Places Of Interest In And Around Boston :) - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:22 PM

I wasn't sure where to put these places but Sheila said I could start my own thread for everything.. so here goes!!! Enjoy!

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:34 PM

On the night of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left his small wooden home in Boston's North End and set out on a journey that would make him into a legend. Today that home is still standing at 19 North Square and has become a national historic landmark. It is downtown Boston's oldest building and one of the few remaining from an early era in the history of colonial America.
The home was built about 1680 on the site of the former parsonage of the Second Church of Boston. Increase Mather, the Minister of the Second Church, and his family (including his son, Cotton Mather) occupied this parsonage from 1670 until it was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1676. A large and fashionable new home was built at the same location about four years later.

Kitchen
The first owner of the new two-story townhouse on North Square was Robert Howard, a wealthy merchant. By the mid-eighteenth century, the front roof line of the building had been raised and a partial third story added. Paul Revere purchased the home in 1770, moving his family here from their Clark's Wharf residence. The former merchant's dwelling proved ideal for Revere's growing family, which in 1770 included his wife, Sarah, five children, and his mother Deborah.

Colonial garden in the Revere House Courtyard.

The Revere House Courtyard.
Paul Revere owned the home from 1770 to 1800, although he and his family may not have lived here in some periods in the 1780s and 90s. After Revere sold the home in 1800, it soon became a tenement, and the ground floor was remodeled for use as shops, including at various times a candy store, cigar factory, bank and vegetable and fruit business. In 1902, Paul Revere's great-grandson, John P. Reynolds Jr. purchased the building to ensure that it would not be demolished. Over the next few years, money was raised, and the Paul Revere Memorial Association formed to preserve and renovate the building. In April 1908, the Paul Revere House opened its doors to the public as one of the earliest historic house museums in the U.S. The Association still oversees the preservation and day-to-day operations of this national treasure.

An upstairs Chamber.
The restored dwelling, with its third story front extension removed, resembles its late seventeenth century appearance. Ninety percent of the structure, two doors, three window frames, and portions of the flooring, foundation, inner wall material and raftering, are original. The heavy beams, large fireplaces, and absence of interior hallways recall colonial living arrangements. Upstairs you will find two chambers containing period furnishings belonging to the Revere family. Revere House tours are self-guided, complemented by illustrated text panels and museum interpreters.
As an added bonus, the courtyard features a 900 pound bell, a small mortar and a bolt from the USS Constitution, all made by Paul Revere & Sons.

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:38 PM

THE FREEDOM TRAIL

To travel back to Revolutionary Boston--to understand the people, the events, and ideals of the 18th century--is a great leap for us today. But the sites along the Freedom Trail do speak eloquently of that time. Bostonians and other colonists shared a notion of liberty that was precious and worth fighting for. The Freedom Trail sites include scenes of critical events in Boston's and the nation's struggle for freedom.

Most of the Boston National Historical Park sites are connected by the Freedom Trail. Recognized as a National Recreation Trail, the 3-mile trail is a walking tour of 16 sites and structures of historic importance in downtown Boston and Charlestown. Ninety-minute tours begin at the Visitor Center at 15 State Street and cover the heart of the Freedom Trail from the Old South Meeting House to the Old North Church. Tours leave at regular intervals in the spring, summer, and fall, weather permitting. Call (617)242-5642 for daily schedule or (617)242-5689 for group reservations.

Welcome to the Freedom Trail!

Visitors to Boston, school children, teachers, historians, history buffs, citizens, and friends, welcome to the Freedom Trail. There is no other place in the United States where you can take in the rich history of America’s Revolution — the events that lead up to the historic break from Britain and the brave people who shaped our national government.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure. Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1958, when the wrecking ball threatened, the Freedom Trail today is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.
Take a virtual trip to the Freedom Trail here on this site, then plan your visit to see the real thing. It’s fun, it’s entertaining, it’s really interesting — it’s American Revolutionary history but not the same old story....

Education

Field Trip Ideas
The Freedom Trail Foundation offers a variety of field trips for schoolchildren of all ages. Walking tours, trolley tours, performances, interactive programs, land and sea tours and audio tours are all great ways for kids to experience the rich history found along the Freedom Trail firsthand. For a complete, detailed listing of the Foundation's programs, visit our Group Tours/ Field Trips section.
The sites along the Freedom Trail offer interactive educational programs for kids. What better way to learn about the American Revolution than to visit the places where it all unfolded!
The State House
Old South Meeting House
The Old State House/The Bostonian Society
Faneuil Hall
The Paul Revere House
Old North Church
USS Constitution
USS Constitution Museum
Bunker Hill Monument
People and Places

