Boston is a great walking city, and you follow the Freedom Trail here to see many of the sites that make up the Boston National Historical Park. The trail is a red brick line along the sidewalk, connecting 16 different sites along its 2.5 miles. Eight of these historic sites associated with the colonial struggle for independence make up the Boston National Historical Park, which was designated such only recently, on October 1, 1974. Another aspect of the park is Charlestown Navy Yard, which served to keep the new nation strong in its infancy. This park, truly, is America's birthplace.
The eight sites are: Bunker Hill Monument, Charlestown Navy Yard, Dorchester Heights Monument, Faneuil Hall, Old North Church, Old South Meeting House, Old State House, Paul Revere House.
Highlights
It's a good idea to stop by the Visitor Centers, of which there are two along the Freedom Trail. The downtown one is at 15 State Street, next to the Old State House. It's staffed by rangers and volunteers who will help you plan your visit, with maps, brochures and a free slide show of the Freedom Trail. The Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Center is in Building 5 next to the USS Constitution, just inside Gate 1 of the yard. Here there's a short video on the yard and a fleet exhibit. Both centers are open 9am to 5pm daily, closed on Christmas, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving.
The historical events that mark each site are as follows:
Bunker Hill, site of the first major battle of the American Revolution. On June 17, 1775, this is where the American colonists' commander ordered, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" The majority of the fighting took place on nearby Breed's Hill, where the Bunker Hill Monument now stands. The Americans lost, but the British suffered heavy casualties. Ordinary citizens raised the funds for this monument, partly with a big cake sale in 1840 -- no fooling.
Charlestown Navy Yard, home to the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, and one of the nation's first naval shipyards.
Dorchester Heights, not on the Freedom Trail as it is in South Boston, was the place from which the British evacuated Boston during the Revolutionary War.
Faneuil Hall, an old market building first built in 1742, is the site where town meetings took place from 1764 and 1774, during which the likes of Sam Adams and others spoke against the imposition of taxes on the colonies. It still functions as a market. Amusing and ironical side note: The Internal Revenue Service used to have ceremonies here in the 20th century to award its best tax collectors, a ritual they have fortunately discontinued. A happier note: Suffragette Lucy Stone requested use of the hall on December 16, 1873, saying she wanted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. In fact, she fooled the authorities by going on to make the occasion the first women's suffragette meeting, campaigning for women's right to vote.
The Old North Church (1723) is Boston's oldest church building and still an active Episcopal house of worship. On the night of April 18, 1775, the sexton here hung two lanterns in the steeple to warn Charlestown patriots of the advance of British soldiers. Years later, Longfellow wrote of the midnight ride of Paul Revere as a result. The church houses the first bust of George Washington and the country's oldest maiden peal of bells.
Old South Meeting House (1729) saw many a protest meeting leading up to the Revolution, and Ben Franklin was baptized here. The most important event in its history was the gathering here of Sons of Liberty patriots dressed as Indians, who then proceeded to the harbor to dump 342 chests of tea into the water, creating the Boston Tea Party, on December 16, 1773. The British got even by turning the church into a stable during their occupation of the city. The abolitionist movement later had some of its greatest meetings here during the 19th century.
The Old State House (1713) was also a merchants' exchange. Outside is a cobblestone circle beneath the balcony -- this marks the site of the 1770 Boston Massacre, in which five citizens were killed. The building today is a museum, operated by the Bostonian Society.
The Paul Revere House (1680) is in the North End, Boston's oldest residential neighborhood. Paul and his family lived here most of the time between 1770 and 1800. After being used as a bank and cigar factory, the house was rescued and restored by the Paul Revere Memorial Association in 1908 and is now a museum.
Admission Fees
There is no fee at federally owned sites, including the Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution and Dorchester Heights Monument. Ranger-led programs on the Freedom Trail and at Faneuil Hall are also free. Fees (usually small) are collected at other privately owned and operated sites by self supporting associations working cooperatively with the park, including Old South Meeting House, Old State House and Paul Revere House. These need admission fees as they receive no federal funding for operations and so do not accept the National Parks Pass for admission.
Contacts
The official website of the Boston National Historical Park is www.nps.gov/bost.
The official website of the Freedom Trail is www.thefreedomtrail.org.
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