As part of our New England trip, I (and not necessarily my German girlfriend) wanted to explore some American history. What better way to do this than by following Boston’s “Freedom Trail”? We are in the neighborhood, so it is definitely a “go”. Although we did the Freedom Trail in two days (most commuting from Providence, Rhode Island and the final bit from Boston, itself), I have turned it into a one-day adventure…which is quite possible, if you have the stamina.
Our trip begins at Boston’s South Station, which has a neat history of its own. Built in 1899, this station consolidated all of the trains serving south-side railroads. By 1913, it was the busiest train station in all of New England. The neo-classical architecture is pretty cool, too.
The first stop on the Freedom Trail is Boston Common. To the uninitiated, or maybe even to some of the locals who come here, this is just another park. But how wrong they are! This is perhaps the oldest city park in the country (at least Bostonians credit it with that distinction). It was founded in 1634; but mostly served as a cow pasture and execution grounds until it was formally converted into a public park in the 1830’s.
Before the Revolutionary War, the British used the Commons as a military camp. Maybe the camp was located near the current bandstand or the Brewer Fountain. One thing the British didn’t see is the unusual “Embrace” sculpture by Hank Willis Thomas.
At the corner of the Common, there is a haunting relief sculpture of the black Massachusetts 54th regiment, which was the first African-American unit to fight in the Civil War.
Just across the street is stop #2 on the Freedom Trail: the Massachusetts State House. It was completed in 1797, after the Revolutionary War-so no stories there; but it does house the “sacred cod” to honor the importance of fishing to the State. I hope it was freeze-dried first.
The Park Street Church is the third stop on the trail. Majestic as this church is, it was built in the early 19th century and after the Revolutionary War. But, before the church was erected, there was a silo on this spot that held the town’s grain. It was called the “Granary”.
The Granary Burying Ground is our next stop, and it was once obviously connected to the town granary next door. This is the third oldest cemetery in Boston, and it is where we first get that Revolutionary War vibe. Three signers of the Declaration of Independence (John Hancock, Sam Adams, and Robert Paine), nine Massachusetts Governors, Boston Massacre victims, Ben Franklin’s parents, and even Mother Goose are buried here. But the tomb that many people come to see is that of Paul Revere. Revere famously made his “Midnight Ride” to warn the patriots of Boston that the “British are coming”. His tomb is pretty simple; although it is covered with coins. No one knows why, and even Google is silent on the subject.
Not far away is King’s Chapel-the fifth stop along the Freedom Trail. King’s Chapel was the first Anglican church in Boston and, as such, it wasn’t very popular with the revolutionaries. Still, it (and the adjacent burying ground-the oldest in Boston) both pre-date the American Revolution. So, there were no hard feelings back then.
Just down the street from King’s Chapel, there is a colorful mosaic embedded in the pavement. This mosaic memorializes the Boston Latin School, which was founded way back in 1635. As such, it was the first public school in America. Kids everywhere are cheering…not!
The sixth stop on the Freedom Trail is the Old City Hall, or (rather) a statue of Ben Franklin, as the Old City Hall now houses private offices. Franklin was a signer to the Declaration of Independence and, although born in Boston, he spent much of his life (when he wasn’t in Europe) in Philadelphia.
There is also a brass donkey statue here representing the Democratic Party. You can step into a brass elephant’s footsteps (representing the Republican Party) to confront or oppose it. What fun!
I don’t know why the next stop is on this route. The Old Corner Bookstore never amounted to much in Boston’s grand scheme of things. It’s now a Chipotle Restaurant. I don’t even take a photo of it. The Old South Meeting House (#8 on the list) is a different story. The largest building in Boston at the time, the Meeting House was a key site for colonial discontent and protests preceding the Revolution. A meeting here preceded the “Boston Tea Party”, and, after the war began, the British were so pissed at the place that they tore out all of the seating and used it for fuel. They then converted the building into a riding school.
We sneak up on the Old Statehouse by going down a side street. It’s the oldest public building remaining in Boston. Built in 1713, it has served both the British and Americans as civic outposts. By the 1870’s, the State House had become so dilapidated and an eyesore that the city of Chicago offered to buy it, move it to lakeside near Chicago, restore it, and worship it. This shamed the Bostonians into saving and preserving the State House themselves.
Just in front of the Old State House are circular paving stones which supposedly mark the site of the 1770 “Boston Massacre”-although it probably happened across the street. In this massacre, occurring when British soldiers fired on colonials, killing five and wounding six; the British soldiers were ultimately acquitted of any blame in the events. The colonials later used this as an effective propaganda point. What would all concerned think of today’s mass killings which seem to occur with more regularity and take even more victims?
