Boston - Part III

We headed down to the Jamaica Plain neighborhood to see what this Samuel Adams Brewery was all about.

The more big businesses we tour, the more complicated it seems. For example, Samuel Adams is a brand of beer distributed by The Boston Beer Company. The Boston Beer Company also brews under Hardcore Cider Company and The Twisted Tea Brewing Company.

But everyone knows the brand Samuel Adams, which was chosen in honor of the American Revolution "Patriot." (He was rumored to be a brewer, too.).


Our brewery tour guide had a Samuel Adams beer belly and a good sense humor. Here is what we learned:

• Jim Koch, Samuel Adams founder, is serious about his hops. He makes an annual trip to Bavaria, Germany to hand-pick them.
• The brewery in Boston is more for "research and development," and most beers brewed here are sent off to beer competitions.
• Most of the large-scale brewing is done in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
• The Boston Beer Company has become the largest American-owned brewery in the United States. (Anheuser-Busch formerly held this title, but it was purchased by InBev in 2008.)
• The brewery has won more awards in international beer-tasting competitions in the last five years than any other brewery in the world. In fact, Samuel Adams has won so many awards that it should have an award for having the most awards. Take a look at their award resume here.

We must admit - we're not fans of Samuel Adams. Samuel Jackson, yes, but Samuel Adams, no. Oh, and that is Samuel Adams, the beer.

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We celebrate the past to awaken the future. - JFK

The JFK Presidential Library & Museum was highly recommended by my friend's 11 year-old son, Jacob. He said it was "awesome" - and he was right!

The building was designed by I.M. Pei and funded by private donations from over 36 million people from around the world. It was dedicated on October 20, 1979, and it is the only presidential library located in New England.

Some facts:

• The Kennedy-Nixon debate was America's first televised presidential debate, September 26, 1960.
• JFK was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. He was the youngest president (34 years old) and also the first Catholic president.
• He was the first to hold live press conferences from the Oval Office.
• He established the Peace Corps in 1961, asking American volunteers to go to third world communities to help improve living standards and also understanding third world peoples and Americans. Woohoo!

Executive Order to create the Peace Corps

• The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was the most dangerous moment of the Cold War, and the closest approach ever to nuclear annihilation.
• JFK established the Space Program and pledged that America would land on the moon within a decade.

We thought this note, to JFK from Nikita S. Khrushchev regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis, was very precise and had an effective metaphor. It surely made us say "Whoa."

Mr. President, I appeal to you to weigh carefully what the aggressive, piratical actions which you have announced the United States intends to carry out in international waters would lead to...

If you have not lost command of yourself and realize clearly what this could lead to, then, Mr. President, you and I should not now pull on the ends of the rope in which you have tied a knot of war, because the harder you and I pull, the tighter this knot will become. And a time may come when this knot is tied so tight that the person who tied it is no longer capable of untying it, and then the knot will have to be cut. What that would mean I need not explain to you, because you yourself understand perfectly what dread forces our two countries possess.

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Overall, Boston was great. You can't help getting engrossed in the layers of history here - and The Freedom Trail was only a taste.

The MBTA (the Boston subway) was a little frustrating. It was like a wheel with spokes, which seems simple, but can get complicated when the inbound/outbound boundary changes. I knew there was some danger in having all these smart people in one place!

With so many colleges and universities, the area doesn't feel settled, and it is hard to find a true Bostonian. But we did explore the North End of the city, ate authentic Italian food, and sipped an Italiano.

The hostel could have been nicer, but we've come to expect them to have quirks. After all, we did arrive during Japanese Job Fair Week. Apparently, Japanese companies come to a major U.S. city in search of multi-lingual employees. Boston is a great place to look, especially with all the colleges and universities. But here is the funny part... residents of Japan actually fly to the U.S. to attend this job fair, so the hostel was packed with young Japanese professionals. Every time we'd go down for breakfast or dinner, the dining room would be full of people and their laptops. It was a battleship convention!


