Boston landmark inscriptions are plaques with information about the history of famous Boston landmarks, and they are found along the Freedom Trail.
Transcriptions[]
Boston Common[]
Established in 1634, Boston Common started as a communal grazing ground for cattle until it was made a public park (the oldest in the country). In the year before the Revolutionary War, a thousand Redcoats camped on the Common. The Redcoat brigades that marched on Lexington and Concord departed this very ground.
Faneuil Hall[]
Donated to the city of Boston in 1742 by French merchant Peter Faneuil, Faneuil Hall was a commercial hub in colonial Massachusetts. It played a notable role in the American Revolution. Protests against the British Sugar and Stamp Acts that began here led to the doctrine of "no taxation without representation." Later meetings were held here which culminated in the Boston Tea Party. Many of the Founding Fathers met here or gave speeches here (notably Samuel Adams) leading to the building's nickname, "The Cradle of Liberty."
Granary Burying Grounds[]
The Granary Burying Grounds were established in 1660 - making it the oldest surviving burial ground in Boston. Many famous Revolutionary War heroes were buried here including: John Hancock, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and the victims of the Boston Massacre. In 2031, after the tragic death of Emilia Butler, the city council voted unanimously to have her remains interred here.
Museum of Freedom[]
This mural commemorates the many sacrifices of the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces. From Lexington and Concord to the shores of Iwo Jima, from the Sea of Tranquility to the Anchorage Front Line, Americans have fought and died through the ages to secure our nation’s freedom. May their sacrifices remind us all that freedom is a privilege afforded to the many, yet hard won by a noble few.
New State House[]
The "New" State House was completed in 1798 to house the government of the state of Massachusetts. The land selected was originally one of John Hancock's cow pastures. The original dome was constructed of wooden shingles and covered in copper smelted by Paul Revere. The state government used this building continuously until the formation of the Thirteen Commonwealths in 1969.
Old Corner Bookstore[]
The Old Corner Bookstore was originally built as an apothecary after the devastating Great Fire of 1711. Originally the land belonged to Anne Hutchinson, the controversial puritan who was excommunicated and banished from Massachusetts for her "heretical" beliefs and sermons. During the mid-nineteenth century, the Old Corner Bookstore was the home of the leading American publisher Ticknor and Fields. They published the works of such luminaries as Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Dave Thoreau. Many of those were frequent visitors to this site.
Old North Church[]
Built in 1723, the Old North Church is the oldest standing church in Boston. Its 191 foot tall steeple also makes it the tallest church in Boston. On the night of April 18th 1775, Lieutenant Colonel Smith marched with 700 British soldiers to Concord on a mission to disarm the rebels. Using a plan devised by Paul Revere, Robert Newman climbed to the top of this church and lit two lanterns to alert patriots that the Redcoats were coming up the Charles River. Thus inspiring Longfellow's famous verse, "One if by land, two if by sea." The battles of Lexington and Concord that followed would start the American Revolution.
Old State House[]
Built in 1713, the Old State House is the oldest public building in Boston. During the years before the Revolutionary War, this building was a hotbed for the ideas and ideals that would result in revolution. It was here that John Adams said, "the child Independence was born." In 1770, right outside its doors, the Boston Massacre took place where five American colonist
died inciting rage against the British occupation. The Old State House was the seat of Massachusetts government until the New State House was constructed in 1798.
Paul Revere House[]
Built in 1680, this wooden building is the oldest structure in all of Boston. In 1770 this home was bought by famed patriot Paul Revere. Paul Revere dwelled here with his family (including his 16 children) until 1800. Paul Revere was living here when he made his famous midnight ride to Lexington and Concord to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that Redcoats were en route to arrest them and seize the militia weaponry.