If Faneuil Hall looks to be a place with revolutionary implications, it damn well was. Built just before the mid-1700’s, Faneuil Hall was originally located not far from the harbor’s waterline. Permission to construct it was only allowed when a meeting hall was added to the design-which included a market only. Many a political meeting and rally were held in Faneuil Hall during the revolutionary period. As for the market, that’s our main quest, as we stop in Quincy Market (part of Faneuil Hall’s Marketplace) for cookies and sweets.
Just outside of Faneuil Hall is a small park with seating and paths. Obviously, it is meant to encourage folks to visit Quincy or another of the nearby markets and have a meal al fresco on a nice day. But one of these paths is occupied by a giant-a giant statue of former Mayor Kevin White. White was Boston’s longest-serving Mayor and, with City Hall just across the street, it appears that he’s walking over to the market to get a bite to eat.
Bostonians have always been fond of their pubs…regardless of the era. Cheers, anyone? As we wander to the north side of the Freedom Trail, we pass two such taverns: the “Bell In Hand” and the “Green Dragon”. The Bell in Hand is one of the oldest continuously occupied bars in the country and was established in 1795 by one of the city’s town criers: Jimmy Wilson. The “new” Green Dragon is a relative newcomer (est. 1993); but the “old” Green Dragon was a hotbed of the Revolution, and the “Sons of Liberty” often met there.
Especially here of the north side of town, there is a brick path to keep you on the straight and narrow. There are also occasional markers to let you know you’re still on the Freedom Trail. Personally, I think a good map or a small guidebook would be a helpful addition.
The north side of the city is not as dense with sites on the Freedom Trail as is the south side; but the Old North Church would make anyone’s list. Also known as Christ Church, this was an Anglican church and, therefore, faithful to the King of Britain. Thus, it is even more extraordinary that Robert Newman was able to climb inside the steeple and hang two lanterns in a window to warn patriots that the British were “coming by sea”. He had to escape through a window, not daring to go out the normal way.
In the small mall just about across the street from the church stands an equestrian statue of Paul Revere. This statue was completed by Cyrus Dallin in 1885, but it wasn’t put up in the mall until 1940! What took them so long?
The Paul Revere House is a bit anti-climactic. Although it is the oldest remaining building in Boston and it’s 90% original despite numerous restorations, it somehow doesn’t call us to enter. So we just stand outside and take pictures.
A few blocks later, we reach a promenade and the confluence of the Mystic and Charles Rivers. The rest of the Freedom Trail is on the other side of the Charles and, in fact, this is where our first go on the Freedom Trail ended. But, with the power of imagination, we will keep plugging along!
It is necessary to backtrack a bit to the Long Wharf area of the city to reach one of the ferry harbors.
The ferry trip across the Charles River takes about 20-30 minutes and is very pleasant. Among the sites we see are the masted ship Caledonia and the Tobin Memorial Bridge far, far away.
Our ferry’s destination is a public quay next to the naval shipyard. Somewhere in the Charleston Navy Yard, there is docked the oldest surviving ship in the U.S. Navy-the USS Constitution. Built in 1794 (after the Revolutionary War), the Constitution would be 33-0 if she were a boxer. The ship mostly fought Barbary pirates and in the War of 1812. Despite being nicknamed “Old Ironsides”, she was made primarily of very hard oak.
It’s another 20-30 minutes walk to Bunker Hill, the last stop on the Freedom Trail. It’s sometimes confusing; but we follow the other tourists, and the Charlestown neighborhood is the oldest, and perhaps the nicest, in Boston.
Bunker Hill (its actual name is Breeds Hill) is now run by the National Park Service and is enclosed by an iron fence on all sides. There is, however, an entrance from each street and the walk is uphill. It IS a hill, after all. Originally, a wooden pillar was erected on top of the hill to commemorate the battle, but this was deemed insufficient; so an association was formed and, about 20 years later, a 221-foot tall granite obelisk took its place.
Nearing the top of the hill, there is a statue of Colonel William Prescott, the patriot commander who allegedly said to the assembled soldiers: “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes”. That advice didn’t do much good, since they still lost the battle.
Bunker Hill was one of the early battles of the Revolutionary War and the patriots hadn’t got their footing yet. Although it was a tactical victory for the British, they suffered many more casualties than the patriots-an omen of things to come.
There is a Visitor’s Center just adjacent to the Bunker Hill obelisk (a Bunker Hill Museum is at street level). Inside are a few interesting maps, paintings, and statues; but tourists come here mostly to queue up for the obelisk climb. It’s free of charge; however, because the stairs and spaces in the obelisk are tight, only a few people at a time are allowed to enter.
Once at the top of the obelisk, the views are pretty neat.
Bunker Hill was the final stop on the Freedom Trail. As we work our way back to the ferry and pass the Korean War Monument, we try to make some sense of it all. Wars are never good; but sometimes they are necessary to right injustices. In this country, we have not recently fought a war on our own soil with lives and property at stake, like during the Revolutionary War. That can make a big difference. Let’s hope it never again comes down to that.
Musical Interlude: Massachusetts-Aaron Lewis