Boston National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
The Boston National Historical Park is an association of sites that showcase Boston
's role in the American Revolution
. It was designated a national park on October 1, 1974. Seven of the eight sites are connected by the Freedom Trail
, a walking tour of downtown Boston.
Several of the sites within the park are neither owned nor operated by the National Park Service
, and operate through cooperative agreements established upon the park's creation. The park service also operates visitor centers in downtown Boston and at the Charlestown Navy Yard, as well as the Bunker Hill Museum, not far from the Bunker Hill Monument
. All eight properties are National Historic Landmarks.
, located at the top of Breed's Hill
in the Charlestown
neighborhood of Boston, is a granite obelisk
that was constructed in the mid 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill
, fought June 17, 1775. The property is owned and administered by the National Park Service. The park service also operates the nearby Bunker Hill Museum.
. Used during the American Revolutionary War
as a shipyard, it continued to serve as a base of the United States Navy
until 1975, when the Navy turned the property over to the National Park Service. The Yard is home to the USS Constitution
(the oldest floating commissioned naval vessel in the world), and the USS Cassin Young
, a destroyer from the Second World War that is now operated as a museum ship.
, a key location that was fortified
by General George Washington
in March 1776, compelling the British to withdraw from Boston and ending the Siege of Boston
. A monument was erected on the site in 1902. Located in South Boston, Dorchester Heights is the only site in the park that is not on the Freedom Trail
.
was first constructed in the 1740s, and was the site of important pro-indendependence speeches. The hall is owned and operated by the city of Boston, with the park service offering tours of the facility.
, built in 1723, was the location where Paul Revere
had signal lanterns lit on the night of April 18, 1775, prior to his "midnight ride" that led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord
and the start of the revolutionary war. The church, the oldest operating in Boston, has an Episcopalian congregation, which owns and operates the building.
, also built in 1723, was the site of numerous pre-revolutionary meetings, including one, attended by a crowd estmated at more than 5,000, on the evening prior to the Boston Tea Party
in December 1773. It served as a church until 1877, when it became a museum operated by a nonprofit organization dedicated to its preservation.
is the oldest municipal building in Boston. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the colonial government, and afterward the state government, until 1798. The Boston Massacre
took place just in front of the buildling. In 1881 it was purchased by the Bostonian Society, which was formed specifically to preserve it. The society still owns the building and operates it as a museum. The Boston Massacre is reenacted regularly under the society's auspices.
is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Boston. It was built in 1680, and was purchased by Paul Revere
in 1770. It is now a museum.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's role in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. It was designated a national park on October 1, 1974. Seven of the eight sites are connected by the Freedom Trail
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
, a walking tour of downtown Boston.
Several of the sites within the park are neither owned nor operated by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, and operate through cooperative agreements established upon the park's creation. The park service also operates visitor centers in downtown Boston and at the Charlestown Navy Yard, as well as the Bunker Hill Museum, not far from the Bunker Hill Monument
Bunker Hill Monument
-External links:****: cultural context**...
. All eight properties are National Historic Landmarks.
Bunker Hill Monument
The Bunker Hill MonumentBunker Hill Monument
-External links:****: cultural context**...
, located at the top of Breed's Hill
Breed's Hill
Breed's Hill is a glacial drumlin located in the Charlestown section of Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known as the location where in 1775, early in the American Revolutionary War, most of the fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill took place...
in the Charlestown
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Charlestown is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located on a peninsula north of downtown Boston. Charlestown was originally a separate town and the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; it became a city in 1847 and was annexed by Boston on January 5, 1874...
neighborhood of Boston, is a granite obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
that was constructed in the mid 19th century to commemorate the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, fought June 17, 1775. The property is owned and administered by the National Park Service. The park service also operates the nearby Bunker Hill Museum.
Charlestown Navy Yard
The Charlestown Navy Yard is located on the southern edge of Charlestown on the banks of the Charles RiverCharles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
. Used during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
as a shipyard, it continued to serve as a base of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
until 1975, when the Navy turned the property over to the National Park Service. The Yard is home to the USS Constitution
USS Constitution
USS Constitution is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. Named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America, she is the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel...
