When Jewish immigrants came to America in the 1800s,
they settled in the North and West ends of Boston.&nbsp; Immigrants from Vilna Guberniya (present day Vilnius,
Lithuania) formed the Jewish neighborhood on the north slope of Beacon Hill in
1893.&nbsp; In 1909, the Anshei Vilner (the
name of this Jewish community) bought the former 12th Baptist
Church, which served as their synagogue for 10 years before the city bought and
demolished the building for city expansion.&nbsp;
In 1919, they bought a new lot and had their synagogue designed by the
only Jewish architect in the city, Max Kalman.&nbsp;
This building served as their synagogue for 65 years.&nbsp; The last Rosh Hashanah service was held at
this synagogue in 1985.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;

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The Vilna Shul is a historic synagogue in Boston’s Beacon Hill area that now serves as a Cultural Center that hosts events, programs, educational tours, and Jewish services one Friday a month and on holidays.  Current exhibitions are Reconnect Tapestry and Restoration of the Vilna Shul.  

Vilna Shul

Recognizing that the Freedom Trail, which was created in the 1950s, failed to incorporate African American history, Boston created the Black Heritage Trail several decades later. By including nearby sites from both tours, this walking tour integrates the city's two heritage trails within a route that is still not as long as the original Boston Freedom Trail. The tour also includes a couple "bonus" historic buildings and monuments along the way. Enjoy!

Boston's Black Heritage Trail and Freedom Trail

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The Charles Street Meeting House was built in 1807 by the Third Baptist Church, a predominantly white&nbsp;congregation that practiced segregation. This seating rule would be challenged by Timothy Gilbert, a white abolitionist, in the 1830s. He and other white abolitionists later established Tremont Temple, one of the first integrated congregations in America. In the 1840s and 1850s, Charles Street Meeting House became home to many anti-slavery movements and speakers. Among those speakers were Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth.&nbsp; The original congregation saw a decline in white membership and sold the building to the leading African Methodist Episcopal congregation in 1876. The First African Methodist Episcopal Church, AME for short, was the first Black&nbsp;independent denomination in the United States. The AME saw declining membership as fewer Black families lived in the neighborhood, and the congregation sold the building in 1939. The new owners, the Charles Meeting House Society, rented the building to the Albanian Orthodox, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the Massachusetts Universalist Convention, the Unitarian Universalists, and other organizations over next few decades. A private owner purchased the building in 1979 and sold it to a group of historic preservationists the following year. The Charles Street Meeting House Associates raised funds to repair and restore the building. After renovations he Charles Street Meeting House has become office&nbsp;space with a very modern interior but an exterior that won the American Institute of Architects Excellence in Architecture Award in 1983 for its historical integrity. While the interior is quite modern, the exterior looks much as it did when the building was home to the AME church and the property is part of Boston's Black Heritage Trail and significant as a site of abolitionist meetings and as one of the last Black institutions to leave Beacon Hill.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Charles Street Meeting House is the fifth stop on the Black Heritage Trail in Boston. Built in 1807 by the Third Baptist Church, the Charles Street Meeting House, then called the Charles Street Baptist Church, is significant as the location of many anti-slavery meetings in the decades prior to the Civil War. During its first decades, the church practiced racial segregation with Black attendees being relegated to the gallery and generally barred from many of the privileges of full membership in the congregation. In 1836, abolitionist Timothy Gilbert was expelled from the church for inviting African Americans to sit beside him in his regular pew. In subsequent decades, the congregation took a stand against slavery and African Americans like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth delivered speeches alongside white abolitionists like Charles Sumner. White membership in the congregation dwindled and the congregation sold the building to the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1876. That congregation had been formed in 1833 and had grown to become the largest Black congregation in Boston after the Civil War. The congregation sold the building in 1939 owing to the declining number of African American families in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. 

Charles Street Meeting House (Black Heritage Trail Site 5)

John J. Smith began life as a free man, but being born to African American parents in Richmond in 1820, he was surrounded by slavery. He managed to save money and move to Boston in his early 20s. At the age of 28 he traveled to California like many young men hoping to strike it rich by finding gold. Unfortunately for Smith, he didn't strike it rich, and decided to move back to Boston and set up a barber shop-a path to financial stability and even relative prosperity for many African American men in the 19th century. Smith's barber shop&nbsp;became a meeting place for abolitionists who gathered at the shop and shared information. Before long, the barbershop became a center of information for those who supported slaves escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad. It is likely that several individuals took shelter in Smith's shop or at his home.&nbsp; When the Civil War began, Smith moved to Washington DC with the goal of supporting the Union against the Confederate States of America. Smith became a&nbsp;recruiter for the all-Black 5th Cavalry. After the war, Smith served three full terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He was elected in 1868, 1869, and 1872. Smith was just the third African American to serve in this position.&nbsp;After his time in government, Smith moved to this house on Pinckney Street around 1878. At that time, he became the first African American to serve on the Boston Common Council. As a council&nbsp;member, Smith worked to secure the first positions for African Americans on Boston's police force. Smith's influence continued to the next generation with his daughter, Elizabeth Smith, who became the first African American teacher to at an integrated public school in Boston at the Phillips School. Smith died at this home while surrounded by family on November 4, 1906.

The fourth stop on the Black Heritage Trail in Boston, this historic home was the property of John J. Smith, an African American abolitionist who helped slaves in the Underground Railroad. Smith also recruited soldiers for the all-Black 5th Cavalry during the Civil War, an important regiment in the fight for equality in the military given the prestige of the cavalry in the mid-19th century. After the war ended, Smith served three terms in Massachusetts House of Representatives.  

John J. Smith House (Black Heritage Trail Site 4)

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;As mentioned above, the Phillips School was originally built to be a school for white children only in 1824, while Black children were not allowed to attend. Black children would have to use the first floor of the African Meeting House and the Smith school for their education until 1855. This school would undergo many more changes before and after the admittance of Black children. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;The school originally opened under the name of English High School which only lasted until 1825. The school would become Phillip's Grammar School in 1844, which was named after the first mayor of Boston and the father of&nbsp;an abolitionist. The Grammar School mainly&nbsp;educated wealthy children and became one of the best schools in the area. In contrast, the Smith School was home to the Black children of the area and wasn't able to give its students an equal education to that of the Phillip's Grammar School. In 1855, Massachusetts passed a law that integrated schools and Phillip's Grammar School became one of the first schools in Boston to house both white and Black children.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In 1863, the school would once again undergo change when it moved to a new building on Phillips Street . It was once again renamed, and this time, it became the Wendall Phillip School. Wendall Phillip was the son of the first mayor of Boston and an abolitionist. The school would once again make history as Elizabeth Smith, daughter of John Smith, started teaching at Phillips School and became one of the first African American teachers to teach at an integrated school. Today the school stands as the third site of the Black Heritage Trail in Boston.&nbsp;

     The Phillips School is the third stop on the Black Heritage Trail in Boston. The school was opened in 1824 and only allowed white children to attend its classes. Black children at the time had to attend classes in either the first floor of the African Meeting House or the Smith School after 1834. During 1855 the Phillips School became one of the first schools in Boston to accept Black and white children together. 