We are heading back to Connecticut via the Amtrak. We look forward to spending the week with Aunt Susan and Uncle Marshall. Aunt Susan gives the best hugs and leaves us a note every morning that says "Hello" and the forecast for the day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Boston - Part II

We took the day off from walking the Freedom Trail - but don't fret, the "to be continued" section is at the end of this entry. But we decided to see where all the smart people go to school, first.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

First, we grabbed a copy of MIT's newspaper - The Tech. You will never guess what was on the front page... A photo of the MIT Cube Club with a caption reading "The MIT Cube Club held its first cubing competition on Saturday. Dozens of competitors gathered from around the country in 26-100 to test their skills at solving Rubik's Cubes. Puzzles varied in difficulty; 5x5x5 cubes are seen here."

Isn't that exactly what you'd expect from MIT? Glad it didn't let you down, either.

Another item that made front page: Alpha Phi Omega's Ugliest Man on Campus competition. As if these nerds didn't have enough troubles?!?!?

The fun page included a crossword puzzle, Sudoku, and a comic section with Doonesbury and Dilbert. There was another comic that Richie had to explain to me...

Comic from MIT's The Tech, Issue 54

Let me explain. That is a resistor, which is a component in electronics that restricts the flow of electricity. Richie says that resistors are always striped. The stripes tell you how much resistance the resistor has (just like a battery has volts or a car has horsepower). The drawing on the easel is how a resistor would be represented in an electronic diagram.

I'm normally quite good at getting jokes, but this one just flew over my head. Richie, however, fell on the floor, laughing.


Of course, that comic led Richie to telling a bad computer science joke...

There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those that know binary, and those that don't.

So that is a joke because one zero in binary actually means two.

Ha!


We took MIT's student-led campus tour and was entertained by all the campus has to offer.

Here is what we learned...

MIT'S founder, William Barton Rogers, thought it was important that everyone know how to swim, so every student must take a swim test in order to graduate. The Test: Swim 100 yards continuously. There is even an instructional video!

Students refer to buildings by their numbers instead of their names.

And we learned about the nonstandard unit of length, called a Smoot.

Our guide said the Smoot all began when a group of students, in their daily walk across the bridge to school, were eager to know much further they had to walk to MIT.

In 1958, an MIT Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity pledge, Oliver R. Smoot, lay on the Harvard Bridge (between Boston and Cambridge) and had his fraternity brothers measure the length of the bridge with his height. The tradition continues today with every new Lambda Chi Alpha pledge class, and you can see a marking about every 10 Smoots. Even the Cambridge Police use the Smoot markers for identifying the location of accidents on the bridge!


So how long is a Smoot? 5 feet, 7 inches
How long is the Harvard Bridge? 364.4 Smoots plus or minus one ear.
And what happened to Mr. Smoot? Oliver graduated in 1962 and became a lawyer.

Some MIT Stats:
Tuition to MIT (2009–2010) = $37,782
That doesn't include room and board = $11,360
Or books and personal expenses = $2,858
Which brings 1 year at MIT to a grand total of $52,000!

MIT is a pretty small school with 4,232 undergraduates and 6,152 graduate students (2009-2010). 2,722 of those are international students.

And admission to MIT is competitive. In 2009, 15,661 candidates submitted final applications for the freshman class, and 1,675 were offered admission. That's almost 11%.

The Ray and Maria Stata Center
720,000 square feet
Designed by architect Frank Gehry
The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Information and Decision Systems lab, the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, and offices are housed in the building.

Our next stop: Harvard
Harvard is a private university founded in 1636, making it the oldest university in the United States. The university was not founded by John Harvard, and it actually went without a name until after John Harvard's death in 1638.

Why was it named after John Harvard? Because he left his library (over 320 books) and half his money (about 800 Pounds) to the then nameless college.

John Harvard
It is good luck to rub the toe of his left foot, so they say.

What does "Ivy League" mean?
It is originally an athletic conference (not academic) that included 8 private universities in New England.

