A ramble through the older parts of Boston discloses many objects of
interest. Near the northern edge of the Common, at the corner of Park
and Tremont Streets, is the old "Brimstone Corner," where stands the
citadel of orthodoxy, the Puritan meeting-house, Park Street Church.
Adjoining is an ancient graveyard, the "Old Granary Burying-Ground,"
where lie the remains of some of the most famous men of Boston, John
Hancock, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, James Otis, Peter Faneuil, many of
the colonial Governors, and also the parents of Benjamin Franklin, a
prominent monument marking the graves of the latter. The rows of
ancient, dark-looking and half-effaced gravestones in this quiet
burial-place, in one of the busiest parts of the city, are an antique
novelty. Many noted buildings are near it--Tremont Temple, the
Horticultural and Music Halls, the Athenæum, and not far away,
fronting Pemberton Square, the massive County Court-house of granite
in Renaissance style, four hundred and fifty feet long, having in its
imposing central hall a statue of Rufus Choate. On Tremont Street was
established the first Episcopal Church in Boston, the King's Chapel,
the present building replacing the original one in 1754. Adjacent is
the oldest burying-place of the colony, where lie the remains of
Governor John Winthrop and his sons, with other early settlers. Most
of the old gravestones in this yard have been taken away from the
graves and reset in strange fashion as edge-stones along the paths.
One of these odd old stones of a greenish hue marked the grave of
William Paddy, dying in 1658. In an unique poetical effusion it
records these quaint words:
"Hear sleaps that blessed one
Whoes lief God help us all
To live that so when tiem shall be
That we this world must liue,
We ever may be happy
With blessed William Paddy."
Adjoining this old-time region is the splendid City Hall, grandly
rising beyond the graveyard, in Italian Renaissance, with an imposing
louvre dome. In front, upon School Street, are statues of Benjamin
Franklin and Josiah Quincy.
Various intricate streets and passages lead eastward from Tremont
Street into Washington Street, these two chief business highways in a
certain sense being parallel. Washington Street is the main
thoroughfare of the city, having prominent theatres, newspaper
offices, many of the largest stores and great office buildings, and it
finally crosses over into the South End, being a wider and straighter
street in this newer portion. Benjamin Franklin was born in a little
old dwelling near Washington Street, where now stands a newspaper
office. Alongside is the "Old South Church," the most famous church of
Boston, but now an historical relic and museum of Revolutionary
antiquities, the congregation having built themselves a magnificent
temple, the "New Old South Church," upon Boylston Street, in the
fashionable quarter of the Back Bay. This ancient church is a curious
edifice of colonial style, built in 1729, when it replaced an earlier
building. It has a tall spire and a clock, to which it is said more
eyes are upturned than to any other dial in New England. The interior
is square, with double galleries on the ends, and its original
condition has been entirely restored. It is brimful of history, and
was the colonial shrine of Boston, wherein were held the spirited
meetings of the exciting days that hatched the Revolution. Within it
were arranged the preliminaries leading to the march from its doors of
the party of disguised men who went down to the Liverpool wharf and
threw the tea overboard in December, 1773. Behind the pulpit is the
famous window through which climbed Dr. Joseph Warren in 1775 to make
the oration on the anniversary of the "Boston Massacre," that had so
much to do with creating the high condition of feeling producing the
final defiance of the British soldiery, culminating in the battle of
Lexington. The British afterwards turned the building into a
riding-school. Franklin was baptized in the original church, and here
Whitefield preached. For nearly two centuries there was delivered, in
this noted church, the annual "election sermon" before the Governor
and Legislature. It was only by the greatest exertions that the
venerable building was saved from the fire of 1872, which halted at
its edge. It now belongs to a patriotic society, who maintain it as a
precious historical relic.