The Phillips School (Black Heritage Trail Site 3)

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Lewis Hayden was born into
slavery in Kentucky.&nbsp; His first owner was
a Presbyterian minister.&nbsp; While he was
still young, members of his family were sold to different owners. &nbsp;His own mother threatened to kill him while he
was a child to spare him the horrors of slavery.&nbsp; Years later, he was traded for a couple of
carriage horses.&nbsp; He met and married his
first wife, Esther Harvey, in 1830.&nbsp;&nbsp;
They had two sons together, one of which died shortly after his
birth.&nbsp; Unfortunately, Esther and their
son had a different owner, and they were sold to a new owner.&nbsp; Hayden never saw them again.&nbsp; In 1842, Lewis Hayden married Harriet
Bell.&nbsp; He took in her son Joseph as his
own child.&nbsp; Determined not to lose his family
a third time in this life, he escape with Harriet and Joseph through the
Underground Railroad.&nbsp; They managed to escape
to Ohio, and later Canada, with the assistance of abolitionists Calvin
Fairbank and Delia Webster.&nbsp; Fairbank and
Webster were later tried and convicted for their actions. 

After some time in Canada, the
Haydens moved to New Bedford and finally to Boston.&nbsp; They bought a house, which Harriet operated
as a Boarding House for other new free Blacks in Boston.&nbsp; Lewis Hayden began to run a clothing shop out
of a storefront at 107 Cambridge Street.&nbsp;
His venture was successful and he eventually needed more space.&nbsp; The clothing shop moved to a larger spot at
121 Cambridge Street in 1853.&nbsp; The
clothing shop was a place where Lewis held many abolitionist gatherings to help
fellow slaves get to freedom. The Hayden House, however, was an actual stop on
the Underground Railroad for slaves to pass safely to their destination. Records
from the Boston Vigilance Committee, of which Lewis was a member, report that
many self-emanicipated former slaves received the assistance of the Haydens and
safe shelter at their home on 66 Phillips Street between 1850 and 1860.

There is a story that claims that
the Haydens kept barrels of gunpowder under the front steps at all times. They
could greet people with candles who came to the front door, and if anyone tried
to force their way into the household, the Haydens could drop the candle and
kill everyone. This stop on the Underground Railroad was so important that
Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, was taken in to see how
slaves on the run felt.Lewis led a busy life outside of the Hayden
House, he helped recruit members into the 54th Regiment, an all-Black regiment
that was led by a white Robert Gould Shaw, and he gave money to help fund John
Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. This was because John Brown had visited the
Hayden House on his last trip to Boston. Lewis also went on to serve in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives for a term, and then spent the rest of
his life by working for the Massachusetts Secretary of State as their
messenger.&nbsp; 

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The Lewis and Harriet Hayden House is the sixth stop on the Black Heritage Trail on Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Both Lewis and Harriet were escaped slaves who managed to  get free thanks to the Underground Railroad and bought a house in Boston once they got the chance. This house would be used to serve as an Underground Railroad house for many escaped slaves to use in their pursuit of freedom.

Lewis and Harriet Hayden House (Black Heritage Trail Site 6)

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John Coburn was born as a free African American man in Boston
in 1811.&nbsp; He made a name for himself as a
wealthy clothing storeowner and the operator of a gambling establishment.&nbsp; The house at 2 Phillips Street in the Beacon
Hill neighborhood was designed specifically for Mr. Coburn by the well-known architect Asher Benjamin and constructed in 1844. Coburn
was married to a woman from New Hampshire, named Emmeline Grey.&nbsp; They adopted a son, Wendell.&nbsp; 

In 1845, Coburn became the Treasurer of the New England
Freedom Association, which placed a heavy focus on helping people escape
slavery. Coburn also worked passionately as &nbsp;a petitioner in the Boston desegregation campaign
and a member of the Boston Vigilance Committee (an abolitionist organization).

One of the most daring things that Coburn accomplished in his
life was to assist in the escape of the slave Shadrach Minkins (1851). Minkins
had been a runaway slave looking for freedom in the North when he was captured
by slave catchers that were enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Minkins
was triumphant in his escape to Canada.&nbsp; He succeeded with the help of Coburn and several others and lived&nbsp;the rest of his life as a free man.&nbsp; Unfortunately, that wasn't the end for Coburn. John Coburn was
arrested, tried, and eventually&nbsp;acquitted for his role in the whole ordeal with Minkins.
After this incidence, Coburn took on new roles in his active life.

Next, Coburn helped to establish a group called the Massasoit Guards. The Massasoit Guards were a privately-funded Black
militia in the Boston area.&nbsp; It was an early version of the 54th
Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The group was&nbsp;named after Massasoit, a chief of the Wampanoag tribe situated&nbsp;in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.&nbsp; Massasoit was friendly the English settlers that arrived in the region in the early seventeenth century. Besides being the co-founder of the
Black military organization, he would also serve as its first captain. A few years&nbsp;later, Coburn and his brother-in-law organized their latest business venture.&nbsp; They created a gambling club which catered to upper-class members of the community and ran it out of the home on Phillips Street.&nbsp; 

John Coburn died in 1873 and
left most of his estate to his adopted son, Wendell.&nbsp; The home is now assessed as a 4-unit
condominium dwelling, all of which are privately owned.&nbsp; Therefore, the grand building is not open to
the public for tours.&nbsp; 

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The John Coburn House is the seventh site on the Black Heritage Trial that goes through Boston, Massachusetts. Coburn was a businessman and a community activist who made it his mission in life to help escaped slaves find freedom and safety from pursuing slave catchers. He was also involved in the desegregation movement and fighting for equal rights for African American citizens.  Coburn is famously known for co-founding the Massasoit Guards and serving as the Treasurer of the New England Freedom Association. 

John Coburn House (Black Heritage Trail Site 7)

There is a separate article written on
the famous house at 3 Smith Court.&nbsp; It was once the residence of William Cooper
Nell, an African-American activist who fought for
equal school rights in the mid-nineteenth century.&nbsp; The two-family home was officially designated
as a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic
places in 1976.&nbsp; 

The next
house, located at 5 Smith Court, was
built sometime in the early part of the nineteenth century.&nbsp; This home consists of three stories and is
covered with reddish-brown clapboard siding. A lawyer built the home as an
investment – he rented it out to make additional money.&nbsp; The house was later purchased by the deacon
of the African Meeting House, a man named George Washington, in 1849.&nbsp; He rented out the first floor while he lived
in the upper area with his wife and children.&nbsp;
Accounts vary, but he had nine or ten children living together in this
small space (the City of Boston’s Assessing Department states that the entire
house only contains about 1,458 square feet of living space). &nbsp;Washington passed away in 1871 but the house remained
in his family until 1917.&nbsp; Today, the
house is worth over $1.3 million.&nbsp; It is privately
owned and therefore not open to the public for viewing.&nbsp; 