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:42 PM

Exploring | Attractions | Itineraries | Local Media | Groups & Conventions
Faneuil Hall Marketplace is actually four great places in one location — Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market and South Market, all set around a cobblestone promenade where jugglers, magicians and musicians entertain the passers-by. So by all means, stroll, shop, eat, laugh, wander, wonder and explore it all.
History
In 1742, Boston’s wealthiest merchant, Peter Faneuil, as a gift to the city, built Faneuil Hall. The edifice was home to merchants, fishermen, and meat and produce sellers, and provided a platform for the country's most famous orators. It is where colonists first protested the Sugar Act in 1764 and established the doctrine of "no taxation without representation." Firebrand Samuel Adams rallied the citizens of Boston to the cause of independence from Great Britain in the hallowed Hall, and George Washington toasted the nation there on its first birthday. Through the years, Faneuil Hall has played host to many impassioned speakers, from Oliver Wendall Holmes and Susan B. Anthony to Bill Clinton and Ted Kennedy, always living up to its nickname, "The Cradle of Liberty."
To better accommodate the merchants and shoppers, Faneuil Hall was expanded in 1826 to include Quincy Market, which was designed in the then-popular Greek Revival style and later dubbed for Boston Mayor Josiah Quincy. The market remained a vital business hub throughout the 1800's; but by the mid-1900's, the buildings had fallen into disrepair and many stood empty. The once-thriving marketplace was tagged for demolition until a committed group of Bostonians sought to preserve it in the early 1970's. Through the vision of Jim Rouse, architect Benjamin Thompson and Mayor Kevin White, the dilapidated structures were revitalized, thoroughly changing the face of downtown Boston. The 1976 renovation was the first urban renewal project of its kind, one that spawned imitations in this country and abroad.
Today, what is known as Faneuil Hall Marketplace is still Boston's central meeting place, offering visitors and residents alike an unparalleled urban marketplace. The unique and burgeoning array of shops, restaurants and outdoor entertainment have made it a premiere urban destination that attracts more than 18 million visitors annually.
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Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:43 PM

View: Restaurants | Colonnade | A to Z
American/Casual Cafe Bistro

Ice Cream

Sluggers Dugout</STRONG>

Mexican

Zumas Tex Mex Cafe

Miscellaneous

Pub

Seafood

American/Upscale

Boston Rocks

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Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:45 PM

View: Stores |Carts & Kiosks|A to Z
Accessories Entertainment & Electronics

Eyewear

Galleries

Houseware & Home Furnishings

Jewelry

Leather and Luggage

Coach
Cuoio

Services

Shoes

Speciality

Sporting Equipment & Apparel

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:46 PM

Toys and Games

Apparel/Children's

Urban Outfitters

Apparel/Men & Women

Apparel/Men's

Apparel/Women's

Bull Market Pushcarts

See Kiosks Page

Bath, Health, and Beauty

Cards, Gifts, and Books

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:50 PM

The Witch House
310 Essex Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970
voice (978) 744-8815 / fax (978) 741-0578
Email: info@corwinhouse.org Haunted City - October

Salem, Massachusetts
Experience one of Salem's most historic homes.
Salem's only home with direct ties to the Witch Trials of 1692.
Home of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin The Witch House, home of Judge Jonathan Corwin, is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Witchcraft Trials of 1692. As a local magistrate and civic leader, Corwin was called upon to investigate the claims of diabolical activity when a surge of witchcraft accusations arose in Salem and neighboring communities. He served on the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which ultimately sent nineteen to the gallows. All nineteen refused to admit to witchcraft and maintained their innocence.

The house is an excellent example of seventeenth-century architecture. Judge Corwin, buried in the nearby Broad Street Cemetery, purchased the structure in 1675 when he was 24 years old and lived there for more than forty years. The house remained in the Corwin family until the mid-1800's. In 1944, the threatened destruction of The Witch House became the catalyst that launched a new wave of restoration in Salem. A group of concerned citizens raised the $42,500 needed to move and restore the building. The new museum officially opened to the public in 1948. Today, Witch House tours blend information about seventeenth-century lifestyles, furnishings, and architecture with fascinating insights into the events of 1692. Visitors gain a deeper comprehension of the lives of those involved in the Witchcraft Trials through examination of the material culture of the period.

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:52 PM

What About Witches

Examination of a Witch, by T.H. Matteson 1853.
Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum The events which led to the Witch Trials actually occurred in what is now the town of Danvers, then a parish of Salem Town, known as Salem Village. Launching the hysteria was the bizarre, seemingly inexplicable behavior of two young girls; the daughter, Betty, and the niece, Abigail Williams, of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris.