The 8 Ivy League Institutions:

• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Dartmouth College
• Harvard University
• Princeton University
• University of Pennsylvania
  
• Yale University

Today "Ivy League" refers to academic excellence and high and selective admission standards.


Harvard claims 8 U.S. Presidents:

• John Adams
• John Quincy Adams
• Rutherford B. Hayes
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• John F. Kennedy
• George W. Bush
• Barack Obama

Compared to LSU's enrollment of 28,000 students, Harvard has 19,500 enrolled students; 6,648 undergraduate students, and a huge graduate school population of 12,852 students.


Some Harvard Stats:
Tuition for 1-year = $33,696
Room and board = $11,856
For a total of $45,552 (And that doesn't include books or personal expenses!)

And tonight - we're going to watch Good Will Hunting. "How ya like dem apples?"

"Top 10 Ways to Act like You Tahk Bawstin!"

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A trip to Boston would not be complete without a trip to Fenway Park. It has been home to the Boston Red Sox baseball club since 1912, and it is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use.

A few things we learned:

Red Sox fans are serious - "Red Sox Nation" - and every home game has been sold out since May 2003.

The score is still updated by hand, and apparently there are left-field ballplayers' autographs on the back of the scoreboard.

Our guide shared all the changes to the stadium that have happened over the years, and particularly all the new seats that have been added by the new owners.

With the names you'd expect... There are new press boxes, the Coca-Cola Party-Deck, the Budweiser Right Field Roof, more seats to the Green Monster, and new "Luxury Suite" boxes that are on a 10-year lease at $250,000-$350,000 a season (that's a 2.5-3.5 million dollar contract! And it does not include catering!).

But the grandstand seats are still the original 1912 solid oak seats.


In 1999, there were rumors of building a new Fenway Park with the best in new technology and seating, but Red Sox fans said Fenway was "sacred ground." In 2005, it was announced that the Red Sox team would remain at Fenway Park indefinitely. And kuddos to them. In 2012, Fenway Park will celebrate its 100th year, and they are currently completing the paperwork to become a National Historic Site.

View of the Green Monster

You are probably wondering about this Green Monster. I was too! What is it? Why is it called the Green Monster?

Well, the Green Monster is a 37 foot, 2 inch wall in left-field. Apparently, it is a popular target for right-handed batters.

"Green Monster" is a relatively new name. Before 1947, the wall was covered in advertisements and just called "the wall."

Oh - and the Red Sox's mascot is named Wally the Green Monster. Apparently, he was a hermit living behind the Green Monster wall, and decided to come out in 1997 for the 50th anniversary of the wall he is named after - the Green Monster.



To retire a number with the Boston Red Sox, a player has to:

• be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
• play at least 10 years with the team
• and retire as a member of the Red Sox

The Red Sox have retired:

• Bobby Doer - #1
• Joe Cronin - #4
• Johnny Pesky - #6 (He would have had 10 seasons with the Red Sox, but he spent 3 seasons in the U.S. Navy during WWII.)
• Carl Yastrzemski - #8
• Ted Williams - #9
• Jim Rice - #14
• Carlton Fisk - #27

And the neatest thing we learned at Fenway was Jackie Robinson's #42. But wasn't he a Brooklyn Dodger? Yes, he played in 6 World Series and was part of the 1955 World Champion team. In 1997, Jackie's number - 42 - was retired across all of Major League Baseball to honor the first African-American professional baseball player for "breaking the color line."

1916 World Series Champions
The Boston Red Sox earned 7 World Series Championships

We love free stuff - and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts opens its doors ever Wednesday night (after 5pm) to those interested. They suggest a small donation, of course.


While The Secrets of Tomb 10A, Egypt 2000BC was fascinating, we did have some favorites... The first was the Paul Revere painting that looked like Jack Black, Richie was really taken by Endlessly Repeating Twentieth Century Modernism, and I couldn't stop singing with the Seeing Songs piece. You can check out the Museum of Fine Arts here.