Also fronting upon Washington Street is the "Old State House," an
oblong and unpretending building at the head of State Street, dating
from 1748, which was the headquarters of the Massachusetts Provincial
Government. The "Boston Massacre," in March, 1770, originating in an
encounter between a British sentry and the crowd, resulting in the
troops firing upon the populace, occurred in the street on its
eastern side. Afterwards Samuel Adams, voicing the public
indignation, made within the building, in an address to the Executive
Council, his memorable and successful demand that the British soldiery
should be removed outside the city. It has been restored as far as
possible to its original condition, even the figures of the British
"Lion and Unicorn," which had been taken down in Revolutionary days,
having been replaced on the wings of the roof over the southern front.
The upper rooms contain a valuable collection of relics and paintings,
and much that is of interest in connection with early Boston history.
Opposite are the tall Ames and Sears Buildings of modern construction,
while State Street extends northeast through the financial district to
the harbor, passing the massive granite dome-surmounted Custom House.
Dock Square is not far away, and Change Alley and other intricate
passages lead over to the Boston "Cradle of Liberty," Faneuil Hall.
Old Peter Faneuil, a Huguenot merchant, built it for a market and
presented it to the city in 1742, but it was unfortunately burnt,
being rebuilt in 1761. Within it were held the early town-meetings,
and it is still the great place for popular assemblages. It was
enlarged to its present size in 1805. This famous Hall is a plain
rectangular building, seventy-six feet square inside, the lower floor
a market, and the upper portion an assembly room. It is located, with
surmounting cupola, in an open square, and when anything excites the
public it is crowded with standing audiences, there being no seats.
Across the end is a raised platform for the orators, behind which, on
the wall, is Healy's large painting, representing the United States
Senate listening to a speech by Daniel Webster, his noted oration in
the South Carolina nullification days of 1832, when Webster was the
champion of the Union. There are numerous historical portraits on the
walls. The "Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company," dating from
1638, occupy the floor above the Hall, while in front of it and
extending towards the harbor is the spacious Quincy Market.
At the corner of Washington and School Streets is another ancient
building, its quaint gambrels and gables recalling primitive
architecture--the "Old Corner Book-store," long a favorite literary
haunt. Northward, Washington Street extends to Haymarket Square, and
beyond is Charlestown Street, passing by Copp's Hill, now reduced in
size. Upon this hill is the oldest Boston church,--Christ Church in
Salem Street,--dating from 1723, from whose steeple, on the eve of the
battle of Lexington, in April, 1775, were displayed the lights giving
warning of the movement of the British troops starting from Boston for
Concord. These signals notified Paul Revere, across the Charles River,
who made his famous midnight ride that roused the country. The
silver-plate, service-books and Bible of the church were gifts from
King George II., and in the adjacent burial-ground are the graves
of the three noted Doctors Mather, who had so much to do with colonial
affairs and history--Increase, Cotton and Samuel--the last dying in
1785. The great Boston fire of 1872, which ravaged the district east
of Washington Street for two days, extended over fifty acres, and
destroyed nearly eight hundred buildings. The section was quickly
rebuilt, however, with much finer structures, and is now the chief
wholesale business district of Boston. The elaborate Government
Building, containing the Post-office and Courts, was erected, since
the fire, of Cape Ann granite, at a cost of $7,500,000. In this
district are enormous office-buildings, insurance-offices, banks,
extensive blocks of stores, and the headquarters of the leading trades
of New England, the boot and shoe, cotton and woollen, dry goods,
paper and wool merchants, Boston being the greatest wool mart in the
country. When Boston, having preserved Beacon Hill and reduced in size
Copp's Hill, decided to remove the third eminence of the
"Tri-mountain," Fort Hill, its earth and rocks were used to give
better commercial facilities by filling in and grading the magnificent
marginal highway fronting the harbor, Atlantic Avenue. In front of
this broad street the wharves project many hundreds of feet, having
rows of capacious storehouses in their centres, while on either side
are wide docks for the shipping. Here is conducted an extensive
traffic with all parts of the world, and to these wharves come the
yacht-like fishing-smacks to unload their catch of cod and mackerel,
while there are piles of fish in the stores. Thus is realized the
significance of the emblematic codfish hanging in the State House.
[Illustration: _Faneuil Hall, Boston_]