The Witch House In February, 1692, three accused women were examined by Magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne. Corwin's home, known as the Witch House, still stands at the corner of North and Essex Streets in Salem, providing guided tours and tales of the first witchcraft trials. John Hathorne, an ancestor of author Nathaniel Hawthorne, is buried in the Charter Street Old Burying Point. By the time the hysteria had spent itself, 24 people had died. Nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town, but some died in prison. Giles Corey at first pleaded not guilty to charges of witchcraft, but subsequently refused to stand trial. This refusal meant he could not be convicted legally. However, his examiners chose to subject him to interrogation by the placing of stone weights on his body. He survived this brutal torture for two days before dying. It is remarkable 552 original documents pertaining to the witchcraft trials have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum. Eerie memorabilia associated with the trials, such as the "Witch Pins" used in the examination of witches and a small bottle supposed to contain the finger bones of the victim George Jacobs can be found there as well.
*These short paragraphs are intended only as an introduction to a complex subject about which much has been written. A more provoking commemoration, the Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial dedicated in 1992, can be found adjacent to the Charter Street Old
Burying Point.

Cruisin Angel · 04-08-2007, 10:55 PM

Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market
bordered by Clinton, Chatham and Commercial Streets
Downtown Boston
(617) 523-1300
Summary: Although some Bostonians sniff that Faneuil Hall Marketplace is "too touristy," we believe that the Faneuil Hall experience, which combines the history, the art, the people and the food of Boston, offers something for everyone. We are not surprised, therefore, that for many visitors, a trip to "Beantown" is not complete without a stop here.

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Located in the middle of Boston, the four buildings collectively known as Faneuil Hall Marketplace -- Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market and South Market -- hum with the activity of shoppers, diners and sightseers day and night, attracting millions of visitors a year. The structures are grouped around a cobblestone promenade where jugglers, magicians, mimes and bands continually entertain a constant influx of passersby.
Faneuil Hall
Built in 1742 and given to the town of Boston by French Huguenot merchant Peter Faneuil, the Hall of the same name was a central marketplace offering an open food market on the first floor and a space for open meetings on the second. A fire in 1761 destroyed the original Faneuil Hall, but the building was reconstructed in time to host Samuel Adams and his compatriots as they planned Boston's revolutionary activity; the political maneuverings here earned Faneuil Hall its long-standing nickname, "Cradle of Liberty." Indeed, Faneuil Hall's historical significance has earned it a place as one of the 16 sites that make up Boston's famed Freedom Trail.
By 1805, the Hall had become too small to serve the needs of the city, and Charles Bullfinch, one of America's foremost architects, was commissioned to design the expanded structure that remains virtually unaltered. Though an 1822 city charter ended government by town meeting, Faneuil Hall remained the center of Boston political debate until well into the 1900s. During the 1970s, the building underwent a major internal renovation in order to serve the city as it does today.
Faneuil Hall's first floor continues to operate as a market, although most of the stores offer handicrafts where their predecessors sold food. We are particularly fond of the local souvenir stores here -- they offer a wide variety of traditional Boston memorabilia (t-shirts, magnets, viewbooks, etc.) at a reasonable price. The foodstuffs in the booths in this area, on the other hand, are relatively bland and overpriced compared to offerings elsewhere in Faneuil Marketplace.
The second floor is primarily taken up by the Great Hall, where Boston's town meetings were once held. Now operated by the U.S. National Park Service in cooperation with the Boston National Historical Park, this beautiful, quiet room is a great place to rest and reflect in the middle of a busy day. We recommend staying around long enough to hear one of the Ranger's lectures (held every half hour) about the history of Faneuil Hall. The talks, though not extremely dynamic, are short and very interesting.
History buffs should stop by the infrequently-visited third floor, which contains the museum and armory of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. The Company, which was begun in 1638 for the defense of the colony, has operated in Faneuil Hall since 1746.
Quincy Market
The 170-year-old Quincy Market, located directly behind Faneuil Hall, served as Boston's wholesale food distribution center until the 1960s. Today, the food stalls inside this stately granite building offer culinary delights to thousands of visitors a day, selling everything from calzones to gourmet soup to frozen yogurt.
We consider it an absolute necessity to visit Quincy Market on an empty stomach because it is impossible to sniff all the mouthwatering smells without wanting to taste a little bit of everything. It is also important to go with at least one friend so that you can share and compare your dishes. Make sure to try some of Boston's famous seafood, like a hearty bowl of clam chowder or a plate of fresh oysters, and choose from pastries, fudge, candy, Italian ice or ice cream for dessert. We recommend that you find a table in the center atrium first or you could wind up eating in the standing room only section.
Surrounding the perimeter of Quincy Market is a semi-enclosed mall where local artisans and entrepreneurs peddle their crafts in small carts. You can find some truly unique gifts here, including items which can be personalized with name tags or special designs. In general, these mini-shops are quite affordable as well as one-of-a-kind.
North and South Market
The North and South Market buildings, which grace either side of Quincy Market, house specialty stores and eateries. If you have the time and the appetite, try a few of the bars and restaurants tucked into North and South Markets. In our opinion, the best sit-down meals and drinks in the Marketplace are found along these sidelines, which are always less crowded than the central area. One of the most popular restaurants, Tex Mex, provides endless homemade salsa and chips to complement everything from their much-hera