Paul Revere
by John Singleton Copley, c1768
Doesn't he look like Jack Black?

Just down the street from where we lived on Bainbridge Island there was a church with a sign out front labeled "Church of Christ, Scientist." We always thought it was a somewhat oddly named church, seeing as most of the times "Church" and "Science" seem to be at odds on almost any issue. Well just down the street from the hostel in Boston was a magnificent building labeled The First Church of Christ, Scientist. But unlike the countless "First" Baptist churches and "First" Methodist churches, this was literally the "First" church for the religion.

We dropped by and was taken on a very informative tour of the building and was able to learn the history of the Church of Christ, Scientist. One of the first things our guide made clear was that they were in no way associated with Scientology. Phew.


The church was founded by Mary Baker Eddy after her 1875 publication of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." She believed in studying Jesus Christ as a healer, and that each person has the potential to heal. According to the website, the purpose of the church is "to re-establish the Christianity that heals mankind physically as well as morally." The church publishes The Christian Science Monitor, has over 2,000 branch churches in over 80 countries, and operates Reading Rooms that act as book stores and resource centers for spirituality. They have no ordained clergy, but instead have teachers and nurses.

The building had to be one of the most grand churches we had ever been in. We don't remember the seating capacity, but it was easily in the thousands. And there was also a parking garage underground. If you are interested in learning more, click here.

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As promised... The Freedom Trail, Continued!
We began our day by starting at the end of the Freedom Trail and working our way back. We took the "water shuttle" to Charleston - Pier 3, the Naval Yard.


STOP ONE (or should it be STOP 11?): USS Constitution "The most celebrated ship in American history."
We were taken aboard the USS Constitution by an active duty Navy Rookie (he's only been enlisted for 5 months, and we were his very first tour group). Despite the fumbled facts and nervous delivery, he did a great job. Here is what we learned...

• The oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, and still manned by an active duty U.S. Navy crew.
• Launched in Boston on October 21, 1797, she was first put to sea in 1798.
• Nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because cannonballs bounced off of her oak sides in battle during the War of 1812.
• The USS Constitution has gone undefeated in battle - sinking many ships including the HMS Guerriere and the HBM Java (Quick note: the HBM Java was destroyed at sea by Capt. William Bainbridge... Bainbridge Island's namesake.)
• Home port: Boston, Massachusetts
• It took 3 years to build at a cost of $302,718.84.
• Crew in 1812: 450 including 55 Mariners and 30 Boys
• Crew in 2001: 55 active duty men and women
• Length overall: 204 feet overall; 175 feet at waterline
• Mainmast Height: 220 feet
• Speed: 13+ Knots
• Length of Running Rigging: 8 miles

Because we arrived in the seasonal transition, the masts and rigging were down, and she is undergoing another renovation, so access was limited. Only about 20% of the original boat remains - mainly in the hull - but she is still an inspiration and grand symbol of American history.



STOP TWO (or STOP 12): Bunker Hill
"It was the first great battle of the Revolution" - Daniel Webster

It was June 17, 1775 - The Battle of Bunker Hill, which isn't really Bunker Hill, but Breed's Hill. (General Prescott changed the battle plans - and it still causes confusion to history students!) St. Francis de Sales Church stands on the true Bunker Hill.

Colonel William Prescott

A simple recollection of the battle...
While the British baked bread and cooked meat, the rebels (also called patriots or Americans) gathered on Breed's Hill.

British troops began to climb Breed's Hill and didn't know that rebel troops were patiently waiting for them. To conserve ammunition, the rebels were ordered not to fire "'til you see the whites of their eyes."

Three assaults took place on the hill, and the rebels eventually ran out of ammunition and were forced to retreat. Technically, the British won this round, but it left a huge dent in their unit numbers - losing 90% of their men.

The cornerstone for the Bunker Hill Monument was laid on June 17, 1825, but it took 17.5 years to complete. Why? Lack of money.

The 221-foot granite monument was designed by
Solomon Willard.

