Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Faneuil Hall is called the "Cradle of Liberty,"because of citizens' meetings which were held here before and during the American Revolution.
Faneuil Hall, the "Cradle
of Liberty" in Boston MA.
The handsome brick building, now the centerpiece of the restored Faneuil Hall Marketplace (map), was erected by the Town of Boston in 1742 with money given by Peter Faneuil (pronounced FAN-yool or FAN'l).
Designed by John Simbert, it was later enlarged and modified by Charles Bulfinch (1805).
The plan is that of an English town market, with shops on the ground floor and a twon meeting hall above. The ground floor was originally a food market, and is now filled with souvenir and other shops. The second floor was—and still is, more than two and a half centuries later—used for public meetings.
The third floor houses the headquarters of Boston's most famous chowder-and-marching society, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts.
Entrance to the second-floor meeting hall is from the east side, opposite Quincy Market. National Park Service guides are on hand to tell you all about the building.
The huge painting dominating the front of the hall, they will tell you, is of famed lawyer Daniel Webster speaking on the virtues of a close union of states (as opposed to states' rights). The speech was given in Washington in 1830, not in Faneuil Hall, but the painting must have inspired hundreds of less talented, although perhaps equally long-winded, orators.
Entrance to the hall is free.
Come to Faneuil Hall not just to visit the historic building, but also to enjoy Faneuil Hall Marketplace: a stroll, a snack, a drink, a meal, some window shopping, actual pay-money shopping, or people-watching. More...
This neighborhood is a good place to stay for sightseeing in Boston. Here are the best hotels near Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
Faneuil Hall
Boston National Historical Park
Boston MA 02129
Tel 617-242-5642
