Old State House Museum

Boston's role in American independence

Originally built as a multipurpose building, Boston's Old State House continues the tradition to the present day.

In addition to being Boston's oldest surviving public building and one of Boston's most interesting museums, this Freedom Trail site also has the distinction of being the oldest historic building in the United States to house a subway station in its sub-basement.

After the Great Fire of 1711 destroyed an earlier building called the Town House built in 1658 on this same spot, builders used red brick to construct a new one.

Originally known as the New Town House, the building housed a merchant's exchange, government offices, and a post office on the first floor. The third floor provided space for a number of functions, including the Boston Board of Health where Paul Revere worked during 1799-1800.

For much of the 18th century, however, the second floor of the Old State House contained offices for the British Royal Governors - and for the Massachusetts Assembly.

As you might imagine, this shared space became an explosive combination as tensions grew between England and the Colonials.

Independence is Born

The status of the Old State House as a Freedom Trail site is explained by three critical events closely related to the Revolutionary War.

The first event occurred in 1761 when lawyer James Otis, Jr. spoke for 8 solid hours in opposition to the newly imposed Writs of Assistance, which gave British authorities the right to enter and search private homes and ships for smuggled goods.

John Adams called Otis's speech "the first scene of the first act of opposition to the arbitrary claims of Great Britain. Then and there the child Independence was born."

Throughout the remainder of the 1760s, Otis along with John Adam, his cousin Samuel Adams, and John Hancock continued to deliver impassioned speeches in the Old State House designed to move their peers toward a split with England.

The second critical event occurred outside the Old State House under the east balcony on March 5, 1770, when British soldiers fired into a rowdy crowd of Colonials and killed 5 men. The Boston Massacre, as this terrible event came to be called, is considered the first bloodshed of the American Revolution.

Finally, on July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time in Boston from the east balcony of the Old State House to a large crowd outside. Afterward, carved figures of a royal lion and unicorn were ripped from the roof and burned in a huge bonfire.

The building had now officially become the Massachusetts State House.

An Independent Government

Not surprisingly, the Royal Governor, acting for the English king, tried to disband the increasingly rebellious Massachusetts Legislature in 1774. The Legislature managed to avoid this by locking the doors and electing representatives to the Continental Congress.

When the Siege of Boston, which had begun on April 19, 1775 finally ended after the British were forced to evacuate the city on March 17, 1776, the Old State House became the seat of government for the newly independent Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

In 1780, John Hancock became the first Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was installed in the State House. The Commonwealth ratified the Federal Constitution here in 1788, becoming the 6th state to do so.

Soon, however, the government outgrew the State House. Famous Boston architect Charles Bulfinch designed a new building, Massachusetts' current State House. When the state government moved to it in 1798, the older State House became the Old State House.

Decline and Transformation

For almost the next 100 years, the Old State House declined in just about every way possible as businesses moved in and out, fires destroyed various parts, and renovations sometimes caused more degradation than improvement

The City of Boston bought the Old State House from the state government in 1803. It served as City Hall between 1830 and 1841.

Later in the century, the building became more and more of a public eyesore as its commercial occupants plastered the exterior brick, which had been painted a fairly ugly tan color, with posters and billboard advertisements.

Bostonians called for it to be dismantled. After all, it'd been renovated so many times that it could hardly be called "historic."

Just as sentiment veered toward demolition in 1881, the City of Chicago offered to buy the building and move it to the shores of Lake Michigan. Finally, Bostonians realized that they might lose a precious part of the city's history.

Thank you, Chicago!

Demolition discussions halted. A group of local citizens organized what they called the Bostonian Society, dedicated to the purpose of preserving Boston history and making it accessible to people today. 

After some vigorous fund-raising, they restored the Old State House to its former splendor and have operated it as a museum since 1881.

And in 1905, the State Street subway station for the Red and Blue lines opened under the Old State House basement.  Although having a T station in the lower level sounds weird, the building works well in this duel-purpose mode.  Plus, if you're visiting the museum by T, the on-site station is quite convenient.

What You'll Discover in the Old State House Museum

The Old State House Museum has wonderful exhibits designed to make the events that shaped the making of the colony, state, and country come alive. If you want to learn more about American history - and even if you already know a lot - this museum is well worth a visit.

You'll find two floors of interactive, hands-on exhibitions about the role that the building played in the events leading up to the American Revolution - the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, and other events.

You can also see Paul Revere's engraving depicting the Boston Massacre. Although it appears in lots of elementary school history textbooks to illustrate the event, the museum points out that Revere deliberately misrepresented the actual event in order to use the picture as propaganda to incite sentiment against the British (a detail that my children's textbooks failed to mention).

In other exhibits, you'll see tea from the Boston Tea Party (recovered from a participant's boots!), John Hancock's coat, and other relics from the Revolutionary War period. You can also view photographs of people and places in Boston as well as the Museum's collection of nautical paintings.

Insider tips

Time your visit for March 5 in order to watch the re-enactment of the Boston Massacre under the east balcony.  (Find details on the Boston Event Calendar for March.)

On July 4th, you can hear the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Like the Old South Meeting House, the Old State House offers many interesting lectures, workshops, and children's programs throughout the year. Once you know the dates for your Boston visit, be sure to check their website for current schedules. The programming almost often includes something interesting for children, especially around school holidays.

Most, although not all, of the special programs are included in the price of admission.

Although many of the Museum's exhibits are especially for children, most are equally interesting to adults.  If you're a history buff, you'll definitely want to check out the lecture series.

If you're interested in Revolutionary War history or the history of Boston, you'll enjoy a visit here. Plan on about 45-60 minutes.

Details and Directions

Open: Daily, except for major holidays. Call Museum for hours. The Museum is not wheelchair accessible because its status as a National Landmark makes adding an elevator problematic at this time.
Cost: A small fee is charged (2011: Adults $7.50, Youth (6-18) $3, Seniors(62+) and students (18+) $6, Children (under 6) Free; Bostonian society members, Boston seniors, and Massachusetts children are also free)
Location: Corner of Washington and State Streets, Downtown Boston
Closest T station: Orange and Blue Lines/State Street (in the sub-basement of the building - you'll see the signs on Washington Street)
For more information: 617-720-1713; website