Perhaps one of the most historic cities in the United States, Boston offers a multitude of iconic sites that are significant to our country’s past. Millions of people from around the world visit the city each year to see where the beginning of our independence as a nation was born. Take a stroll through Boston to discover these historically significant sites!
Paul Revere House
Located within Boston’s oldest residential neighborhood, the North End, this historic home was built in 1680 and can be seen today along the Freedom Trail. It was home to Paul Revere and his family between 1770 and 1800. A visit here allows you to take a tour and learn about the home’s rich past, Paul Revere’s life and the true story of his famed midnight ride. Today as one of the most popular Boston attractions, the Revere house welcomes thousands of visitors per year.
Freedom Trail
This two and a half mile walk leads you to 16 different historical sites and is an excellent way to learn about our forefathers and the many people who helped make America what it is today. Sites along the trail are marked with a bricked or painted red line and include the Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King’s Chapel, the Site of the Boston Massacre and many more. You may join the very knowledgeable costumed guides from various points in the city or you may create your own self-guided tour.
Blackstone Block
A walk along Blackstone Block has you feeling as though you’ve stepped back in time. Dating back to the 18th century, this beautifully preserved piece of Boston includes the Capen House. Built in the early 1700’s, this edifice was later converted to the Union Oyster House restaurant, the oldest continuously-run restaurant in the country. In the past, this landmark also served as a silk importer’s shop and during the American Revolution it was where Isaiah Thomas printed the radical newspaper The Massachusetts Spy. Also along the Blackstone Block is the Ebenezer Hancock House that was built by John Hancock in the 1760’s. It’s here that Ebenezer, John’s brother, lived and served as the deputy paymaster of the Continental Army. History has it that there were 2.5 million silver crowns stored in this building to pay Washington’s troops. Be sure to look at the building to the left of the Ebenezer Hancock House, the Boston Stone is set there in the wall—a Boston landmark since 1734.
Old South Meeting House
Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House holds a special place in American History. It was not only the place where Benjamin Franklin was baptized; it was also a Puritan Church that had such famous members as James Otis, Thomas Cushing and William Dawes. The Old South Meeting House is the place where the Boston Tea Party began. It was here that Samuel Adams, the Sons of Liberty and hundreds of angry colonists gathered to protest the unfair taxation of tea imposed by Britain. The patriots, led by Adams and his supporters, debated the issue for hours, then marched to Griffin’s Wharf where they proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. Today, you can see this house on the Freedom Trail, tour the interior, see the ongoing exhibit “Voices of Protest” and get a feel for the passion and dramatic events that took place here hundreds of years ago.