Friday, April 17, 2009

Walking Around Colonial Boston

The Old State House, Boston, 1898If you thought my discussion of the word "muddle" was a bit... should we say muddled, then you cannot imagine my state of confusion in trying to figure out and write about the difference between Colonial and Georgian architecture. And why am I writing essays on Colonial Boston? Because I am currently training to become a Boston By Foot guide. One lecture and one paper down, 4 lectures, 3 papers and 1 exam to go before I might be ready to give any tours.

The Old South Meeting House, Boston, 1898In the process of reading up on a few of Boston's 18th century buildings, I have discovered that the Boston Public Library has a Flickr account containing public images of old Boston photographs, rare books, manuscripts and many other interesting items.

Did you know that the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in Boston at the time it was built in 1729?

Though built to function as a church, the Old South Meeting House often housed town meetings because it was the largest building in Colonial Boston, and Faneuil Hall has become too small. (Faneuil Hall was not expanded until 1806.) Thus, inadvertently, the Old South Meeting House has become one of the centers for Revolutionary activity.

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