January 5, 2005 -- At a Boston press conference, Historic Tours of America® today unveiled its most recent historic acquisition, the Robinson Half Chest, one of only two known surviving tea chests from the Boston Tea Party.

The celebrated Tea Party uprising, which took place on December 16, 1773, has long been hailed as the spark that ignited the Revolutionary War and one of the most important events leading to the foundation of the United States of America.

The Robinson Half Chest was unveiled by Christopher Belland, CEO, and Ed Swift, President, of Historic Tours of America,® at an invitational showing held at Boston's Independence Wharf (formerly Griffin's Wharf), overlooking the exact site of the original Tea Party. Special guests and dignitaries included Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who joined Belland and Swift in unveiling the rare chest.

The chest is named for John Robinson, the 15-year-old patriot who reportedly plucked the chest from the shores of Boston Harbor on the morning following the defiant colonial uprising 231 years ago.

Passed down from generation to generation, the chest was acquired by Historic Tours of America® from the Goodman family of Laredo, Texas. Through its 231 years, the chest has had only seven owners, and all those individuals are, by direct descent or marriage, of one family.

In introducing the tea chest, Belland commented, “After two centuries of travel, this icon of American freedom has returned home -- to Boston. Historic Tours of America® is proud to serve as the guardian of this historic treasure and we look forward to sharing it with millions of visitors, residents and students at the soon to be built Boston Tea Party Ships^sm & Museum.”

The Robinson Half Chest will be prominently showcased at Historic Tours of America’s® new Boston Tea Party Ships^sm & Museum scheduled to begin construction shortly. The project, designed by Historic Tours of America® and McManus-Peterman Architects, Cambridge, is located off the Congress Street Bridge at Boston's Fort Point Channel.

The history center will include three replica ships - the brig Beaver, Dartmouth and Eleanor, the three ships boarded by patriots during the Boston Tea Party - an interactive museum, a theater, two meeting house assembly rooms for visitor orientation, a tea room, a banquet facility and a themed retail store.

Prior to the renovated Tea Party Museum's reopening, the chest will be secured in a climate controlled location.

A DETAILED HISTORY
The historical record of the Robinson Half Chest is lengthy and extensive. The authenticity of the chest was documented by the family owners in the mid-1900s in a large volume that traces the chest's origins as well as its trek across the country.

Among other important archives, the book includes an 1897 letter describing the early history of the chest and an early photograph showing the heirloom being proudly displayed by ancestors. This type of documentation is unusual for an American decorative arts object that would have had little value a century ago.

One of the more fascinating features of the chest is a Nine Man Morris game that was scratched into the bottom exterior of the wooden box. The game was popular during the late 18th century, which suggests that the box may have served another use after it was collected by John Robinson.