Walking the Freedom Trail: Part I

Sunday morning was time to explore the heart of downtown Boston. First though, I stopped off at the Frederick Law Olmstead National Historic site. There really wasn't much there but I got to see some pretty parks on the drive to his home.Highland Park in Rochester (home of the famous Lilac Festival) was designed by Olmstead so I was pretty familiar with his work.

 
 










My next stop was the birthplace of JFK in Brookline. I was expecting a guided tour but that weekend they had an open house to celebrate his birthday. The house actually wasn't all that big but I got to see the room that he was born in which was pretty neat.
He only lived in the house until he was about 3. In the backyard they had cupcakes and lemonade and also some photos of JFK through his life which was enjoyable.

Then it was time to hop on the subway (since I was tired of dealing with Boston traffic). My first stop was in Cambridge, home of Harvard University. Actually my destination there was the Longfellow house.

It actually is famous for 2 reasons. It was the home of Henry W. Longfellow, one of the world’s foremost 19th century poets. The house also served as headquarters for General George Washington during the Siege of Boston, July 1775 - April 1776. The house wasn't open for tours but the grounds were absolutely gorgeous. The flowers were all in full bloom and were stunning.
 
Since I was in Cambridge I decided to walk over to Harvard and check out the business school. During my MBA, every class utilized Harvard Business Review cases so it was nice to stand on the hallowed, ivy covered grounds.

I made it to Harvard!

I hopped back on the subway and headed into Beacon Hill to the Boston African American National Historic Site. There's a walking tour that goes all through Beacon Hill. It is known for its narrow streets and brick sidewalks.

What was weird was that there was literally no traffic. Cars were lining the sidewalks but I only saw a car or two actually driving through the streets. I guess no one wants to lose their parking spot. It is a very picturesque neighborhood and with the shaded streets, a nice walk on a hot day. I was hungry after all that hilly walking so I stopped at UBurger next to Boston Common and has a delicious lunch. Fortified, I set off on the Freedom Trail. It is a great walking tour through downtown Boston. The best part is that all you have to do is follow a brick path on the sidewalk for 2.5 miles and it takes you past 16 significant historic sites. Markers along the way explain events, graveyards, notable churches and other buildings. I wish every city had such a thing. For more information check out their website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/default.asp
Come along with me and walk the trail!

Boston Common: The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. It was funny to see old images of cattle grazing on the common. Public hangings also took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution.

    Massachusetts State House: This looms over the Common and is gorgeous. The dome is the focal point and it is covered by 23 karat gold which was added to prevent leaks into the State House.

Robert Gould Shaw Memorial: Across from the State House is this memorial to the group of men who were among the first African Americans to fight in the Civil War.

 

    Park Street Church: A cool fact I learned here: The church is located at Brimstone Corner which may have received its name because preachers spoke of fire and brimstone in Hell to their congregation or because sulfur was stored in the basement of the church.

  

 Granary Burying Ground: The third oldest burying ground in Boston. Among it most famous "residents" are Samuel Adams and John Hancock as well as Paul Revere.

King's Chapel and Burying Ground: This is the oldest burying place in Boston. So named because King James II ordered an Anglican parish to be built in Boston to insure the presence of the Church of England in America.

The interior of the church was actually really cool. The pews were set up like little booths. Although it didn't make sense because if you sat facing the other way, you couldn't see the preacher. 

First Public School Site and Ben Franklin Statue:  Benjamin Franklin overlooks the former site of Boston Latin School which Franklin, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock once attended. 

 

My favorite part of this site was the statue of a donkey. It signifies the Democratic Party. In front of the donkey are 2 bronze footprints where you can "stand in opposition". 

There's also a plaque explaining its origin as the party's symbol which is very interesting: It's history dates back to 1828 when Andrew Jackson established the Democratic party and ran for president using the populist slogan, "Let the people rule." His opponents thought him silly and labeled him a "jackass". Jackson, however, picked up on their name calling and turned it to his own advantage by using the donkey on his campaign posters. Over the years this donkey had become the accepted symbol of the Democratic party.

Former Site of the Old Corner Bookstore: Many famous books were published here, including The Scarlet Letter, Walden, and the Atlantic Monthly magazine.

