Boston History

FOUNDING OF BOSTON

Boston was originally named Shawmut by the local Native Americans. It was founded on September 17, 1630 and named after Boston, England, a town in Lincolnshire from which several prominent colonists originated.

John Winthrop, the first governor, stated that: "for we must Consider that we shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world, we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God and all professors for Gods sake; we shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into Curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whether we are going."

BOSTON TEA PARTY

On December 16, 1773, Colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded three East India Tea Company ships and dumped the contents of 342 chest of tea (worth 10,000 British pounds at the time) into the harbor to protest another in a long line of tyrannous taxes. Because the city has expanded outward, the actual site of the Boston Tea Party-the former Long Wharf-is landlocked, however, a plaque at 470 Atlantic Avenue marks the approximate site of the event.

BUNKER HILL MONUMENT

The Bunker Hill Monument stands 221 feet tall at Breed's Hill, the site of the first major battle of the American Revolution fought on June 17, 1775. Control of this high ground near the harbor was important to the British occupation of Boston. When colonial forces chose to fortify Charlestown, they bypassed the more dominant "Bunker Hill" and dug in on Breed's Hill which was lower and closer to the water.

"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" is the legendary order attributed to Colonel William Prescott to make sure that each shot would count. The poorly trained and ill prepared colonial forces repelled two major assaults by the British Army before retreating. Almost half of the British soldiers were either killed or injured. Although the colonists lost the battle, their bravery and strong showing against the British encouraged them to fight on.

The Bunker Hill Monument also holds the distinction of being the only memorial in the United States dedicated to a battle which the US actually lost.

Visit the Bunker Hill Monument and climb the 294 steps that lead to the pinnacle. There are no elevators in the monument; however, the amazing vista at the end of the journey is well worth it.

THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD

On January 15, 1919, at Copp’s Hill in the North End, a metal storage tank containing 2.5 million gallons of molasses into Commercial Street and the surrounding area. The 14,000 ton wave, 25 feet tall, killed 21 people, injured 150, and destroyed many buildings. The event was blamed on the owners, whose tank, was inadequate and prone to leaks, and on the gas pressure caused by fermentin molasses. Legal proceedings lasted for years, as did the smell of molasses.

THE GREAT BRINK'S ROBBERY

The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's Building at the corner of Prince St. and Commercial St. in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on January 17, 1950. Today the building is a parking garage located at 600 Commercial Street, which is visible by the North End Hockey Rink and the Charlestown Bridge. The robbery resulted in the theft of $1,218,211.29 in cash, and $1,557,183.83 in checks, money orders, and other securities. It was then the largest robbery in the history of the United States. The robbery, skillfully executed with few clues left at the crime scene, was billed as "the crime of the century". The robbery was the work of an eleven-member gang, all of whom were later arrested.

OLD NORTH CHURCH

Known as "Christ Church in the City of Boston", this Episcopal church was built in 1723 and is Boston's oldest Church building.

On the steeple of this church, Robert Newman signaled with lanterns the approach of the British regulars; "One if by land, and two, if by sea", which led to Paul Revere’s immortal “midnight” ride to warn the colonists along the route from Charlestown to Lexington and Concord.

The steeple is 191 feet tall, making it the tallest steeple in Boston. The bells within the steeple were the first bells ever brought to America. Paul Revere was one of the neighborhood bell ringers. The interior high box pews and brass chandeliers, as well as the Church's first clock are all original.

LEWIS WARF

Edgar Allan Poe’s nightmarish short story “Fall of the House of Usher” (1839) is considered one of the most famous pieces of American Gothic literature. While formulaic, Poe expertly weaves a strong emotional tone through terrific imagery of the macabre. The drab setting immediately projects doom and gloom for the protagonist, Roderick, and the reader can do little more than watch helplessly as the horror unfolds.

Despite the skill with which he wielded a pen, research points to external sources innately encouraging the creation of Poe’s memorable story. In the same city of his birth, Boston, a certain home known as the Usher House was torn down in 1800. Down in the cellar two skeletons were found locked in an eternal embrace. Supposedly, the owner of the house caught his wife and a sailor in a lascivious act. As punishment, he buried them alive. That eerie house existed; however, in place of the House of Usher now sit slightly less-ominous condominiums overlooking the Lewis Wharf.

NORTH END

The North End is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It has the distinction of being the city's oldest residential community, where people have continuously inhabited since it was settled in the 1630s. Though small, only 0.36 square miles (0.93 km2), the neighborhood has nearly one hundred establishments and a variety of tourist attractions. It is known for its Italian American population and fine Italian restaurants.

OLD STATE HOUSE

Also known as Boston's "Towne House", the Old State House dates back to 1713. This Georgian style structure was occupied by the British during the Revolution and was a continuous reminder to the settlers of British dominance and presence in the colony.