The next stop on the trail brings
visitors to a small two-story
home with light blue clapboard siding located at 7
Smith Court.&nbsp; This house was used as rental
property for many years as well.&nbsp; An
early owner, a white merchant named Elihu Bates, took in tenants beginning in
1822.&nbsp; In 1857, the property was
purchased by an African American real estate investor, Joseph Scarlett.&nbsp; Scarlett owned several of the buildings on
Smith Court was well as others in the Boston area.&nbsp; He owned 7 Smith Court until his death in
1898.&nbsp; 

7A Smith Court stands directly behind
number 7, in what is called Holmes Alley.&nbsp;
This house was built in 1799, making it one of the oldest houses on the
block.&nbsp; It is three stories high and has
yellow clapboard siding.&nbsp; According to the
National Park Service, this structure is the only surviving example of the
early homes that lined the eight-foot wide Holmes Alley, where backyards are
found today.&nbsp; The house was initially owned
by two men, a New Bedford mariner named Richard Johnson and a hairdresser named
David Bartlett.&nbsp; The property went
through several hands before Joseph Scarlett purchased it in 1858.&nbsp; Scarlett owned and rented out the property,
like he did with many others, until his death in 1898.&nbsp; 

The homes at 7 Smith Court (970 sf) and 7A
Smith Court (1,305 sf) are each valued by the City of Boston at approximately
$1.1 million.&nbsp; Both are privately owned
and therefore not open to the public for viewing.&nbsp; 

Finally, 10
Smith Court was constructed in 1853 for Joseph Scarlett (the same man who
owned numbers 7 and 7A).&nbsp; This building
abuts the African Meeting House, which is the final stop on the Black Heritage
Trail.&nbsp; By the time that Scarlett passed
away in 1898, he owned at least fifteen investment properties.&nbsp; &nbsp;

The Museum of African American History lists the final
Smith Court Residence as #10 Smith Court.&nbsp;
It reports that the house is situated directly next door to the African
Meeting House. &nbsp;However, there is no
listing for 10 Smith Court on the City of Boston’s website.&nbsp;

Owing to the historic significance of many of the residents of Smith Court, including William C. Nell who fought for racial equality in 19th century Boston, the buildings of Smith Court are part of the Black Heritage Trail in Boston. These dwellings date back to the early 1800s and a majority of the residents of Smith Court were Black by the 1830s. Residents include James Scott, who assisted runaway slaves and author William Cooper Nell who also led the Boston Vigilance Committee who assisted fugitive slaves. These notable homes stood at the center of Boston’s Black community during the middle and late nineteenth century. Prominent Black business leaders such as Joseph Scarlett lived on Smith Court until 1898.

Smith Court Residences (Boston Black Heritage Trail Site 8)

As early as 1787, Black Bostonians began to protest against discrimination in public schools. They started to petition the state legislature, claiming it was unconstitutional for the government to use their tax money for the education of white children when it provided no similar service for the Black community. In 1798, members of the Black community organized the African School which was first located in the home of Primus Hall. Mr. Hall had spent time as a servant for Col. Timothy Pickering who served as the 3rd Secretary of State. The school moved to the African Meeting House in 1808.

In 1812, the Boston School Committee responded to years of petitions and agreed to provide partial funding for the school. Three years later a white businessman, Abiel Smith died and left $4000 in his will for the education of African American children in Boston. Initially, the interest from this donation was used to help fund the school, but later it was used to build the Abiel Smith School which opened in 1835. The school gave the opportunity of education to children who had been denied it for so long. Many saw this school&nbsp;as a beacon of hope for the Black children of Boston and applauded its construction.&nbsp;

Unfortunately, beginning around&nbsp;1839 the Abiel Smith School became the center of controversy as an example of the inequality between white and Black schools. In 1849, the organization Nell's Equal School Association led a&nbsp;boycott movement to protest the poor conditions of the Abiel Smith School. Most of the African American community joined in&nbsp;and removed their children from the school. The boycott came on the heels of the 1848 Massachusetts State Supreme Court case Sarah Roberts v. Boston. Sarah’s father, Benjamin Roberts challenged the Boston School Committee’s policy of racial segregation. The court held that racial segregation was permitted under the Constitution. This unfortunate ruling was used as a precedent in many subsequent cases including Plessy vs. Ferguson.

In 1855, the Massachusetts state legislature passed a law which prohibited public schools from discriminating on the basis of race, sex or religious beliefs. The Abiel Smith School was closed the same year. After its closure, the school building was used to store school supplies and furniture until 1887 when it became the headquarters for African American Civil War veterans. Today the Smith school is an exhibit gallery, a museum store and&nbsp;is also the&nbsp;13th site on the Black Heritage Trail in Boston.

The Abiel Smith School is one of the oldest buildings constructed solely for the education of African American children. Its establishment was the result of years of concerted efforts from activists and parents in the Boston community. After several decades of petitions, the Boston School Committee agreed to provide partial funding for the African School that had been established in 1798. At the time, the African School was being held on the first floor of the African Meeting House, but the school was in poor condition. Funding for the Abiel Smith School came from the will of a white businessman and the school’s namesake, Abiel Smith, and the school was opened in 1835. While its construction marked a huge step forward for African American education, the Abiel Smith School eventually came to exemplify the inequality in Boston's school system.

Abiel Smith School (Boston Black Heritage Trail Site 9)

Before the establishment of this independent Black church,&nbsp;Black Bostonian's&nbsp;had their meetings in private homes or attended services at&nbsp;churches where they&nbsp;faced discrimination.&nbsp;That changed at the beginning of the nineteenth century, just a little over two hundred years ago.&nbsp; The church, called the African Meeting House, was founded by the Reverend Thomas Paul, a native of New Hampshire.&nbsp; The church was organized primarily by and for Black Bostonians, in cooperation and assistance from Boston’s white Baptist churches.&nbsp; The construction was completed by a force made up almost entirely of Black workers, while money was raised for the project by both the white and Black communities. There is one man, in particular, that stands out.&nbsp; His name is Cato Gardner, and he is a native of Africa.&nbsp; Gardner was responsible for raising more than $1,500 towards the overall goal of $7,000 needed to finish the work.&nbsp; There is a small stone monument on the exterior of the church which reads “A Gift to Cato Gardner, first Promoter of this Building 1806."

The church was completed and officially constituted on 8 August 1805 with twenty-four members, of whom fifteen were women.&nbsp; In addition to serving as a spiritual center for the community, the house served and as the main cultural, educational, and political center of the Boston’s Black neighborhood. The African School held classes in the house until the nearby Abiel Smith School was opened in 1835.&nbsp; Community leaders roused their audiences.&nbsp; The Massachusetts General Colored Association, the first abolitionist organization in Boston, met at the African Meeting House.&nbsp; At this location in 1832, white and Black abolitionists attended a meeting headed by William Lloyd Garrison. This meeting led to the establishment of New England Anti-Slavery Society, one of the most significant abolitionist organizations in American history.

