Boston National Historical Park

Boston National Historical Park
The visitor center in the city center
location	Boston , Massachusetts , United States
surface	43 acres (17.4 ha )
Geographical location	42 ° 22 '  N , 71 ° 3'  W Coordinates: 42 ° 21 '36 "  N , 71 ° 3' 23"  W
Setup date	1st October 1974
administration	National Park Service
particularities	Partly connected via the Freedom Trail

The name Boston National Historical Park summarizes places in the city of Boston in the state of Massachusetts in the United States that played a significant role during the American Revolution . The construct was registered as a National Historical Park on October 1, 1974 . Seven of the total of eight places belonging to the park are connected to one another via the Freedom Trail .

Unlike the park, most of the buildings themselves are not owned or managed by the National Park Service (NPS). Rather, cooperation agreements were concluded with the respective owners at the time the park was set up. The park administration maintains visitor centers downtown, at the Boston Naval Shipyard, and within the Bunker Hill Museum near the Bunker Hill Monument . All eight stations in the park are listed as National Historic Landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places .

According to official figures, more than 2.5 million visitors visited the park in 2011.

places

See also : Freedom Trail

Bunker Hill Monument

→ Main article : Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument is located on the highest point of Breed's Hill in Charlestown . It consists of an obelisk made of granite and was built in the mid-19th century to the Battle of Bunker Hill to remember on June 17 1775th The associated Bunker Hill Museum is also in the immediate vicinity .

Boston Naval Shipyard

→ Main article : Boston Naval Shipyard

The Boston Naval Shipyard is on the banks of the Charles River at the southern end of Charlestown. The naval yard was built during the American Revolutionary War and served as a base for the United States Navy until 1975 . That year the Navy transferred ownership to the National Park Service. Today, the USS Constitution , the oldest buoyant ship still in service, and the USS Cassin Young (DD-793) , which was used as a destroyer in World War II and is now a museum ship , are located there.

Dorchester Heights

The park also includes Dorchester Heights in South Boston . This site played a key role in ending the siege of Boston , as General George Washington had a fortification built there in March 1776 , forcing the British to abandon the city. A memorial was erected there in 1902 to commemorate this. This place is the only part of the park that is not part of the Freedom Trail.

Faneuil Hall

→ Main article : Faneuil Hall

The Faneuil Hall was built in the 1740s and was the scene of important addresses, and speeches in support of independence. Today the hall is administered by the city, while the park administration offers guided tours there.

Old North Church

→ Main article : Old North Church

In the steeple of the Old North Church , built in 1723 , Paul Revere had lanterns lighted on the night of April 18, 1775 to warn of the British attack. Immediately afterwards his legendary midnight ride took place, which led to the skirmishes of Lexington and Concord and ultimately to the start of the Revolutionary War. The building is now the oldest in use church in Boston and belongs to the Episcopal Church of the United States of America , which owns and administers the building.

Old South Meeting House

→ Main article : Old South Meeting House

The Old South Meeting House , completed in 1729, held many meetings on this subject before the War of Independence. One of them was estimated to be more than 5,000 people - it was the evening before the Boston Tea Party in December 1773. The building served as a church until 1877 and is now a museum run by a non-profit organization.

Old State House

→ Main article : Old State House (Massachusetts)

The Old State House is the oldest existing public building in Boston. It was built in 1713 and first served the colonial government and later (until 1798) the state of Massachusetts as an official building. Right in front of the building is the scene of the Boston massacre . In 1881 the State House was acquired by the Bostonian Society , which was founded with the express purpose of keeping it from demolition. The Society still exists today and operates a museum in the building.

Paul Revere House

→ Main article : Paul Revere House

The Paul Revere House is one of the oldest standing buildings in Boston and is now administered by the Paul Revere Memorial Association . It was built in 1680 and acquired in 1770 by Paul Revere , after whom it is named today. It was converted into a museum.

Park administration tasks

In addition to managing the park's components, the National Park Service also operates visitor centers downtown, on the 1st floor of Faneuil Hall and at the Boston Naval Shipyard . There are also guided tours on the Freedom Trail and the USS Cassin Young . Guided tours of the USS Constitution, however, are carried out by the US Navy.

See also

• List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in northern Boston

Web links

• Official website

Individual evidence

1. ^ National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. National Park Service , accessed December 27, 2012 .