A visual journey through Boston’s historic capitol building.
Boston, Massachusetts. Where the original Tea Party and the Revolutionaries roamed.
One of the oldest cities in America, Boston was founded all the way back in 1630 by those pesky Puritans and it has been a capital for a LONG time. Boston was provincial government seat of the Province of Massachusetts Bay during the British Colonial Years, and later the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts when the colony became state/commonwealth.
The city of Boston in 1841, before all those skyscrapers showed up.
During the early years of Boston, the Old State House served as the home of the governing body of the colony. Ahh, the stench of centuries of bureaucracy! This structure was first constructed in 1712-13. The building housed a Merchant’s Exchange on the first floor and warehouses in the basement. It was on the second floor that you would find the Council Chamber of the Royal Governor, Courts for Suffolk County and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and later the Massachusetts Assembly. On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read from the east side balcony to a large crowd below.
The Old State House, former capitol building of Massachusetts, former city hall of Boston, and now a museum. It has had many roles over the years.
After the Revolution, the Old State House served as the seat of government for the new state until they moved into a New State House in 1798.
The new capitol building is located near Boston’s famous Boston Common, the start of the Freedom Trail. In fact, the Massachusetts State House is number two on that famous list of history.
The Massachusetts State House in 1862 before the additions to the back and before the dome was dome was guided in 1872.
The oldest building in Beacon Hill (there actually used to be a sizable hill here), the State House was built on land once owned by the first governor of Massachusetts, John Hancock (a man with not only a funny name but also an infamous signature). Completed in 1798, the building was designed by the very same architect as the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., Charles Bulfinch.
A much expanded Massachusetts State House in 1895. The building is very deceiving from the front and the dome is now shiny.
Bulfinch designed a smaller building than what we see today. The capitol has expanded many times, (much like the bureaucracy, am I right?). Bulfinch’s design included the immense dome, once originally made of wood and white-washed. Paul Revere (yes, that Paul Revere) later in 1802, covered this dome with copper in 1802 to try to stop the leaks. The dome was later gilded in gold leaf in 1874, also to stop leaks. The dome stayed gold until the outbreak of World War II when it was painted black to prevent reflection during blackouts. Finally in 1997, the dome was restored to its former golden glory.
The current and restored Massachusetts State House.
The visitor entrance takes you to the second floor, first reaching the Doric Hall. The hall gets its name from all the Doric style columns that can be found here. This room has served as the main reception room since the beginning, hosting gatherings, ceremonies and other official events. The room contains some famous paintings including a rare full-length portrait of Abraham Lincoln painted in 1900.
A really old photo of the very simple Doric Hall. It is a lot more crowded today.
While the previous room was very plain in appearance, it is in the Nurses Hall that the décor takes a very different direction. The Hall is covered with marble, Italian marble of course. It was named the Nurses’ Hall because of the statue of an Army war nurse located here. The hall also contains several murals by Robert Reid that depicts several crucial events at the start of the American Revolution (i.e., Paul Revere’s Ride, Boston Tea Party, etc.).
The very marble Nurses’ Hall.
Another view of the very marble Nurses’ Hall.
Under an amazing stained-glass skylight is the Hall of Flags, once the home to regimental flags that had been gathered here after the regiment return from duty, including flags from the Civil War and even war until Vietnam. The room was not equipped to preserve the over 400 flags in the State House collection and they were moved to storage. However, you may still find some token flags still in this room.
The Hall of Flags, now with only five flags.
Surrounding the room is several murals depicting Massachusetts’ early history, from the Mayflower to the Christian conversion of the Native Americans. You know all that important stuff.
The mural Pilgrims on the Mayflower, a Massachusetts classic.
What is truly wonderful in this room is the stained-glass skylight. It contains the seals of the original 13 colonies of the United States, with the Massachusetts seal in the center.
This is simply amazing. I kind of have a thing for stained glass ceilings.
The tour moves into what is now called the Great Hall, a “newer” edition to the State House. The Great Hall once was open space, now it is enclosed with a large glass ceiling creating a fabulous place to host events.
Oh, look at that. It’s already set up for a fancy reception.
Next, we found ourselves in the House of Representatives, the larger of the two legislative chambers. The room is paneled with wood from Honduras. The murals above commemorate men who made important contributions to the commonwealth and the nation prior to 1895, such as John Hancock and Samuel Adams.
The House of Representatives chamber.
John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin drafting the Massachusetts Constitution of 1780.
Handing about the central part of the public viewing gallery is the infamous Sacred Cod, which apparently symbolized the importance of the fishing industry in the early Massachusetts economy. It has been in the House of Representatives chamber since 1784 and they are very proud of it.
All must bow to the Sacred Cod.
Directly under that amazing gold dome is the very blue Senate Chamber. The sunburst ceiling design is really the only remaining feature from the original Bulfinch design. Wall niches surround the room, each with their own statue of some important person.
Not to be outdone by the House of Representatives, the Senate also has their own Sacred Cod, or something to that effect, just look closely at that chandelier.
The Senate President sits in the fancy seat in the middle.
How can you resist this amazingness?
If you find yourself on Boston’s Freedom Trail, make sure you do not miss this delightful capitol building!