In 1898 the Baptist congregation sold their meeting house and moved to a new location in the South End. The meeting house became the Jewish Congregation Anshi Libavitz in 1904 and was acquired by the Museum of African American History in 1972. Two years later it was designated a National Historic Landmark.&nbsp; The building is open to the public six days a week (closed on Sundays).&nbsp; Although there is no set fee for admission, the historic site does request a donation in return for the privilege.&nbsp;

The African Meeting House is the final stop on Boston’s Black Heritage Trail.  The structure was built in 1809 to house the first African Baptist Church of Boston, making this the oldest surviving African American church building in the United States. The church also served as a school and a gathering place for Boston’s Black community.  Famous abolitionists and leaders such as William Lloyd Garrison, Maria Stewart, and Frederick Douglass spoke to audiences assembled within these walls. Since 1972, The African Meeting House houses the Boston's Museum of African American History. Two years later, the building became one of the first National Historic Landmarks for its connection to the anti-slavery movement and African American religious history.

African Meeting House and Museum of African American History (Boston Black Heritage Trail Site 10)

George Middleton built the wooden two-story home in 1786-1787 with his good friend, Louis Glapion. Glapion was a&nbsp;hairdresser from the French West Indies&nbsp;who ran his business out of their shared home. Little is known about Mr. Glapion, however, George Middleton is well known as a leader in Boston's African American community in the&nbsp;years during and after the American Revolution. Middleton&nbsp;married Elsey Marsh in 1781 and the census of 1790 lists Middleton's home as having three inhabitants, but little more is known about his family.Middleton's history is most noteworthy because of his service during the war when he led&nbsp;a militia called&nbsp;the&nbsp;Bucks of America, an African American group of soldiers based in Boston with Middleton as Colonel. John Hancock, the governor of Massachusetts at the time, gave the company a white silk flag as an award of appreciation for their service. The flag is painted with the initials&nbsp; J.H. and G.W. (John Hancock and George Washington) and includes pictures of&nbsp;a pine tree, a deer, and a scroll. Today, the flag is owned by the Massachusetts Historical Society. Washington initially opposed Black militia but later changed his mind owing to the opinions of other military leaders who valued Black manpower. Black leaders like Middleton were savvy&nbsp;in convincing the political and economic elite to support their militia by offering to guard the homes of Boston merchants during the war.

Middleton became an early member of the Prince Hall African Lodge of Freemasons and in 1809, he became the third Grand Master of that Africa American fraternal organization. Middleton was also fundamental in the establishment of the Boston African Benevolent Society. Both organizations were designed to help African Americans obtain equal rights in the community but also to secure mutual protection and economic support for members.&nbsp;One of the most important causes in Middleton's later life was the treatment of Black children in the schools. He fought hard until the end of his life in 1815 to secure monetary support for Black schools while also challenging the exclusion of Black pupils.&nbsp;&nbsp;The single-family house at 5 Pinckney Street is the oldest extant home on Beacon Hill. Today, the home is privately owned and not accessible to the public.&nbsp;

The house that stands at 5 Pinckney Street, Boston is the second site of the Black Heritage Trail and served as the home of George Middleton.  His house is the oldest home still standing on Beacon Hill.  It was built in 1786-1787, just after the American Revolution.  Its wooden construction is typical for new homes going up during the late eighteenth century.  Middleton was the Colonel of the Bucks of America, a founder of the Boston African Benevolent Society, and a Grand Master of the Prince Hall African Lodge of Freemasons. 

George Middleton House (Black Heritage Trail Site 2)

Probably the most brilliant work of the Boston architect Charles Bulfinch, later one of the architects of the Nation’s Capital, the Massachusetts State House is a superb example of Federal-period civic architecture. Its lines reflect the influence of English architects such as Gibbs, Wren, and Jones, and beyond them to the architects of ancient Rome. From the late 1790s to the present, the statehouse—considered by Oliver Wendell Holmes to be "the hub of the solar system"—has been the seat of the Massachusetts government, and it commemorates the stirring history of the Bay State.In February 1795 Gov. Samuel Adams approved the resolve of the Massachusetts General Court adopting Bulfinch's design for a new state house. In July the Governor, assisted by Paul Revere, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons, laid the cornerstone—hauled to the site on a wagon drawn by 15 white horses representing the States of the Union. Bulfinch closely supervised all phases of construction. In 1798 the General Court occupied the uncompleted building, and within the next 2 years the rest of the Massachusetts government relocated from the old state house to the new one. When completed, the building, of red brick in Flemish bond and having white marble lintels and keystones, measured 172 by 65 feet. In 1802 Paul Revere and Son covered the dome, 53 feet in diameter and rising 155 feet, with copper; in 1861 it was gilded and in 1874 covered with gold leaf.Major modifications to Bulfinch's design over the years include the construction of a basement and the erection of white marble wings extending to the rear on both sides of the building. During the years 1896-98 the building was fireproofed by the addition of steel beams. Despite these changes, made primarily to accommodate the growing functions of the Massachusetts government, the major part of the building reflects Bulfinch's genius. Surviving interior features designed by Bulfinch include the Doric Hall, the old Senate Chamber, the old House Chamber, and the Council Chamber. The present lantern cupola is a reproduction of the original. On display in the building are various memorial paintings and statuary, Massachusetts battle flags from the Civil War through World War II, and other exhibits. The statehouse is still used by the State government and is open to the public. In the Hall of Representatives hangs the Sacred Cod, the State emblem symbolizing a vital industry.

Built in 1798, the “new” State House is located across from the Boston Common on the top of Beacon Hill. The land was once owned by the first-elected governor of Massachusetts, John Hancock. Charles Bullfinch, the leading architect of the day, designed the building. The dome, originally made out of wood shingles, is now sheathed in copper and covered by 23 karat gold, which was added to prevent leaks into the State House. In the House of Representatives chambers hangs a wooden codfish called the Sacred Cod. The Sacred Cod signifies the importance of the fishing industry to the Commonwealth. At the top of the golden dome sits a wooden pinecone, which symbolizes logging in Boston during the eighteenth century.

Massachusetts State House

The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was not the first to serve in the Civil War, but it did become the most well known owing to the prominence of many of the men who recruited and joined the unit as well as their gallant stand at Fort Wagner. This battle, as well as the 54th Massachusetts fight for equal pay in the Union army, was popularized by the Hollywood film Glory. African Americans volunteered for military&nbsp;service when the Civil War began, but it was not until the fall of 1862 when Black men organized without official military approval in Kansas saw battle. The 1st South Carolina Volunteers were the first officially recognized unit. The 54th Massachusetts, like other Black units, was led by a white officer. Colonel Robert Gould Shaw volunteered to lead the regiment and grew to respect the men and supported their efforts to equal pay.&nbsp;&nbsp; In both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, African Americans fought on behalf of the United States. The men of the 54th made headlines when they refused to accept a salary lower than white soldiers while remaining in the army and fighting both racial injustice in the Union Army and the Confederacy's attempt to maintain slavery. The 54th were joined by Black soldiers in other units and were eventually able to secure equal pay retroactively. &nbsp; During the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, Colonel Shaw led his men in a charge to take the fort from Confederate control. Shaw was killed while leading the charge before his unit got close to the fort. Shaw's men continued the charge despite high losses. To demonstrate their disdain for white officers who would lead African American troops into battle, Confederate leaders ordered Shaw's body to be buried in a mass grave with the Black men of his unit. Up to this time, the South would always return the dead officers of the North back to have proper burials as a sign of respect. Although intended as an act of disrespect&nbsp;against Shaw for leading an African American regiment against the South. Sergeant William Carney deserves much of the credit for training the men of the 54th. Carney became the first African American to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor because he saved the American flag from being captured by Confederate forces during the Battle of Fort Wagner. He was shot several times during his brave actions to defend the flag.&nbsp; The monument was dedicated on May 31, 1897, in a ceremony that included Carney, the surviving members of the 54th and 55th Regiments, the 5th Calvary, and speakers such as Booker T. Washington. In 1982, the names of the other 62 soldiers who died during the Battle of Fort Wagner were added to the lower part of the memorial.

