by Alex Gugel , all rights reserved
BostonBrochure |
Official Brochure of Boston National Historical Park (NHP) in Massachusetts. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
featured in
![]() | National Parks Pocket Maps | ![]() |
Boston
National Historical Park
Massachusetts
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Church steeples rise over the Boston skyline in this 1820 view. The large building left of center
is the State House. The steeple of Old South Meeting House is the third from the right. Courtesy: Boston Atheneum.
Bostonians blazed a trail of freedom from colony to independence. They
met in town meetings to argue contemporary issues, they spoke against
excessive taxes, and they were among the leaders in organizing a defense against British dominion. Today the sites of Boston National Historical Park, connected by the Freedom Trail, symbolize the accomplishments of that revolutionary generation.
Years before the Revolution, the Massachusetts House of Representatives denied that Parliament had the right to tax the American colonies
without representation. A circular letter issued from the Old State House
sought a meeting of delegates from all thirteen colonies to discuss the
Stamp Act. The British, however, continued to impose duties. In Faneuil
Hall James Otis and Samuel Adams raised their voices to oppose England's oppressive tariffs. T h e n on the evening of December 16, 1 7 7 3 ,
more people gathered at Faneuil Hall than could be accommodated. They
moved to Old South Meeting House, the town's largest building. From
there a band of men disguised as Indians went to the waterfront, boarded
three British ships, and unloaded their cargoes of tea into the harbor. In
retaliation, England closed the port of Boston. In May 1 7 7 4 British troops
occupied the city, and patriots prepared to defend their homeland. In the
steeple of Old North Church, near Paul Ftevere's House, two lanterns
were hung on April 1 8 , 1 7 7 5 , warning the patriots that British troops were
crossing to Charlestown by sea. Paul R e v e r e and William Dawes rode to
Lexington to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams of the pending
attack. When British troops tried to confiscate patriot arms stored in Concord, the "Minutemen" fought. Shots rang out from Lexington G r e e n and
Concord's North Bridge. The war for independence had begun. The British retreated to Boston, and an American army soon took up positions on
the hills surrounding the city. Two months later, the British planned to
occupy Charlestown Heights. To prevent this, Breed's Hill (Bunker Hill
Monument) was fortified. Alarmed by the armaments, the British attacked
on June 17, 1 7 7 5 . By mid-afternoon a battle raged. It ended in an American retreat, but with substantial British losses. G e n . George Washington
arrived to take command and by March 1 7 7 6 he had fortified Dorchester
Heights. Under threat of bombardment, the British evacuated Boston
and for the next few years the war moved south.
Although the Revolutionary War was fought primarily on land, a small
Continental Navy was built, only to be disbanded at the end of the war.
The foundations of the permanent Navy were established by Congress in
1 7 9 4 with the authorization of six new frigates. USS Constitution, built at
Hartt's Shipyard in Boston, was launched in 1 7 9 7 . Her strength in battle
gave her the nickname "Old Ironsides." Now the oldest ship in the United
States Navy, she is restored and berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard, one
of the first naval shipyards in the Nation.
A Tour of the Freedom Trail
State House and Archives
Park Street Church
King's Chapel
Begin your tour of the
Freedom Trail at Boston
Common, land purchased in 1634 as a militia "trayning field' and
for the "feeding of Cattell.' During the Battle
of Bunker Hill the British
embarked for Charlestown from the Common.
Artist Gilbert Stuart is
buried in the Central Burying Ground. The "new"
State House, designed
William Lloyd Garrison
gave his first antislavery
speech in this church,
built in 1809. Adjacent to
it is Granary Burying
Ground, where many notable Americans are interred, including Declaration of Independence
signers John Hancock,
Robert Treat Paine, and
Samuel Adams. Also
buried here are the victims
of the Boston Massacre.
The first Anglican Congregation in Boston was
founded in Tremont
Street in 1688. The
present structure was
completed in 1754. In
colonial times the church
was presented with gifts
of silver and vestments
by Queen Anne and King
George III. After the
Revolution it became the
first Unitarian Church
in America. The burial
by Charles Bulfinch, was
built in 1795 on land that
originally belonged to
the John Hancock family.
The Archives contains
many original documents, including the
Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company and
the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780.
