Old State House (Boston)

The Old State House is one of the oldest surviving public buildings in the United States, standing at the head of State Street in the middle of Boston's financial district. Built in 1713 as the seat of the Massachusetts colonial government, this small brick Georgian building was the political center of the colony and a key stage for the events that led to the American Revolution.

Its historical role is profound. From its balcony the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston in July 1776, and the building looked out over the site of the 1770 Boston Massacre, when British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists in the street below, an event marked today by a ring of cobblestones just outside. The building's gable ends are adorned with a lion and a unicorn, symbols of the British crown; the originals were torn down and burned during the Revolution and later replaced.

Architecturally, it is a handsome brick structure with a stepped gable, a clock tower, and a distinctive tower topped by a gilded weathervane, dwarfed now by the skyscrapers that surround it in a striking juxtaposition of old and new. The building's restored council chamber interprets the tense colonial debates over British rule and taxation that once played out within these very walls.

For visitors, the Old State House operates as a museum of Boston and Revolutionary history, with exhibits on the events that unfolded here and artifacts of the period. It is a central stop on the Freedom Trail, sits directly above a subway station of the same name, and can be combined easily with Faneuil Hall a short walk away. The building is compact, and while the ground floor is accessible, the historic upper floors have stairs. Admission is charged for the exhibits.