The 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial features Colonel Robert Gould Shaw leading the men of the 54th Regiment. The monument's emphasis on a white officer reflects the racial mores of the era when the monument was created, as well as the tendency for military memorials to feature commanding officers. The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the most well-known African American regiment to serve the Union owing to the prominence of many of the Black men who recruited, led, and served in the regiment. The monument is the first site on Boston's Black Heritage Trail, which takes visitors through sites of historic significance to the African American experience in central Boston between 1800 and 1900. 

54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial (Boston Black Heritage Trail Site 1)

Established in 1634, Boston Common is America’s oldest public park. Puritan colonists purchased the land rights to the Common’s 44 acres from the first settler of the area, Anglican minister William Blackstone. The price was 30 pounds, and each homeowner paid him six shillings. The pasture then became known as the "Common Land" and was used to graze local livestock until 1830. Boston Common was a place for celebration as well; bonfires and fireworks celebrated the repeal of the Stamp Act and the end of the Revolutionary War. Over 1000 Redcoats made camp on the Common during the British occupation of Boston in 1775. It was from here that three brigades of Redcoats left to make the fateful trip to Lexington and Concord.

Boston Common

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According to the Boston
Athenaeum’s website, the purpose of creating
the group was to form "an establishment similar to that of the Athenæum
and Lyceum of Liverpool in Great Britain; combining the advantages of a public
library [and] containing the great works of learning and science in all
languages."&nbsp; The institution was&nbsp;modeled after the
Athenæum and Lyceum of Liverpool, England. The name itself is a reference to
the&nbsp;Greek goddess Athena, the&nbsp;Goddess of Wisdom.&nbsp; The library
collection is particularly robust in areas related to the American literature
and the&nbsp;history of Boston and&nbsp;New England.&nbsp;

A
Boston librarian named William Smith Shaw formed the Anthology Society in
1805.&nbsp; Two years later, the society voted
to create a Library to hold to Society’s collection and the Boston Athenæum was
born.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;After growing out of several spaces during the
next forty years, the group constructed the current building on Beacon
Street.&nbsp; Construction began in 1847 and
the Library was ready to open in 1849.&nbsp; Initially,
the building consisted of only three stories.&nbsp;
There was a sculpture gallery on the first floor, the books were housed
on the second floor and the third floor was a large space used as a painting
gallery for artists, such as the building’s designer, Edward Clark Cabot.&nbsp; Cabot was an architect and most notably an
artist.&nbsp; Later, the served as a Trustee
of the Anthenaeum (1857-1875).

In
1913-1914, the building underwent extensive improvements to add the fourth and
fifth floors and to make the structure fireproof in order to protect the vast
collection inside.&nbsp; The renovations were designed
by Architect Henry Forbes Bigelow, a partner in the firm Bigelow and
Wadsworth.&nbsp; &nbsp;The galleries overlook the historic Granary
Burying Ground.&nbsp; In 1966, the Boston
Athenaeum was designated as a National Historic Landmark. 

Most of the Library’s
offerings are available only to members, but visitors can browse through a
portion of the first floor, including the Norma Jean Calderwood Gallery, the
Bayard Henry Long Room, and G. d'Andelot Belin Bow Room.&nbsp; The Anthenaeum also offers non-members a
glimpse of the building during one of its regularly scheduled <a href="http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/visit/take-tour" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Art and Architecture Tours</a>. &nbsp;The hour-long tours are offered four times
each week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:00 p.m., Sundays
at 1:00 p.m., and Mondays at 5:30 p.m.

</div>

Established in 1807, Boston Athenæum remains one of the oldest private libraries in the United States. As membership grew, the organization added a collection of art, as well as thousands of rare books. By the 1850s, it was the center of Boston's literary and cultural scene as well as one of the largest libraries in the United States. Maintained as a private library that the public can visit, the collection includes over half a million books as well as a variety of rare and unique artifacts and works of art. The Atheneum sponsors numerous lectures, art exhibits, and concerts, as well as structured discussions where community members can engage with authors and scholars. 

Boston Athenaeum 

Established in 1660, some of America's most notable citizens such as Paul Revere are buried in this cemetery. This cemetery has 2300 markers but is likely the final resting place of an additional 2700 souls. It was named for the grain storage building that was located across the street. It is estimated there are over 5,000 Bostonians who have made the Granary their final resting place. The Infant’s Tomb, where hundreds of children have been interred, is located near the central obelisk that marks the grave of Benjamin Franklin’s parents. Alongside the far wall, an elaborately embellished obelisk marks John Hancock’s tomb. Paul Revere is buried near the back of the Granary; a large marker placed in the 19th century stands by a smaller, older slate marker. Matching stones in the two front corners of the burial ground commemorate James Otis and Samuel Adams. Next to the stone for Adams is the grave marker for the victims of the Boston Massacre. On the right hand wall is a plaque marking the tomb of Robert Treat Paine, the third signer of the Declaration of Independence buried in the Granary (the others being John Hancock and Samuel Adams).

Granary Burying Ground

Park Street Church began as a
small group of twenty-six devoted Christians who broke away from the Old South
Church.&nbsp;&nbsp; They formed the “Religious
Improvement Society” in 1804 and stated to hold their own weekly prayer
meetings and lectures.&nbsp; In 1809, they
established the Park Street Church and raised enough funds to build the
magnificent structure that still stands at the edge of the Boston Common
today.&nbsp; The Park Street Church was
designed by Peter Banner and constructed in 1809.&nbsp; It sits on the former site of a colonial
granary near the edge of Boston Common.&nbsp;
Banner was a well-known English architect who designed several buildings
at Yale in New Haven prior to moving to Boston.&nbsp;
Here, he designed and constructed a home for Ebenezer Craft as well as
the buildings at India Wharf.&nbsp; Banner was
also a skilled mason and carpenter.&nbsp; He
was often involved in the hands-on work at the buildings that he had designed. The church is notable for its
tall steeple.&nbsp; The spire extends 217 feet
into the air.&nbsp; At one time, this steeple
was one of the first landmarks that visitors to the city would see upon their
arrival.&nbsp; He created the steeple as a
homage to British architect Christopher Wren.&nbsp;
Wren had implemented a similar design at St. Bride’s Church in London.Nearly ten years after its
construction (1818), the Park Street Church hosted the country’s first Sunday
School.&nbsp; In the coming years, the church
would serve as a beacon for social justice. Speeches arguing for the
abolishment of slavery and the rights of African-Americans took place on these
steps, including the first public speech delivered by a rising member of the
anti-slavery movement, William Lloyd Garrison.&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;On July 4, 1831, the children’s
choir of the Park Street Church gave the first a capella performance of “My
Country ‘Tis of Thee” at the site. The site of the Park Street
Church is often referred to as “Brimstone Corner.”&nbsp; There are two theories about why the location
was given that nickname.&nbsp; First, it may
have been because the basement was used to store gunpowder and other sulfuric
components during the War of 1812. The other theory is that the types of
passionate sermons given at the church gave it the fiery nickname.&nbsp; 