STOP THREE (or STOP 13): The New England Holocaust Memorial



Designed by Stanley Saitowitz, and dedicated in 1995
The six glass towers represent the six death camps erected by the Nazis, and the features with the most impact are the 6 million numbers representing the six million Jews who were murdered.

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One of my new favorite pasttimes is posing with bronze statues.
Statue of Mayor James Michael Curley
"Boston's best-loved politician"

Ebenezer Hancock House

(John Hancock's brother)

Boston Stone
It was originally brought from England before 1700 and used as a millstone.
It has served as a local landmark since 1737.

STOP FOUR (or STOP 14): Paul Revere and the Old North Church
The Paul Revere Mall is not a shopping mall but a half-acre park honoring Mr. Paul Revere.

Blank "Dog Tags" - Memorial Garden in Paul Revere Mall
"To honor the men and women in the Armed Forces and the civilians who have lost their lives in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars."

So you know the name Paul Revere, but what did he do and why is he important?

• A trusted messenger of the rebels (aka Patriots or Americans, basically those fighting against the British)
• April 18, 1775 - he set out to ride to John Hancock and Samuel Adams to warn them that "The Regulars are coming out!" (meaning the British).
• He was made famous by Longfellow's poem Paul Revere's Ride

The Old North Church (original name is Christ Church in Boston)

• An Anglican Church (Church of England)
• Boston's oldest standing church
• Cornerstone laid in December 1723.
• It has the tallest steeple in Boston = 191 feet
• The steeple holds the first set of bells ever brought to America (1744).
• Paul Revere was one of seven of the first bell ringers (he was 15 years old).
• The walls are 2 1/2 feet thick
• And the building is made of 513,654 bricks (made in Medford, Massachusetts)
• By the way, Paul Revere didn't place the lantern, but his friend Robert Newman, and only for a few minutes.

Boston - Part I

We took the Amtrak from NYC to Boston, only to be greeted by rain. So, what do you do on a rainy day? Visit a museum! And that is just what we did.

Archimedean Excogitation
An Audiokinetic Sculpture by George Rhoads

Boston's Science Museum was featuring a Harry Potter Exhibit with hundreds of props and costumes, and so we went. We saw Hermione, Ron, and Harry's robes from the first few films - and it was great to see how they've grown up. They were oh-so tiny back in 2001! We saw Dolores Umbridge's pink suit and every one of her "Educational Decrees." We walked through Haggrid's Hut and the Gryffindor Common room.

The museum featured hundreds of other exhibits, too. Honestly, we were right along with the little kids pushing buttons and being amazed. And the lightning show was incredible!



Thankfully, the rain ceased, and we were able to spend a day walking The Freedom Trail.

The Cradle of Liberty... the birthplace of American Independence... Paul Revere's home and the Old North Church where his lanterns were hung: the very places where our nation began. Here were the gathering places of the patriots, the incubators of revolution... the buildings where American resistance to the British Crown was born, grew, and flourished... until, eventually, the only alternative was war and independence.

- Charles Bahne, The Complete Guide to Boston's Freedom Trail

STOP ONE: Boston Common "America's Oldest Public Park"
The grounds once served as a pasture for Boston's first white settler - William Blackstone. He arrived in Boston in 1622 (before the Puritans in 1630), and lived on this land as a hermit with "his library of 200 books."

Side note: Boston was originally named Shawmut, an Indian name meaning "living waters," but the Puritans renamed it Boston, after their hometown in England.

In 1634, Blackstone moved and the land became "Common Land." It served a variety of purposes for years - from training ground for militia, feeding ground for cattle, and the town gallows. The first British troops marched from here to the battle of Lexington and Concord. And Reverend Martin Luther King and Pope John Paul II both spoke on these grounds.



STOP TWO: The Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
Many Massachusetts' blacks wanted to fight to free their enslaved brothers during the Civil War, but blacks were not allowed to enlist in the U.S. Army. Governor John Andrew convinced the U.S. Army to allow blacks to serve. It was granted that blacks could enlist, but not as officers.