The Old State House was the center of all political life and debate in colonial Boston. On July 18, 1776, citizens gathered in the street to hear the Declaration of Independence read from the building's balcony, the first public reading in Massachusetts. The Royal Governor presided here until Thomas Gage left in 1775, and the seat of Massachusetts government resided here until the new State House was built on Beacon Hill in 1798.

Today, the building is run by The Bostonian Society as a Boston history museum.

PAUL REVERE HOUSE

Built around 1680, this house is the oldest building in downtown Boston. It served as the home of silversmith Paul Revere and his family from 1770 to 1800. Paul Revere is famous for his "midnight ride" to Lexington, Massachusetts informing Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming to arrest them.

In the 19th century, hundreds of Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants to the North End lived in the Paul Revere House and in the 20th century, the house was restored and converted to a museum.

USS CONSTITUTION

USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It was first launched in 1797. Constitution is one of six ships ordered for construction by George Washington to protect America's growing maritime interests. The ships greatest glory came during the war of 1812 when she defeated four British frigates which earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides," because cannon balls glanced off her thick hull. The ship was restored in 1927 with contributions from the nation's school children.

The Charlestown Navy Yard was built on what was once Mouton's or Morton's Point, the landing place of the British army prior to the Battle of Bunker Hill. It was one of the first shipyards built in the United States. During its 174 year history, hundreds of ships were built, repaired and modernized, including the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young. Today, thirty acres of the Navy Yard are preserved by the National Park Service as part of Boston National Historical Park.

BIG DIG

The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), known unofficially as the Big Dig, was a megaproject in Boston that rerouted the Central Artery (Interstate 93)—the chief highway through the heart of the city—into the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel. The project also included the construction of the Ted Williams Tunnel (extending Interstate 90 to Logan International Airport), the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge over the Charles River, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway in the space vacated by the previous I-93 elevated roadway. Initially, the plan was also to include a rail connection between Boston's two major train terminals. The official planning phase started in 1982; the construction work was done between 1991 and 2006; and the project concluded on December 31, 2007, when the partnership between the program manager and the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority ended.

The Big Dig was the most expensive highway project in the U.S. and was plagued by escalating costs, scheduling overruns, leaks, design flaws, charges of poor execution and use of substandard materials, criminal arrests, and one death.

OLD HANCOCK BUILDING

One of Boston's most treasured landmarks is the flashing weather beacon that sits atop the old John Hancock Tower, now the Berkeley Building. The tower began forecasting the weather, using predictions from a meteorological company on the 26th floor, in 1950. Its predictions inspired a poem:

Steady blue, clear view.

Flashing blue, clouds due.

Steady red, rain ahead.

Flashing red, snow instead.

During baseball season, flashing red means the Red Sox game has been called off on account of weather. In October 2004, when the Red Sox won the Series for the first time since trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, a new line was added to the poem: Flashing Blue and Red, when The Curse of the Bambino is dead

FANEUIL HALL MARKETPLACE

Faneuil Hall Marketplace is actually four great places in one location - Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market and South Market, all set around a cobblestone promenade where jugglers, magicians and musicians entertain the passers-by. So by all means, stroll, shop, eat, laugh, wander, wonder and explore it all. In 1742 Peter Faneuil, Boston's wealthiest merchant, built Faneuil Hall as a gift to the city. The edifice was home to merchants, fishermen, and meat and produce sellers, and provided a platform for the country's most famous orators. It is where colonists first protested the Sugar Act in 1764 and established the doctrine of "no taxation without representation." Firebrand Samuel Adams rallied the citizens of Boston to the cause of independence from Great Britain in the hallowed Hall, and George Washington toasted the nation there on its first birthday. Through the years, Faneuil Hall has played host to many impassioned speakers, from Oliver Wendall Holmes and Susan B. Anthony to Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy, always living up to its nickname, "The Cradle of Liberty."

To better accommodate the merchants and shoppers, Faneuil Hall was expanded in 1826 to include Quincy Market, which was designed in the then-popular Greek Revival style and later dubbed for Boston Mayor Josiah Quincy. The market remained a vital business hub throughout the 1800's; but by the mid-1900's, the buildings had fallen into disrepair and many stood empty. The once-thriving marketplace was tagged for demolition until a committed group of Bostonians sought to preserve it in the early 1970's. The once-thriving marketplace was tagged for demolition until a committed group of Bostonians sought to preserve it in the early 1970's. Through the vision of Jim Rouse, architect Benjamin Thompson and Mayor Kevin White, the dilapidated structures were revitalized, thoroughly changing the face of downtown Boston. The 1976 renovation was the first urban renewal project of its kind, one that spawned imitations in this country and abroad. Today, what is known as Faneuil Hall Marketplace is still Boston's central meeting place, offering visitors and residents alike an unparalleled urban marketplace. The unique and burgeoning array of shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment have made it a premiere urban destination that attracts more than 18 million visitors annually.