Today, the Park Street Church describes
itself as an Evangelical, Congregational, and International house of worship.&nbsp; Sermons and study groups are still held several
times a week.&nbsp; In addition, the church is
open for Freedom Trail Tours throughout the year.&nbsp;Historic Marker
Inscription: 

Park Street Church

Freedom Trail

<blockquote>The English architect Peter
Banner designed Park Street Church. It was built in 1809 on the site of the old
Granary for which the adjoining burying ground, much older than the church, was
named. / On July 4, 1829, William Lloyd Garrison delivered his first
anti-slavery speech here and so launched his emancipation campaign with the
words: “Since the cause of emancipation must progress heavily, and must meet
with much unhallowed opposition – why delay the work?”</blockquote>

The Park Street Church was founded over 200 years ago by a band of Christians who decided to break away from the worshipers at the Old South Church.  They chose the site at the corner of Park and Tremont Streets, atop the site of Boston’s town grain storage building, for construction of their new church.  The church’s towering 217-foot steeple was one of the first landmarks travelers saw when approaching Boston by sea.  Park Street Church also became known for supporting abolitionism and social justice.  On July 4, 1829, a young William Lloyd Garrison delivered his first major public speech against slavery.

Park Street Church

Established in 1686, King’s Chapel was the first Anglican congregation in New England. In a region famous for its Puritan beginnings, an Anglican, or Church of England, parish was a rarity; King’s Chapel was the first official non-Puritan church in Boston. Although the congregation was founded in 1686, they would not worship in a church building of their own until 1689. That first King’s Chapel was a small, wooden church occupying the same location as the current structure. The plot of land the church is built on had been part of Boston’s first English burial ground, which was established in 1630 the same year the city was founded. The smaller building fitted the needs of the congregation in the late-1600s, but by the mid-1700s it was far too small. A wealthy congregation in one of the richest cities in the thirteen colonies, the King’s Chapel community had the means to build a church on par with the elegance of Georgian London. Architect Peter Harrison was hired in 1749 and construction on a stone building soon began. This larger church was completed in 1754 and was considered one of the most refined buildings in the American colonies. Harrison was heavily inspired by contemporary churches in London and the work of Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. As a stone structure, King’s Chapel would have stood out in the sea of wood and brick of colonial Boston. The interior was designed to be eye-catching as well; the colorful paint and intricate carvings were intended to display the congregation’s cosmopolitan style and prominence as the head Anglican church of the region.    The prosperity and growth of King’s Chapel in the mid-18th century would be halted by the Revolutionary War. Despite the modern conflation of the Church of England and Loyalist, the members of King’s Chapel (and Anglican congregations across the colonies) were politically divided. For those whose political sympathies or economic necessities aligned them with the Loyalist cause, life in Boston became dangerous. While the minister, the Reverend Henry Caner, and about a third of the congregation fled Boston during the Revolution, those who remained would go on to reimagine their church in a new country. Nearly six years after Rev. Caner left Boston, the congregation settled on a new man to lead their community. Hired as a lay reader in 1782, James Freeman would go on to become King’s Chapel’s first lay-ordained minister; a five-year journey in which Freeman and the church leadership would forge a path to become an independent parish and America’s first Christian Unitarian church.  An active congregation today, King’s Chapel holds services on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Celebrating a tradition that dates back to 1713, the church has a strong music program led by organist Heinrich Christiansen, hosting weekly noontime recitals on Tuesdays and formal evening concerts throughout the year.  Next to the church is the King’s Chapel Burial Ground, a historic graveyard that has been owned and operated by the city of Boston since 1630. Although its name seems to imply a connection to the church, the burial ground is civil space and has never been associated with the congregation; it follows a Puritan convention of naming places of burial for the nearest landmark (the Granary Burial Ground down the block follows the same naming custom). Like King’s Chapel, the King’s Chapel Burial Ground is open as a historic site on Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Founded as the first Anglican congregation in New England in 1686, King’s Chapel also holds the distinction of being America’s first Christian Unitarian church. Located on the corner of Tremont and School Streets since the 17th century, the current Kings Chapel is the congregation’s second church on the site and was completed in 1754. Designed by architect Peter Harrison, it is a National Historic Landmark and often considered to be the best example of Georgian architecture in America. Over 333-years-old, the congregation is still active today hosting services and a popular music program. 

King's Chapel

Established in 1635 in the home
of headmaster Philemon Pormont, Boston Latin School became the first public
school in America. It began as a post-secondary school that prepared young boys
for college.&nbsp; The school was modeled
after the Free Grammar School of Boston, England.&nbsp; Latin and Greek were taught to the pupils,
and emphasis was placed on the study of humanities.&nbsp; &nbsp;It opened
its doors on this site in 1645, when the first schoolhouse was constructed. &nbsp;For the previous ten years, the school had
operated out of the home of Philemon Pormont (an early Puritan settler), whose
house was located near the spot where Causeway Street and the Charleston Bridge
meet today. James Otis published a book in 1910 entitled “Ruth of Boston.” In
part of the book (a link is included below and the section about Master Pormont’s
school begins on page 112), early life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony under
the instruction of Headmaster Philemon Portmont was described. 

The first three schoolhouses were
located on South Street. The first building was a small schoolhouse on the North
side of the street. This building was demolished one hundred years later (1745)
to make way for the expansion of King’s Chapel.&nbsp;
The Boston Latin School moved across the street. In 1812, the school was
reconstructed and stayed there until 1922, when it moved to its current location
in the Back Bay. 

Some of the Boston Latin School’s
most well-known alumni include five of the signers of the Declaration of Independence:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Paine, William Hooper and Benjamin
Franklin. On the front lawn of the Old City Hall, there is a statue of Benjamin
Franklin.&nbsp; The monument marks the spot of
the original schoolhouse.&nbsp; It is
interesting that Franklin was chosen to mark the site, since although he was
definitely one of the most significant figures in American history to have
attended the school, he never graduated from it.&nbsp; Franklin dropped out of Boston Latin School
after just two years because his family could now longer afford to p ay the
cost of tuition.&nbsp; He later moved to
Philadelphia, where he spent most of his adult life. 

The Boston Latin School is still
a fully functioning public school, with students enrolled in grades 7-12.
However, it has changed with time, becoming coeducational in 1972 and moving
locations several times. In 1922, the school moved to its current home in
Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. Admission to Boston Latin is very competitive and
is limited to residents of the city.