Robert Gould Shaw served as the white Colonel and lead the 54th Massachusetts Regiment to Fort Wagner near Charleston, South Carolina. Unfortunately, Shaw and 32 of his men were killed and buried in a mass grave at the fort.

This is "a memorial to interracial cooperation and individual heroism." It was created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and took 14 years to complete.


STOP THREE: Massachusetts State House
Note: This is Massachusetts second state house - you'll read about the first one in a bit.

The State House was built on John Hancock's old cow pasture. Of course you'll recognize that name as the first signature - and largest - on the Declaration of Independence. Hancock also served as the first elected governor of Massachusetts.


The State House was designed by Charles Bulfinch (Who also designed Connecticut and Maine's state capitols, and worked on the U.S. Capitol in D.C.). The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1795 by Governor Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. It was completed in 1798.

The dome was originally covered in wooden shingles, which leaked. It was covered in copper in 1802, then painted gray, and finally gilded after the Civil War.

The big double doors at the capitol entrance are only opened for 3 occasions:

1. when a governor leaves the State House for the last time at the end of his term of office,
   
2. when a Massachusetts regimental flag is returned to the permanent collection,
   
3. for official visits from the President of the U.S., or a foreign head of state. (Note: The last official presidential visit was made by William Howard Taft in 1912.)

Some Highlights from the State House:

THE GREAT HALL - a 1990 addition to the State House, it is used for official state functions and receptions. There are 351 flags on display in the room that represent each city and town in Massachusetts.

The Great Hall, Massachusetts State House

THE MAIN STAIRCASE - after the iron on the main staircase was cast, the molds were broken to ensure that the railings would be one of a kind.

SENATE CHAMBER - an original section of the State House. Another side note: There is a wooden cod fish hanging above the House of Representatives chamber. It was originally given to the House in 1784 by merchant John Rowe. It symbolizes the importance of the fishing industry to Massachusetts' economy. It is considered a good luck charm and must always hang above the House Chamber for the session to be held.

Senate Chamber, Massachusetts State House

Mosaic Tile Floor, Massachusetts State House

STOP FOUR: Park Street Church and the Granary Burying Grounds
Park Street Church was built in 1809, and was a site of firsts.

• Home of America's first Sunday School (1817)
• The first missionaries sent to Hawaii (1819)
• The first prison aid society (1824)
• The hymn "America" (the song "My country tis of thee...") was sung publicly here in 1831

The Granary Burying Grounds are named for the old grain warehouse that stood here. It is the 3rd oldest burying ground in Boston (established 1660), and "More famous people are buried here than any other small graveyard in America."


Let's see if you recognize any names...

3 signers of the Declaration of Independence

• Samuel Adams
• John Hancock
• Robert Treat Paine

9 governors of Massachusetts

• Richard Bellingham
• William Dummer
• John Hancock
• Thomas Cushing
• James Bowdoin
• Samuel Adams
• Increase Sumner
• James Sullivan
• Christopher Gore

Others include victims of the Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770), Benjamin Franklin's parents, Paul Revere, and there is even a suspected Mother Goose, Elizabeth Goose, but historians admit that she is not the original one.

We learned that the headstones have been rearranged several times over the years, so it is unlikely that the headstones match the bodies buried beneath them.

We were most drawn to the carvings on gravestones and discovered that wooden grave markers were the least expensive, but they quickly deteriorated. In the early 17th century, markers were stone, but only displayed initials and dates.

Some common carvings we saw in Granary Burying Grounds:

Death's Head - a skull with wings or crossed bones. This carving might have included an hour glass, or a winged hour glass, symbolizing "time flies." It was not a religious symbol.

Winged Cherub or a soul effigy shows a "fleshy face, life-like eyes, and an upwards-turned mouth." Cherubs started appearing in the late 17th century and are more common in the 18th century.

Winged Cherub Gravestones

Willow and Urn symbols - seen most often after the American Revolution. The urn was an imperial Roman device used to contain ashes. We didn't see many of these here.

