- The Old North Church, built in 1723, is the oldest remaining church in Boston. Lanterns for Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride were hung as a signal from the steeple. It was the tallest structure in Boston until 1810 when the Park Street Church was built.
- The Bunker Hill Monument stands to commemorate the infamous Battle of Bunker Hill fought on June 17, 1775 (B64). The battle was actually fought on Breed’s Hill where the monument has stood In Charlestown since its completion in 1843. A free museum
- Long Wharf was the most bustling pier in North America’s busiest port of Boston. The “long” wharf was reduced in size when the waterfront’s face was changed in the 1800s. The wharf extended from the rear of Quincy Marketplace and was the center of commercial activity in Boston. Long Wharf was the landing point for the British Redcoats on October 1, 1768 and June 1, 1774 when they occupied Boston to intimidate and enforce submission to tyrannical designs of the British Crown and the Tories in Parliament. The incoming Governor in 1774, General Thomas Gage, was greeted at Long Wharf when he arrived. Today, the Long Wharf is a very active recreational area where boats and ferries arrive adjacent to the New England Aquarium and the beautiful Long Wharf hotel.
- The Liberty Tree stood in Hanover Square at Essex St. and Orange St., which is in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood today at Essex St. and Washington St. This great elm tree stood in a deacon’s yard and was a gathering spot for townspeople. A protest to the Stamp Act began under the branches, which marked the formation of the True Sons of Liberty. The Stamp Master of Massachusetts Bay was also forced to resign at the tree. Grand annual anniversary banquets for the Sons of Liberty were held under the branches. In 1775, a British soldier who despised the cause of Liberty chopped the tree down. Unfortunately, a park which was planned in the 1960s never came to life and a plaque on the third level is the most significant marking today.
- The Green Dragon Tavern was affectionately known as the headquarters for the Patriots of Boston. Gatherings were held by the Sons of Liberty, the Boston Committee of Correspondence, and the North End Caucus. Discussion was held by Patriots before the Boston Tea Party. The North and South End gangs also met at the Green Dragon to unite rather than engage in a traditional brawl on Pope Day in 1765 to protest the Stamp Act. The Green Dragon Tavern can be visited in the ally of Union St.
- Griffin’s Wharf was the location of the Boston Tea Party in 1773 (cover story). A new interactive museum opened in 2012 at Griffin’s Wharf where visitors can relive one of the United States most significant events. The museum is located on the Congress St. Bridge and, not far from South Station.
- The Paul Revere House still stands today as a museum in North Square of Boston’s North End neighborhood. The wooden home for Paul Revere is downtown Boston’s oldest remaining building. Paul Revere departed from his home on his most famous “Midnight Ride.” When Boston was impacted by the Intolerable Acts, Revere also traveled to New York and Philadelphia to gain support from other colonies as Boston was “suffering in the common cause of Liberty.” While the First Continental Congress was meeting in Philadelphia in 1774, Revere was dispatched to deliver the resolves of Boston and Suffolk County.
- The Old State House, known as the Town House in colonial Boston, was the seat of government in Massachusetts Bay. Built in 1713 (after the wooden Town House burned down) the Old State House is the oldest public building in Boston today. Chambers existed for the Royal Governor and his Council, the elected Representatives of the Massachusetts General Assembly, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts and the Courts of Suffolk County. At the Town House, James Otis brilliantly argued against writs of assistance, victims of the Boston Massacre were murdered in the street outside the Town House, and the Declaration of Independence was first read in Boston from the Town House balcony. The Old State House is located on State St. (known as King St. in the colonial days) at the intersection of Washington St.
- Faneuil Hall was built in 1742 as a gift from a wealthy Boston merchant, Peter Faneuil. It was rebuilt in 1762 after a fire. The following year, over 250 years ago, James Otis dedicated Faneuil Hall, home of many great Boston Town Meetings, to the cause of Liberty. Many of Samuel Adams’ famous Patriotic words were spoken in Faneuil Hall.
- The Granary Burying Ground is an old cemetery where many great Patriots rest. In colonial Boston, it was part of Boston Common, known as the Middle Burying Ground. Liberty’s first Martyr, 11-year old Christopher Snider, and Victims of Boston Massacre were laid to rest here. Great Patriots lie at the Granary Burial Ground including Samuel Adams, James Otis, John Hancock Paul Revere, and Robert Treat Paine. The Granary Burying Ground is located on Tremont St. between Park St. and School St and can be visited for free.
- Boston Common is the oldest public park in Boston. Many fine homes including John Hancock’s and James Otis’ bordered the Common. A plaque stands on the west side of the New State House at the location of Hancock’s residence. Boston Common was the scene of a great celebration upon the repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766. When the British Redcoats invaded and occupied the town from 1768-70 and again in 1774-76, Boston Common was used as a camp for several regiments. Today, the Public Gardens border the Common on the west-side, although this was water during the 1700s before the Back Bay was filled with land. On the night of April 18, 1775, 700 Redcoats departed from their encampment on Boston Common into boats and crossed the water en route to Lexington. The first shots of the American Revolution were fired the next morning.
- The Old South Meeting House was the largest gathering spot in Boston in the colonial days. Built as a Puritan meeting house in 1729, it was nearly destroyed in the 1872 Great Fire. For the largest public discussions, the Old South Meeting House was used when Faneuil Hall was filled to capacity. Most notably, public meetings were held re- garding the arrival of tea which was eventually dumped into Boston Harbor in the Boston Tea Party (cover story). Days after the Boston Massacre in 1770, Samuel Adams led public discussion which led to the removal of British troops from the town (B39). Located at 310 Washington St
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dec 31 2016 +