(the oldest floating commissioned naval vessel in the world), and the USS Cassin Young
USS Cassin Young (DD-793)
USS Cassin Young , a , was a ship of the United States Navy named for Captain Cassin Young , who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Pearl Harbor and killed in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal....
, a destroyer from the Second World War that is now operated as a museum ship.
Dorchester Heights
The park service also owns and operates Dorchester HeightsDorchester Heights
Dorchester Heights is the central area of South Boston. It is the highest area in the neighborhood and commands a view of both Boston Harbor and downtown.-History:...
, a key location that was fortified
Fortification of Dorchester Heights
The Fortification of Dorchester Heights was a decisive action early in the American Revolutionary War that precipitated the end of the siege of Boston and the withdrawal of British troops from that city....
by General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
in March 1776, compelling the British to withdraw from Boston and ending the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
. A monument was erected on the site in 1902. Located in South Boston, Dorchester Heights is the only site in the park that is not on the Freedom Trail
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a red path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that leads to 16 significant historic sites. It is a 2.5-mile walk from Boston Common to Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. Simple ground markers explaining events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings, and a...
.
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil HallFaneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
was first constructed in the 1740s, and was the site of important pro-indendependence speeches. The hall is owned and operated by the city of Boston, with the park service offering tours of the facility.
Old North Church
The Old North ChurchOld North Church
Old North Church , at 193 Salem Street, in the North End of Boston, is the location from which the famous "One if by land, and two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent...
, built in 1723, was the location where Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
had signal lanterns lit on the night of April 18, 1775, prior to his "midnight ride" that led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
and the start of the revolutionary war. The church, the oldest operating in Boston, has an Episcopalian congregation, which owns and operates the building.
Old South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting HouseOld South Meeting House
The Old South Meeting House , in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, Massachusetts, gained fame as the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. 5,000 colonists gathered at the Meeting House, the largest building in Boston at the time.-Church :The church, with its 56 m ...
, also built in 1723, was the site of numerous pre-revolutionary meetings, including one, attended by a crowd estmated at more than 5,000, on the evening prior to the Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
in December 1773. It served as a church until 1877, when it became a museum operated by a nonprofit organization dedicated to its preservation.
Old State House
The Old State HouseOld State House (Boston)
The Old State House is a historic government building located at the intersection of Washington and State Streets in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Built in 1713, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, and the seat of the state's legislature until 1798. It is now a history museum...
is the oldest municipal building in Boston. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the colonial government, and afterward the state government, until 1798. The Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, called the Boston Riot by the British, was an incident on March 5, 1770, in which British Army soldiers killed five civilian men. British troops had been stationed in Boston, capital of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, since 1768 in order to protect and support...
took place just in front of the buildling. In 1881 it was purchased by the Bostonian Society, which was formed specifically to preserve it. The society still owns the building and operates it as a museum. The Boston Massacre is reenacted regularly under the society's auspices.
Paul Revere House
Now owned and operated by the Paul Revere Memorial Association, the Paul Revere HousePaul Revere House
The Paul Revere House is the colonial home of American patriot Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution. It is located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massachusetts, in the city's North End, and is now operated as a nonprofit museum by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. A small...
is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Boston. It was built in 1680, and was purchased by Paul Revere
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord, as dramatized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Paul Revere's Ride...
in 1770. It is now a museum.
Park Service activities
The National Park Service, in addition to managing its properties that are part of the park, operates visitor centers at 15 State Street and at the Navy Yard. It offers guided tours of the Freedom Trail, as well as tours of the USS Constitution and the USS Cassin Young.External links
- National Park Service website for the park
- National Park Service Salem, Massachusetts website
- Freedom Trail Foundation - official website of the Freedom Trail
- Paul Revere House - official website
- Bostonian Society - official website of the Old State House
- Old South Meeting House - official website
- Old North Church - official website
- Faneuil Hall - City of Boston website