So, how much did it cost to bury someone at the Granary Burying Ground in 1732?
(Note: these are the actual spellings and descriptions)

• For white man or woman = 10 shillings
• For persons 6 to 12 years of age = 7 shillings
• For children caryed by hand = 6 shillings
• For negro man or woman = 7 shillings & 6 pence
• Ditto from 6 to 12 years of age = 6 shillings
• For children = 4 shillings
• For opening the new or wall Toombes = 14 shillings
• For opening an old Tomb = 16 shillings

Samuel Adams Tombstone

STOP FIVE: The King's Chapel
This is an interesting story...
Remember that the Puritans were escaping the Church of England (also called the Anglican Church), but King James II had ordered an Anglican Church to be built in Boston. Since no Puritan would sell land for an Anglican Church, Governor Edmund Andros claimed a corner of the burying ground (today known as the King's Chapel burying ground) and said that the dead would never complain.

This was the first Anglican church in New England, and the first chapel was built of wood, then covered with granite. When the granite installation was complete, the interior wooden structure was removed.

What is interesting about this building is that the architect, Peter Harrison, never stepped foot in Boston.



STOP SIX: The First Public School
Learning to read was most important for the Puritans, and this mosaic commemorates the original site of Boston Latin School established in 1635, built in 1645.

The school was free and all children were welcome, however, few poor students were able to attend because the students were responsible for paying for firewood. Plus, the children were needed for chores and earning a living.

Benjamin Franklin (a dropout), John Hancock, and Samuel Adams all studied at this school.



STOP SEVEN: The Old Corner Book Store
Built in 1712, this is one of Boston's oldest surviving structures, but it is best known as publisher for some of America's most famous authors.

• Walden - Henry David Thoreau
• The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Hiawatha - Henry Longfellow
• Uncle Tom's Cabin - Harriet Beecher Stowe
• and poems by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

STOP EIGHT: Old South Meeting-House
The original building was built in 1670, and the current building was constructed in 1730. It served as a Puritan church and meeting house. This is where Samuel Adams signaled to local men to head to Griffin's Wharf to begin the Boston Tea Party.

The Old South Meeting-House was scheduled for demolition, but it was saved - Yippee! It is one of the very first buildings in America to be preserved for its historical significance.


Just down the street is a modern office building with a bust of Benjamin Franklin in the middle. It is surrounded by decorative moldings with the words "Birthplace of Franklin" carved below. Yes, Benjamin Franklin was born on this site on January 6, 1706, but the original cottage burned in 1810.



STOP NINE: The Old State House (I promised you'd see it again!)
Built in 1713, this is "The oldest public building still standing in the eastern United States." It was originally the center of British authority, but it also became a center of opposition to British rule. After the American Revolution, the new state house was built on Beacon Hill, and this building was rented as stores and offices. The city proposed tearing it down to widen the street, but a group of Chicagoans (Yes, Chicago!) said "Don't do that, we'll move it brick by brick to the shores of Lake Michigan, for all America to revere." This, of course, offended the people of Boston - and so the old state house remains and serves as a museum.



STOP TEN: Faneuil Hall "The Cradle of Liberty"
Peter Faneuil was one of Boston's wealthiest merchants. He wanted to build a central food market, but the locals didn't like the idea. Eventually, he got his wish, and the hall was built.

This structure served as a marketplace and meeting hall since its completion in 1742. It was the first town hall in Boston, and before the American Revolution, the 2nd floor was used as a meeting place for Bostonians to voice their frustrations with British policies. It is still used as a forum for debate on today's issues.


What's with the grasshopper?
It was constructed by Deacon Shem Drowne in 1742, possibly inspired by similarly designed weathervanes on the Royal Exchange building in London. This weathervane is the only original, totally unmodified section of the hall.

And we'll end with the photo above of a gentleman carving wooden columns.
Just in case you can't see the writing, it says:

"Intelligent Questions Gladly Answered! Stupid Questions $5.oo"