Quincy Market
Newly refurbished
Quincy Market is a prime
example of the adaptive
use of old structures. Its
many restaurants and
shops make it an interesting place to visit.
Nearby is the waterfront
of Boston Harbor, one
of the oldest ports in
America. A courtesy shuttle bus to Boston Tea
Party Ship and Museum
may be boarded at the
Commercial Street end of
Quincy Market. There visitors may tour a full-scale
replica of the brig Beaver.
ground next door, the
first in the colony, shelters
Governor John Winthrop
and William Dawes, Jr.
Faneuil Hall
Paul Revere House
Peter Faneuil donated
this building to the city in
1742. It was enlarged
in 1806. The lower floor
has always been a market; the second the meeting hall that James Otis
dubbed the "Cradle of
Liberty" because of the
protests of British policy
voiced here. The third
level houses the Ancient
and Honorable Artillery
Company Museum.
This house, built about
1676, is the oldest surviving house in Boston. Paul
Revere lived here between 1770 and 1800.
While living here, he engraved his famous scene
of the Boston Massacre,
took part in the Boston
Tea Party in December
1773, and on the night of
April 18, 1775, departed
on his historic ride to
warn the residents of
Franklin Statue
Old Corner Bookstore
Old South Meeting House
Old State House
Designed by Richard S.
Greenough, this portrait
statue, the f i rst erected
in Boston, commemorates one of the city's
most versatile sons. The
bronze tablets depict
Franklin's career: printer,
scientist, and signer of
the Declaration of Independence and the Peace
Treaty with Great Britain.
Originally built in 1712
as the home of Thomas
Crease, this building was
the center of literary
Boston i n the 19th century. Such noted authors
as Longfellow, Emerson,
Hawthorne, and Oliver
Wendell Holmes gathered
in the Bookstore here.
"Old South' was built in
1729 as a Congregational
Church. It was the largest meeting house in Boston and was often used
fortown meetings when
the attendance was too
large for Faneuil Hall.
Such was the situation on
the night of December
16, 1773, when the meeting discussed the tea tax.
When the meeting adjourned a body of men,
Built in 1713, this was
the seat of the colonial
government. Here in
1766 the first gal lery from
which the public could
watch government in action was opened. A circle
of cobblestones in the
street outside marks the
Boston Massacre Site
where on March 5, 1770,
British soldiers killed five
patriots.
Old North Church
Lexington and Concord
of the approach of the
British Redcoats.
Built in 1723, as "an
house of prayer for all
people, ""Old North"or
Christ Church seen here
from the Paul Revere
Mall, is the city's oldest
standing church. From
its steeple sexton Robert
Newman hung two lanterns to warn Charlestown that the British were
crossing the harbor on
their way to Concord.
Copp's Hill
Burying Ground
Begun as a cemetery in
the 1660s, this site overlooking the Charles River
was used by the British
a century later as an emplacement for the cannon
that fired on the Americans on Bunker Hill.
Buried here are Cotton
Matherand Edward Hartt,
builder of the USS
Constitution.
disguised as Indians, left
Old South, moved to the
waterfront, boarded three
vessels, and dumped their
cargoes of tea into the
harbor. Parliament
closed the port of Boston,
a critical step on the road
to Revolution. In 1877
the church was preserved
for historical, religious,
and educational purposes.
Bunker
Hill Monument
Charlestown Navy Yard
The navy yard opened in
1800. For 174 years it
built, repaired, and supplied ships of the United
States Navy. Many of
these were destroyers
similar to the USS Cassin
Young, which is being
restored in the yard and
is open to visitors daily.
Also stationed in the yard
is the frigate USS Constitution, launched in
1797. In her long career
she never lost a battle.
She is now the oldest
commissioned warship in
the world. The frigate
has been restored many
times, the last between
1973 and 1976. The ship
was the first vessel to
use the John Quincy
Adams Drydock and also
the last to use it before
the yard was inactivated
in 1974. The nearby Constitution Museum dis-
plays many historical
items that help the visitor understand shipboard
life in the 1800's.
The obelisk marks the
site of the first major battle of the Revolution. It
is a tribute to those who
fought against the British, withdrawing only after
their ammunition was
gone. The Bunker Hill Pavilion exhibits a dramatic
multi-media presentation
of the battle.