The Boston Latin School was the first public school established in America.  It was established on April 23, 1635. The first classes took place in the home of its first headmaster, Philemon Pormont, in 1635. The school's first building was located here between 1645 and 1745. That wooden school was later demolished to allow for the expansion of King's Chapel, but the institution continued to educate young men for two centuries before admitting its first female students in 1972. Boston Latin continues to operate in the Fenway neighborhood, educating future leaders. Among the many distinguished graduates, five of the signers of the Declaration of Independence attended classes at Boston Latin School. A statue of Boston Latin School attendee Benjamin Franklin stands where the school once stood.

Benjamin Franklin Statue & Boston Latin School

Highlights of this historic building include&nbsp;murals near both&nbsp;entrances that illustrate the&nbsp;history of the city and the city government during its formative years, and statues of Benjamin Franklin and Josiah Quincy&nbsp;that stand in front of the building. Quincy was the mayor of Boston between 1823 and 1828 and the President of Harvard between 1829 and 1845.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 

 The site at 45 School Street has been the home of two of
Boston’s City Halls.&nbsp; In 1841, the
Suffolk County Courthouse (built on the site in 1810) was converted into the
second City Hall.&nbsp; That building was demolished
during the American Civil War and construction began on the third City
Hall.&nbsp; Boston’s third City Hall was completed
in 1865 and was the seat of local government until 1969, when the current building
was erected.&nbsp; 

Thirty-eight mayors served their terms at the time; thirty
of them in the building that still stands there today. Currently, this
structure is leased out to private businesses. 

On the site, there are several different political markers
of interest to visitors.&nbsp; The first is
the donkey, the symbol of the Democratic party.&nbsp;
The donkey is made of bronze.&nbsp; It
stands in front of the building on the Freedom Trail.&nbsp; 

After the bronze donkey statue was placed in 1998, people
began to ask for an opposing elephant, the representation of the Republican
party.&nbsp; A marker was placed in the courtyard
in 2001.&nbsp; It shows a pair of footprints with
the picture of an elephant in each.&nbsp; The inscription
below the feet reads “Stand in Opposition.”&nbsp;


There are also statues of two men important to the political
history of Boston:&nbsp; Benjamin Franklin and
Josiah Quincy.&nbsp; Franklin is well-known in
American history as an inventor and a politician.&nbsp; He was born in Boston in 1706 and attended
school here.&nbsp; Quincy was mayor of the City
from 1823-1828.&nbsp; The second mayor is best
known for his role in the development of Quincy Market.&nbsp;

Built in the midst of the Civil War and completed in 1865, this building replaced the existing city hall and served as the seat of government for the city of Boston until 1969. The former city hall was constructed in 1810, and was originally built as the Suffolk County Courthouse. In 1969, Boston built its current city hall and moved its offices from this location to present facility. The building now holds a variety of tenants, including the Architectural Heritage Foundation and the Boston Preservation Alliance. The building became a National Historic Landmark in 1970.  

Old City Hall

<div>The Boston Irish Famine Memorial was&nbsp;sculpted by Robert Shure and unveiled in June&nbsp;1998 on the corner of Washington and School streets.&nbsp;&nbsp; The memorial was commissioned by the City of Boston and the Boston Irish Famine Memorial Committee.&nbsp; It&nbsp;commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1850).&nbsp; There are 8 plaques and 2 groups of sculptures.&nbsp; One of the statues features a group who looked starved - obviously affected by hunger.&nbsp; However, the other group appears to be healthy.&nbsp; The artist was able to point out that there was a definite distinction between the classes in Ireland.&nbsp; The Irish people were affected by the potato blight that hit their country differently, depending on how and where they lived.&nbsp; The poor farmers in rural areas were more reliant on the potato crop for survival that the white-collar workers who lived in the cities.&nbsp; Therefore, the&nbsp;rural areas experienced greater losses due to the crop's failure.&nbsp; The story of the Irish famine, which included the immigration of over a million people to American and the deaths of many others, is told across eight monuments at the site.&nbsp; One of the plaques is entitled, "Arriving in Boston."&nbsp; The inscription reads:&nbsp; "In 1847 alone, 37,000 Irish refugees / landed in Boston, on the edge of / death and despair, impoverished / and sick. “Native Bostonians might / have been willing to send money / and food to aid the starving Irish / as long as they remained in / Ireland,” wrote historian Thomas H. / O’Connor, “but they certainly didn’t / want them coming to America.” The / newcomers moved in along Boston’s / waterfront, packed together in damp / cellars and overcrowded hovels. / “Children in the Irish district.” / wrote Bostonian Lemuel Shattuck, / “seemed literally born to die.” Another is entitled, "An Gorta Mor" and its inscription says: "The great famine which ravaged Ireland / between 1845-50 was the major catastrophe / of the 19th century. It brought horrific suf- / fering and loss to Ireland’s 8.5 million / people. Over one million died of starvation / and disease. Another two million emigrated, / seeking sanctuary in Boston and other / North American cities. Those remaining in / Ireland suffered poverty, eviction, and the / decimation of their culture. This memorial / remembers the famine, known in Irish as An Gorta Mór (The Great Hunger). It depicts / the Irish exodus from their homeland, their / arrival in Boston and ultimate triumph over / adversity in America. It was dedicated on / June 28, 1998, as part of the 150th anni- / versary of The Great Hunger." The memorial is located outside, at the corner of Washington and School Streets in Downtown Boston.&nbsp;&nbsp;It can&nbsp;be visited at any time. &nbsp; </div>

The Irish Famine Memorial sits outside in a small park at the corner of School and Washington streets in downtown Boston.  It is a monument to the many people that died of starvation during Ireland's potato blight in the mid-nineteenth century and the million more who chose that difficult time in history to emigrate to America.  

Irish Famine Memorial

The Puritans first built a wooden meetinghouse, called
the “Third Church,” on this site in 1669.&nbsp;
Over the years, the congregation grew and the building became too small
for their services, so the existing structure was built in 1729.&nbsp; It was the largest building in colonial
Boston at the time.&nbsp; According to the Old
South Meeting House’s website, it was used both for church services and public
gatherings.&nbsp; Town meetings were typically
held at Faneuil Hall.&nbsp; However, if the
expected crowd was too large for that venue, the meeting would be moved to the more
spacious Old South Meeting House.&nbsp; 

Revolutionaries met in this building prior to the
War to discuss their opposition to the series of Acts passed by the British
Parliament and imposed upon them in the new colony.&nbsp; On June 14, 1768, they met in this building
to protest the legislation which allowed the British Navy to force New England
sailors into its service.&nbsp; Nearly two years
later, on the day following the Boston Massacre which killed five residents of
the city, another meeting was held.&nbsp;
Originally scheduled for Faneuil Hall, it was moved to the Old South
Meeting House to accommodate the thousands of furious colonists.&nbsp; They demanded that Britain remove both regiments
of the soldiers, stating that the soldiers and the colonists could no longer
survive together.&nbsp; 

Colonists also met several times in 1773 to
protest the controversial tax on tea which had been levied by Britain upon the
people of Boston.&nbsp; These meetings led up
to the famous Boston Tea Party celebrated in New England history.&nbsp; 

Another interesting historical note about the Old
South Meeting House concerns the clock on the building’s exterior.&nbsp; The tower clock was added to the structure in
1768.&nbsp; Today the clock remains the nation's oldest tower clock (that
was made in America) and which continues to operate in its original location.

Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House is best known for its role during of Boston Tea Party.  On December 16, 1773, several thousand colonists gathered at the meeting house to discuss the proper response to British taxation. From this historic church, the participants launched the most famous political protest in colonial history. 

Old South Meeting House

The building that currently sits on the property was built in 1718.&nbsp; It was originally a home and an apothecary.&nbsp; Prior to its construction, the site had been the home of Anne Hutchinson, a famous Puritan dissident who was tried and convicted of "traducing the ministers" or, in other words, slandering them and the church.&nbsp; She was found guilty and exiled to Rhode Island.&nbsp; The wooden house that Anne Hutchinson lived in transferred ownership several times after she left the city.&nbsp; Dr. Thomas Crease purchased it in 1708 but it was soon lost in the Great Fire of 1711.&nbsp; By 1718, he had constructed the red-brick building that is now situated on the property.&nbsp; In the mid-nineteenth century, the book publisher Ticknor and Fields operated out of the Old Corner Bookstore. Ticknor and Fields is well-known for producing works written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, among others.&nbsp; These men and women were also frequent visitors to the bookstore and publishing company, so often that the corner was nicknamed "Parnassus Corner."&nbsp; In Greek mythology, Mount Parnassus was home to the nine muses of Greek mythology and a place full of poetry, music, and learning. Ticknor and Fields operated out of the building until 1903. Two decades earlier (1880), they had merged with another publishing company, Houghton and Mifflin (now Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt) and soon&nbsp;needed more room for their expanding business.&nbsp; After their departure, a series of other small businesses occupied the real estate.&nbsp; In 1960, downtown&nbsp;Boston was&nbsp;undergoing significant revitalization.&nbsp; One of the projects included demolishing the old bookstore to&nbsp;turn the site into a parking garage.&nbsp;&nbsp;A group of leading Bostonians&nbsp;did&nbsp;not want to see the historic building destroyed, so they formed "Historic&nbsp;Boston Incorporated," lobbied to save the building, and eventually purchased it for preservation.&nbsp; &nbsp; A green sign on the building's exterior reads: 

“The Old Corner Bookstore

Thomas Crease built this structure as his apothecary and
residence shortly after the great fire of 1711 destroyed Anne Hutchinson’s
house on this site.&nbsp; Timothy Carter
opened the Old Corner Bookstore here in 1829.&nbsp;
Between 1845 and 1865, the booksellers Ticknor and Fields established
the building’s lasting literacy significance as the publishers of Hawthorne,
Longfellow, Stowe, Emerson, Thoreau and other prominent American and British
authors, who often gathered here.&nbsp; 

In 1960, civic leaders raised money and established Historic
Boston Incorporated to acquire and preserve this site.”&nbsp;

The Old Corner Bookstore sits on the corner of School and Washington Streets in downtown Boston. It is a part of the Freedom Trail. Built in 1718, the structure is the oldest commercial building in Boston. However, the building is no longer used as a bookstore or publishing company. Leased to a number of retail establishments over the past century, the first floor of the building is now occupied by quick-service food chain. 

Old Corner Bookstore

The Old State House was completed in 1713 and replaced the Town House which served as the governmental headquarters from 1658 until 1711 when that building was destroyed by fire. Efforts to save the historic building received a boost when citizens of Chicago offered to move the endangered building to their city. Faced with the prospect of having their history in a rival city, Bostonians supported the effort to preserve this building.&nbsp; The building was facing possible demolition in the late 19th century but was preserved thanks to the efforts of the Bostonian Society, which was established in 1881 to rescue and restore the historic building. The Bostonian Society now operates a museum in the Old State House with many exhibits and artifacts related to the colonial period and American Revolution.&nbsp; Perhaps the most iconic photo taken in relation to the Boston
busing crisis and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography is
named “The Soiling of Old Glory.” It was taken by Stanley Foreman on 5th
April 1976 and shows the attack on Ted Landsmark a Black lawyer by Joseph
Rakes, a white man. Educated at Yale law school, Landsmark had been campaigning
to get more minorities into construction and didn’t know about the busing crisis
until he walked into the middle of an anti-busing protest. He decided that he
would use the publicity of the photograph to make a wider audience aware of the
struggles in Boston at the time.

On 5th April 1976 a protest of the busing policy
took place, organised with the help of Louise Day Hicks, the founder of Restore
Our Alienated Rights (ROAR). Although Hicks was not aware that students like
Rakes were taking part in the protest, she invited them in to listen to their demands
and to say the Pledge of Allegiance together. After leaving “feeling righteous
about their cause” (Masur 4) they crossed paths with Landsmark.

Completed in 1713 to house the government of Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Old State House was home to the Massachusetts Assembly and the Council Chamber of the Royal Governor. Although under the authority of the royal governor, Massachusetts' assembly had become one of the most independent colonial legislatures and many of the meetings and events that led to the American Revolution were held within this building, including the call for a Stamp Act Congress. 

Old State House

The Boston Massacre was a response to the Townshend Acts, a series
of legislation imposed by the British Parliament upon the citizens of
Boston.&nbsp; It imposed taxes all of sorts of
things that the residents needed, such as lead,
glass, paper, paint, and tea.&nbsp; 

On the night of March 5, 1770, a group of soldiers standing guard outside the Old State House
felt like they were being harassed by the people.&nbsp; Some young men were throwing snowballs and yelling
at the guards.&nbsp; A mob of citizens joined
the young men.&nbsp;Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson&nbsp;stood in the&nbsp;building's balcony and&nbsp;tried&nbsp;to order the crowd to go home, but they&nbsp;ignored&nbsp;his orders.&nbsp;The soldiers grew frustrated
with the way that they were being treated, and fired several shots into the
crowd.&nbsp; Three men died instantly and two
later succumbed to their wounds.&nbsp; 

Patriots immediately dubbed the event a “massacre.” The propaganda
was likely an attempt to garner the support of other colonists in their opposition
to British rule.&nbsp; 

British Captain Thomas Preston and eight of his men were arrested
and&nbsp;tried for murder.&nbsp; John
Adams defended the men, declaring that it would prove the impartiality of the court
system in the colonies.&nbsp; Josiah Quincy, another Boston attorney, aided John Adams in the defense.&nbsp; Robert Treat
Paine, a statesman from Taunton, MA, prosecuted the case.&nbsp; After a sensational trial, Preston and six of his men were acquitted of any crime. Two men, however, were found guilty of manslaughter and punished.&nbsp; The site of the massacre is marked by a cobblestone circle located in the street in front of the Old State House.&nbsp;

At this precise location on March 5, 1770, tensions between British soldiers and American colonists escalated until the soldiers shot and killed five colonists. As is often the case, the actual trigger was a minor dispute although the tensions that led to the event were complex and longstanding. Samuel Adams and other colonists labeled the event  "The Boston Massacre." Those who sided with the Crown called simply referred to it as a "riot," a term that emphasized the insults and minor attacks of colonists upon the soldiers.  

Boston's Black Heritage Trail and Freedom Trail

Vilna Shul

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information