The Freedom Trail, Part Two: Old South Meeting House to Faneuil Hall
The middle of the Freedom Trail covers the buildings where colonists argued, protested and declared independence. Here is what to know at each stop.
The second section of the Freedom Trail is short in distance but dense with history. In a few downtown blocks, you can stand where Bostonians debated the tea tax, where British soldiers fired into a crowd and where the Declaration of Independence was read to the public.
8. Old South Meeting House
Built in 1729 as a Puritan meetinghouse, Old South was the largest building in colonial Boston. That made it the natural place for big public meetings. On December 16, 1773, thousands of people gathered here to protest the tax on tea. When the meeting ended without a solution, groups of men headed to Griffin’s Wharf and dumped chests of tea into the harbor, an event later known as the Boston Tea Party.
During the British occupation, soldiers used the building as a riding school. It was saved from demolition in the 1870s, in one of the earliest historic preservation efforts in the country, and is now a museum.
9. Old State House
The Old State House, built in 1713, is the oldest surviving public building in Boston. It was the seat of the colonial government. On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston from its east balcony. The lion and unicorn on the roof are replicas of symbols of the British crown that were removed during the Revolution.
10. Boston Massacre Site
Just outside the Old State House, a circle of cobblestones marks the area where, on March 5, 1770, British soldiers fired into a crowd of Bostonians. Five men were killed, including Crispus Attucks, a sailor of African and Native American descent. The event became a powerful symbol for the patriot cause, helped along by Paul Revere’s famous engraving of the scene.
John Adams, a future president, defended the soldiers in court, arguing that everyone deserved a fair trial. Most of the soldiers were acquitted.
11. Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall was given to the town by the merchant Peter Faneuil and first opened in 1742. Its ground floor has long been a marketplace, while the meeting hall upstairs has hosted speeches and debates for centuries, earning it the nickname the Cradle of Liberty. It later hosted abolitionists and suffragists as well. Look up to see the grasshopper weathervane, a Boston symbol since the 1700s.
Walking tips
- This section is a short walk and easy to combine with Part One.
- Old South Meeting House and the Old State House charge admission and are run by Revolutionary Spaces; check hours before you go.
- The National Park Service visitor center at Faneuil Hall is a good place to warm up and pick up maps.
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace, including Quincy Market, is next door for food.
In winter, these stops can be quieter than in summer, which makes it easier to stand still and imagine the arguments that once filled these rooms. Next in this series, we cross into the North End and Charlestown for the trail’s final stops.