Boston
National Historical Park
Massachusetts
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
A Unique Park
A Unique City
Boston exemplifies many aspects of America s heritage. Its citizens are a
perpetual fountain of individualism. Its scholars and statesmen have
profoundly influenced the life of the city and the Nation.
Cities, like people, change and evolve. Boston is famous for its adaptive
use of old structures. The old Quincy Market, the Waterfront, and
Charlestown Navy Yard are being renovated for a variety of community,
commercial, and leisure uses. The marriage of historic preservation and
economic revitalization has created a skyline of contrasts: modern
skyscrapers and the Government Center vie with the steeple of the Old
North Church and clock tower of the Customs House. Architectural and
cultural diversity is the essence of Boston.
A walk on the Freedom Trail will also take you through the varied
neighborhoods that characterize the city: the Italian neighborhood in
the North End, the "Old Boston" neighborhood at Beacon Hill, and the
Irish community in Charlestown. Park visitors can best enjoy the city
by walking or riding the public transportation system to its museums,
theaters, concerts, and shops.
Boston National Historic Park is actually an association of a number of
sites that together give the visitor a coherent view of the city's role in the
Nation's history. Each site brings to life the American ideals of freedom
of speech, religion, government, and self-determination.
The park complex is unique in that only three of the sites—the Charlestown Navy Yard, Bunker Hill Monument, and Dorchester Heights National Historic Site—are owned by the Federal Government. The others—
the Paul R e v e r e House, the Old North Church, the Old State House, the
Old South Meeting House, and Faneuil Hall—are privately or municipally owned and managed. H e n c e the creation of Boston National
Historical Park signifies a new kind of park management, in which the
resources of Federal, State, city, and private organizations are combined
in a cooperative relationship. Responsibilities, costs, and technical
assistance are shared among all parties.
Most of the historic sites are connected by the Freedom Trail. Recognized as a National Recreation Trail, the 3-mile trail is a walking tour of
16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and
Charlestown.
Rapid Transit System
Entrance/Exit for Rapid
Transit stations on map
at right
Most transit stations are
named for the streets,
landmarks, or squares at
which the stop is located.
Stations are usually
marked with large signs
bearing the transit system logo.
Exact change is required,
although change is available at stations where
turnstiles operate. The
rapid transit system
operates from 6 a.m. to
midnight.
city is on foot. Leave your
car in one of the public
or private parking lots. All
charge a fee.
and contains exhibits of
historical sites and a free
audio-visual show to orient you to the park and
greater Boston.
Historic Boston
The Freedom Trail is a
walking tour of Boston's
major historic sites and
structures. A red line
marked on the sidewalk
directs you from site to
site. Begin yourwalking
tour at any point, but if
you desire to take the
whole tour, plan an entire
day for the 3-mile round
trip.
The sites of Boston African American National
Historic Site explore the
history of Beacon Hills
black community. The
first blacks came to Boston in 1638 as slaves.
During the Revolution,
black Bostonians were
active on both sides. In
1783, the year the war
ended, the Massachusetts Supreme Court
abolished slavery in the
State. Over the next 20
years, many blacks
settled on the north side
of Beacon Hill. The important sites are marked
by distinctive signs.
Parking is plentiful in
downtown Boston; and
the best way to see the
Bus transportation is
available to take you to
some of the more distant
sites. A shuttle bus runs
between the Boston Tea
Party Ship and downtown. Pick up the bus
on the Devonshire Street
side of the Old State
House or the Commercial
Street side of Faneuil
Hall. To reach the
Charlestown sites, take
MBTAbusses93or111
to City Square, a short
walk from Bunker Hill and
the Navy Yard. To return
from Charlestown, take
any bus labelled
"Downtown. 1 '
Restrooms are available
at the public sites indicated by the symbols on
the map. Many commercial buildings also have
restrooms.
Information concerning
Boston and the Freedom
Trail can be obtained at
the kiosk on Boston Common, and without charge
at the Park visitor center
and the Charlestown
Navy Yard. The visitor
center in downtown Boston is operated by the
National Park Service
For sale by the Superintendent ol Documents, U.S. Gouernment Printing Office. Washington, DC 20402
Stock Number 024 005 00773 3.
GPO 1982-361-578/177
Reprint 1982