TimManBlog

Boston: 250 Years After the Revolution

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April 30, 2025

“The shot heard ’round the world” was fired on April 19th, 1775, in Lexington, Massachusetts, a small village 12 miles from Boston. This year, Massachusetts celebrated the 250th anniversary of the battles that began the American Revolution.

Now that 250 years have passed, I thought this month would be a great time to explore Boston, the seat of Suffolk County, Massachusetts.

The Suffolk County Courthouse reminds me of Manhattan’s New York County Courthouse. It’s huge, maybe 15 stories, and some windows have little a/c units.  The jail might be inside as well. The old John Adams Courthouse next door is a five- or six-story building with a French-style roof. I believe the state Supreme Court resides inside.

The Massachusetts State House is just a 4-minute walk up the hill from the county courthouse. It has been here for over 200 years. Its gold dome atop Beacon Hill used to dominate the Boston skyline, but nowadays, it can rarely be seen except from Boston Common, the park below its front entrance.

Below: The Massachusetts State House in Boston. The public entrance is known as the “General Hooker” entrance and faces Boston Common down below. The top right photo features hanging banners cheering for the Boston Celtics and Bruins; the bottom right photo shows the Beacon Hill Memorial.

As expected, the grand old building is filled with portraits of past governors, many with powdered wigs. Much of the hallway trim is marble, and the floors are polished mosaic.  Golden chandeliers light the hallways. I took photos of a statue of George Washington. There is also a large portrait of Lincoln and a smaller bust of him. However, busts or portraits of Massachusetts’ many Revolutionary War heroes, from John Adams to John Hancock and Paul Revere, are somehow missing or hard to find in the State House.

The Beacon Hill neighborhood surrounding the State House is one of the wealthiest parts of Boston. The area’s narrow streets are filled with red stone apartments and condominiums. Flowering trees and old gas lamps along the sidewalks give Beacon Hill a special springtime charm. Nevertheless, the living quarters look cramped to me. The photo at the top right of the gallery below proves that a plumber is needed even in the wealthiest neighborhoods.

I next walked a few blocks toward the central business district of downtown Boston. Historic Faneuil Hall (only three stories but tall for its time) sits between a dozen glass skyscrapers.

I backtracked past the State House to walk through Boston Common. It was April in Boston. Pictures speak louder than words here, and George Washington‘s statue fits perfectly.

Boston’s streets and parks are filled with the statues and gravesites of heroes; it’s something the city does well. Bostonians deserve extra credit for not limiting themselves to the native sons of Massachusetts.
Below (clockwise from top left): Samuel Adams, George Washington (of Virginia), the grave of Paul Revere, the grave of Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin (of Pennsylvania), and Alexander Hamilton (of New York).

Most of Boston’s Revolutionary War history is concentrated in the North End neighborhood, north of downtown. I walked the Freedom Trail, part of the U.S. National Park System, to see these sights. Tourists are everywhere — but that’s the way it should be!
Below (clockwise from top left): Banner of the old Green Dragon Tavern, the Green Dragon Tavern, Paul Revere’s home, statue of Paul Revere, the Old North Church (inside), Paul Revere statue in front of the Old North Church, the Old North Church (outside).

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The photos in this post were taken on April 20, 2010. All photos are copyrighted by Tim Seibel.

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