  

Saugus, Salem and Deer Island

After leaving Minute Man, my next stop was Saugus Iron Works. Sixteen years after the Puritans settled Boston, they built this impressive, large manufacturing complex. It recreates a 17th Century Iron Making operation. 

 

It was a really pretty location and there were only 2 other people there wandering around so it was really cool to check out. It's an excellent reproduction and hard to imagine how all that technology existed in the 1600's. 

Check out these huge bellows!

My next stop was Salem Maritime and it was one of the favorite parts of my trip. Salem is a great little town and so much fun to explore on foot. The architecture of the homes by the waterfront is really pretty.

Derby House

I really loved the Customs House.It looks so regal.

Customs House

I walked down to the old wharves where I finally learned what a knot was!

I saw signs for the House of Seven Gables. I hadn't read the book (by Hawthorne) but it was still an interesting house to see. I then wandered around and explored all the "witchy" stuff. Outside of the witch museum is some vintage stocks.

There's also a random statue of Samantha from Bewitched.

First church in Salem

Of course, there are also the graveyards. The spookiest thing I saw was at the witch memorial. In 1692, 14 women and 6 men were accused of being witches, were tried, convicted, and executed and this memorial is for them.

  

Most were hanged, but this poor guy was pressed to death.  

It's such a crazy time period but when you think about it, there are definitely parallels to many other eras in history. My last stop of the day was Deer Island. It is one of the Boston Harbor Islands and has quite the history. 

It overlooked the Boston skyline and Logan airport and it was so relaxing to sit by the water and see the planes coming and going. 

I drove on down to Wompatuck State Park to set up camp for the night. 

6th Annual Memorial Day Roadtrip

When Memorial Day rolls around, that means its time for me to hit the road again. I am trying to finish out all the parks in the Northeast so I decided to head over to Boston and finish out all those parks. I've been to Boston several times but never had time to really explore the National Park sites. I left after work on Friday and drove straight through to Wells State Park to spend the night. I got up first thing Saturday and headed up to Lowell, MA. It's an interesting site because it encompasses much of the city of Lowell. It is famous for its water-powered textile mills that employed thousands of immigrants and female factory workers. A lot of the old buildings are still standing and they are massive. Many have been converted to businesses and modern apartments. It's crazy to imagine all the thousands of people that lived there.    
 
 My next stop was the Minute Man National Historical Park which is the site of the opening of the American Revolution. I started at the North Bridge Visitor Center. The gardens there were gorgeous. They overlook the North Bridge, which is the site of the first battle of the Revolution.

There is also a statue of a Minute Man (so named because they provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats). The statue is actually made of 7 cannons from the Civil War.

 There is also a monument to British soldiers, which I thought was nice.

Right around the corner from the statue is The Old Manse which is Ralph Waldo Emerson's ancestral home and later residence of writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Later that day I actually saw the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson when I made a wrong turn.
While driving, I got to see the Orchard House, home of Little Women. I've read the book and seen the movie but I didn't really remember much of it. There was an event going on though and there were costumed interpreters there which I always love.


 Further down the road was another event with costumed interpreters at the Hartwell Tavern which is a restored 18th century home and tavern. It sits on the actual Battle Road that ran from Boston through western Massachusetts. This was the road that the British troops used on April 19.
My favorite part was actually the few columbine flowers.  So gorgeous!
The last site on the road to Lexington is the Paul Revere Capture site. For a history lesson, here is the story:
At this stretch of Battle Road, the famous “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” came to an end. While passing through Lexington at around midnight, Revere and William Dawes met Dr. Samuel Prescott of Concord, who was riding home after courting Lydia Mulliken. Prescott agreed to help spread the alarm that “the Regulars were out.”
The three men ran into a patrol of ten mounted British officers posted here to prevent word of the British march from reaching Concord. Revere was captured. Dawes escaped back toward Lexington. Prescott jumped his horse over a stone wall and eluded his pursuers. It was Prescott who carried the alarm to Concord and beyond.
Revere was questioned, held for a while and then released, but the British officers confiscated his horse. Revere walked back to Lexington in time to hear gunfire at dawn on the town common

Minute Man is a great park to actually walk through history. As I was walking along the Battle Road I saw a sign that said "British soldiers buried near here". It really made me stop and imagine all the remains that are scattered under modern roads and homes from the soldiers.