king, the abolition of slavery and votes for women. In 1773 5,000 people met in the Meeting House to debate British taxation, and after the meeting a group raided a nearby tea ship in what became known as the Boston Tea Party.
The Old State house, built in 1713, was the seat of colonial government.
Faneuil Hall, donated to the city of Boston in 1742 by Peter Faneuil an influential French Huguenot merchant, was known as the 'Cradle of Liberty' and hosted many revolutionary meetings.
Next to Faneuil Hall is the Quincy Market, which was built in the early 1880s. It was once home to Boston's wholesale food distribution, 1825-1960s. It is now home to a variety of food outlets and market sellers.
Paul Revere's, a Boston metalsmith, claim to fame is the fact that in 1775 he alerted the the Colonial militia to the approach of British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord. His actions were than captured in a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 'Paul Revere's Ride'. His house is Boston's oldest private residence.
Before Revere rode to warn the Colonial militia he ordered the sexton of the Old North Church to hang lanterns in the belfry to indicate whether the British were approaching by the Charles River or by land.
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