We started early and had breakfast at our hotel. We had planned on taking a train into Boston and weren't sure how much time to allot for travel to the station and waiting, so were actually early. We opted to just go ahead and get a start on our day. That worked out well for the most part. The crowds were slim and the temperature cooler. However, many places were closed! But that is okay. Our goal is to be able to see and feel, not necessarily go into tons of museums! :)
With that being said, we struck up some great conversations with some seatmates on the hour train ride (We started in Plymouth!). What should we see? What should we make sure we do? These gentlemen were very helpful and wished us well as we all exited the train. The train started out with few people but was pretty packed once we got to Boston!
Boston is a beautiful city. It has its own charm of very old and very new and lots in the middle. It got busier and busier as the day went on, and it is most fun to people watch! Cheryl especially loves to "shoe" watch--some people wear stilettos or tall heels on brick and cobblestone streets!! Fascinating to watch!
We hoofed it over to the visitor's center to get our map and directions and followed the red brick road! The "Freedom Trail" is a trail set into the sidewalk, mostly brick but some red paint, that indicates historically significant places on this journey. It starts at the Boston Common and ends at Bunker Hill.
This was a long day so will be a bit of a lengthy blog. Apologies!! We will try for shortish and sweet. We also took TONS of pictures and can't possibly include them all here.
First stop: Boston Commons. This is actually land in the middle of the city that has never been built on! It is lovely as it is just a really large open area with large trees. Today people were playing Frisbee, studying, listening to music, chasing small children, and more.
Across from the Commons is the Massachusetts State House, complete with golden dome! It was built in 1795 and the dome was wooden to start and then copper (done by Paul Revere's company!), and then gilded gold since the Civil War. There are many memorial statues on the green, John F Kennedy, Anne Hutchinson (more on her later), Mary Dyer, etc.
The Park Street Church is a most beautiful church. The town Granary was actually on this site first, with the capacity of storing over 12,000 bushels of grain!! Once the State House was completed, it was decided that perhaps a church was a better neighbor in town vs a barn! It was here that America's first Sunday School was founded!
The Granary Burying Ground is behind the church and is the city's 3rd oldest. When we first made the round, it was closed as they were doing yard maintenance. It was such a beautiful cemetery, complete with flags for Memorial Day, over 300 years after internment. Within this cemetery lie THREE signers of the Declaration of Independence, the five victims of the Boston Massacre, Benjamin Franklin's parents, and Paul Revere. Yes, THAT Paul. Ben is buried in Philadelphia as that is where he lived most of his life. All the stones here are ancient and feature skulls and angel wings. One representing death, and the other their heavenly home. John Hancock has a HUGE monument that replaces his original one that disappeared over 100 years ago. Paul Revere is buried here along with his 2nd wife (More on Paul later). Samuel Adams is also interred here; he is often considered the "organizer the Revolution."
Down the street, and around the corner is King's Chapel and cemetery. King James decreed the establishment of an Anglican parish in Boston. The Puritans who first settled here fled the "corruption" of the Church of England (the Anglican). No Puritan would offer up any land so the Governor just "seized" a corner of the burying land nearby. This is the original cemetery in town. When the cornerstone of this church was laid, angry citizens threw garbage and dead animals!! After the British Army evacuated Boston during/after the Revolution, a new pastor adopted a new theology and it became the first Unitarian church in America.
The King's Chapel Burying Ground was first used within months after the town was settled in 1630! Unfortunately, no one knows for sure how many people are buried here as accurate records weren't really kept. John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is buried here.
On past the sight of the first public school, and around the turn you encounter a Chipotle restaurant. However, it was also the home of Anne Hutchinson and her husband Will while they lived here. Remember, Anne had her own thoughts and views and was expelled from here some years before. She had already moved when the Fire of 1711 destroyed the home as well as most of this part of town. A new structure was built for an apothecary, but its claim to fame was as a book publisher! The Scarlet Letter and Hiawatha were among many books published here. We had some chips and queso/guacamole here to celebrate even though it was closed the first time around and we had to double back in order to go inside!
We walked past the Old South Meeting House where Boston citizens met again and again to demand their rights from British officials!
The Old State House is the oldest public building still standing in the eastern United States and has a rich and varied history. It boasts an Eastern balcony from which the Declaration of Independence was first read, having just arrived from Philadelphia! Below the balcony features a circle of paving stones commorating the five Bostonians killed when a squad of British officers fired into a mob. These victims are buried in the Granary Burying Ground.
