Boston: Faneuil Hall

-
The 11th stop along Boston's Freedom Trail encompasses much more than a single building - Faneuil Hall is now surrounded by a number of statues and structures that help tell the story of its history and ensure its neighborhood's future.  Named for the man who funded construction and gave it to the city, merchant Peter Faneuil (pronounced FAN-yull), it originally represented something of a disputed compromise.  The plan was to create a marketplace for the town but such a "gift" was met with some resistance, perhaps because of the thought that such a commercial endeavor would primarily enrich the benefactor, or perhaps because one of his trades was slavery.  The promise of a public meeting space to occupy the second floor was, however, quite appealing and managed to carry the vote.  By the narrow margin of 367-360 the proposal was accepted and Faneuil Hall was opened in 1743 as a central market house and open forum for assembly.

During Revolutionary times the town government was housed here, and Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty made use of the available space for debate and commentary to support their cause.  Protests against the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act would impress upon citizens James Otis' claim that "taxation without representation is tyranny".  The candid speech frequently heard in Faneuil Hall earned it the moniker "Cradle of Liberty", which several other locations have claimed but which remains forever tied to this famous meeting place. 


Today, two statues appear to the building's west - Samuel Adams, who represents the birth of American liberty, and Mayor Kevin White, who is credited with the rebirth of the nearby financial district and waterfront portions of Boston.  To the east are three buildings (North Market, South Market, and Quincy Market) which comprise the Faneuil Hall Marketplace, a shopping and eating destination that honors the location's commercial history and provides a lively tourist destination.  Faneuil Hall's impressive modern structure does not resemble much of the original construction, as acclaimed architect Charles Bulfinch oversaw a major expansion in 1806.  Both the height and width were doubled, and the first floor's open stalls were completely enclosed.  One special design feature that has remained, however, is the famous weather vane which includes a golden grasshopper.  You can find out more about the history and current uses of Faneuil Hall, including the marketplace, museums, and an artillery armory, by viewing this National Park Service page: https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/fh.htm

Comments

  1. PeggyApril 21, 2020 at 3:53 AM

    Very interesting. The meeting room is actually very nice.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Story With God, Episode 11: Kings (And One Queen)

-
Decisions, decisions.  We all have them in life.  Solomon ran across an interesting one when he became king: God gave him a chance to ask for something.  What would you want?  By asking for wisdom, Solomon pleaded God and also received wealth and success over his enemies.  But as promising as this beginning was, his end showed that his heart wasn't fully devoted to God.  Each successive ruler had to decide whether God's commands were important, and that single choice determined if his reign was successful or not.  Each king was measured, as we all are, not by the financial or political success they achieved, but by how faithful they were to their Lord. Our Story With God, Episode 11
Read more

Founding Fathers - Samuel Huntington

-
Image
Samuel Huntington Born: July 16, 1731 (Windham, Connecticut) Died: January 5, 1796 (Norwich, Connecticut) This week we'll turn our sites to the final delegate from Connecticut, but although he might be the last on our list he can claim several other firsts.  Born on a farm just east of the town of Windham as the fourth of ten children, Samuel Huntington was the son of a farmer and clothier named Nathaniel Huntington and his wife Mehetabel.  The family was active in life of the community, as Nathaniel's father had helped found the town, but young Samuel was not given the advantage of a formal education.  Instead, he worked with his father on the farm and was eventually apprenticed to a cooper who trained him in the building of casks and barrels.  Samuel enjoyed learning, however, and began borrowing books to study, particularly focusing on the subject of law.  A nearby minister named Ebenezer Devotion was a source of both information and encouragement, and by the age of 23 Samue
Read more

Founding Fathers - Stephen Hopkins

-
Image
Stephen Hopkins Born: March 7, 1707 (Providence, RI) Died: July 13, 1785 (Providence, RI) For our fifteenth entry among the Founding Fathers we'll look at a patriot with the shakiest signature from the smallest state in the union - Stephen Hopkins.  Born in a part of town that would later separate from Providence and instead become known as the town of Scituate, he was the second of nine children in his home and descended from a family that had been among the original settlers of Rhode Island.  His parents, William and Ruth Hopkins, and other family members helped to educate young Stephen because there were no schools in the area, and he was drawn to reading at an early age while learning the skills necessary to work as a farmer and surveyor.  In 1726, while still at the age of 19, he married Sarah Scott and the couple would go on to have seven children together.  Five years later the township of Scituate was officially formed and he participated in public life for the first time,
Read more