Boston, Massachusetts - Day 2

Our 2^nd morning in Boston we walked the “Freedom Trail” which took us past many Revolutionary-era historic landmarks.  We started at the Boston Common, the central public park in downtown Boston.  Dating to 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States.  At the end of the Common is the (new) Massachusetts State House where the legislature meets.

Adjacent to the Common is Park Street Church.  The founding of the church dated to 1804 when the “Religious Improvement Society” began weekly meetings with lectures and prayer.  The society organized the church and laid the cornerstone on May 1, 1809 with construction completed by the end of the year.  Its steeple rises 217 feet and remains a landmark visible from several Boston neighborhoods.  It remains an active church with a congregation of 1,000 members.

Near the church is the Granary Burial Ground containing the graves of many prominent men active in the formation of the United States.

At the entrance to the burial ground is a stone (on the left) marking the remains of 5 victims of the Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770) and a 10-year old boy that was shot the week before during a scrimmage between loyalists and patriots.  On the right is the grave of Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration of Independence and also Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The grave of Paul Revere, famous for his “midnight ride.”

This is the resting place for John Hancock, the wealthy merchant, statesman and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution.  His signature is well known for its prominence on the Declaration of Independence.

The Bell-in-Hand Tavern, founded in 1795, is the oldest, continually operated tavern in the United States.  Its first owner was Jimmy Wilson who also was Boston’s last Town Crier. (Before newspapers, the town crier would stand on a street corner,  ring his bell and shout out the latest “breaking news.”

By the looks of this morning delivery at the Bell-in-Hand Tavern, business must be good!

The Old North Church is noted for its role at the start of the Revolution.  The sextant hung lanterns in the steeple on April 18, 1775, alerting Paul Revere as to how the British Army was approaching (one if by land; two if by sea…).  Revere then made his famous “midnight ride” alerting the patriot militia and local farmers about the British Army's approach .  

Paul Revere’s house.  (I’m sure that in the 1700s it looked less like a townhouse and more like a suburban property. With land priced by the square foot in Boston, I’m amazed it hasn’t been relocated somewhere else so another skyscraper could be constructed here.)

Even downtown Boston needs early childhood development programs.  (The youngster being carried on the left was having a “meltdown”.)

During our sail out at sunset, we passed through the Cape Cod Canal.  This shortened our journey to New York by 117 miles and eliminated the need to sail around Nantucket Island, one of the most dangerous stretches along the Atlantic coast.

Nautical Term of the Day - Under the Weather

If a crewman is standing watch on the weather side of the bow, he will be subject to the constant beating of the sea and the ocean spray.  He will be "under the weather."