Faneuil Hall is today what it was centuries ago, a marketplace on the main floor as meeting rooms on upper ones. It was fun walking through to see the various shops and vendors hawking their wares. We also found a pair of Larry Bird's shoes! Brass cast ones, anyway. :)
We visited Paul Revere's home! It is Boston's oldest structure, built in 1680!! Paul didn't actually live in it until his mid-30s, around 1770. Paul and his wife Sarah, their 5 children and Paul's mother called this house their home. Paul was actually married twice and the father of 16. Yes. His first wife, Sarah, died from complications of childbirth of their 8th baby. He remarried just 6 months later and his 2nd wife Rachel and he had 8 more children. Of course, not all of them live here at the same time as the older ones moved on. It was so interesting to see things that have survived the passage of so much time. It was a descendant of Paul that actually saved the house in the early 1900s when it appeared the house wold be torn down. A group purchased the house and renovated it back to its origins. While we were there there was a school group and one little guy passed out. Andrew had already exited as it was getting pretty crowded in that small room upstairs with all of those school kids and their chaperones, and Cheryl was reading up on a display when PLUNK a young man just fainted backward and slid down the wall. Several of the school staff were there instantly as was a representative from the Revere house staff.
We walked past the Green Dragon (and later had an appetizer called Bubbles and Squeak which was quite tasty) which is where Samuel Adams, Daniel Webster, and Paul Revere used to meet and discuss plans for resistance to the acts of the British. Across the street from the Green Dragon is a restaurant that claims to be America's oldest tavern, meaning it has always been open and a tavern!
"One if my land, and two, if by sea." The steeple of the Old North Church is probably Boston's most famous landmark. Here, in 1775, Paul placed the signal lanterns to warn the country of the British troops' march! This church is also Boston's oldest standing church building. It opened in 1723 and is still used today by the same congregation!! The steeple is not original as it was blown over twice during hurricanes but it is a copy of the original design. The inside is virtually unchanged from colonial days, even though we didn't make it in as tons of school kids walked in just as we got there.
The city's 2nd cemetery is called Copp's Hill Burying Ground and is really big. Few "famous" people are buried here but it is interesting to wander among the stones and look at the engravings and epitaphs.
We needed to walk to continue the Freedom tour. We hiked to Bunker Hill. What a profound area. It was technically a British victory but the Americans gave it their all and their desire for independence was strengthened. The monument itself was started in 1825 and finished in 1843. Andrew opted to walk up 294 steps and the view of the city, harbor, and outlying areas was magnificent. Cheryl opted to save her knees for future planned hikes.
The USS Constitution: it is amazing that this boat is still here after all of these years! It was launched in 1797!! and named by George Washington. She is called "Old Ironsides" even though she isn't made of iron at all. Apparently she is made of "live oak" and cannonballs bounced right off her hull. Her greatest exploits came during the War of 1812. While we were inside and down one level, we overheard a tour guide explaining that they would actually have to have 2-3" of water on the floor while shooting off the cannons as some of the ammo would land back onto the floor and water kept it from burning the entire ship up! The USS Constitution is still an active commissioned ship in the US Navy. We were "searched" before being able to get near her!
Our final spot of the day was the site of the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was the turning point of the protests that lead to the Revolution. Bostonians didn't want to be taxed for their tea as it could lead to taxation of other goods. Enough was enough! They dumped 92,616 pounds of tea into Boston harbor!
We walked through the public gardens which were featured in a book written in 1941 called Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. It won the Caldecott Award and is about a family that decides to raise their ducklings on an island in the lagoon of the park. It's a cute little book! We took a selfie with some brass ducklings!
As stated prior, we had a big day. This only touches the tip of what we saw and experienced!
Andrew addition -- also of historical note - we had cold drinks at the Green Lantern (we discussed a little politics = FREEDOM), Bell in Hand Tavern (America's oldest), and Cheers! ... sat in Norm's seat... (the original inspiration = the Bull & Finch in Beacon Hill area)... and poured one down at the site of the Boston Beer Party... or was it tea?
We headed back to catch the train and called it a night. Tomorrow we get to sleep in a little and plan on visiting Lexington and Concord and end up in Salem. We shall see.
Nighty night!
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