spotstory: spots near The Paul Revere House

The Old North Church

Tue, 01 May 2007 21:30:29 +0000

The Old North Church, officially known as Christ Church, is the church from which shone the famous lanterns—"one if by land/two if by sea"—which initiated Paul Revere’s famous ride to Lexington and Concord.The church was built in 1723 and is in the Georgian style. The steeple has actually been rebuilt twice: once after a storm in 1804, and after Hurricane Carol in 1954. The first replacement was designed by Charles Bulfinch.The steeple holds eight...

Copp's Hill Burying Ground

Wed, 02 May 2007 21:52:16 +0000

Copp's Hill Burying Ground sits atop Cop's Hill, one of the three hills of Boston, in the North End. The hill and the grounds are named after William Copp, a local shoemaker, who was the original land owner.The burying ground is actually four different cemeteries, the first of which dates back to 1659.The most notable people interred are the preachers Increase Mather and Cotton Mather.Originally, the hill was known a "Windmill Hill" after the wind-driven corn mill was...

The Old Corner Bookstore

Thu, 03 May 2007 22:38:36 +0000

The Old Corner Bookstore is one of the oldest buildings in Boston. It was built in 1712 by Thomas Crease as its predecessor was lost to the Great Fire of 1711.Originally, the building housed an apothecary on the lower floor and as a residence above. It first served as a bookstore in 1828 and did so into the twentieth century. It is currently home to a jeweler.

King's Chapel Burying Ground

Tue, 01 May 2007 16:27:29 +0000

King's Chapel Burying Ground dates back to the early founding and settlement of Boston itself in 1630. Though the exact date of establishment is unknown, the earliest recorded interment is that of Governor Winthrop in 1649. The last known burial occurred in 1796.The burying ground contains the remains of many other Winthrops, as well as members of other leading Boston families of the time including the Mathers, Leveretts, and Wendells. Two more Massachusetts Governors...

King's Chapel

Thu, 03 May 2007 21:14:01 +0000

Construction of King's Chapel began in 1749, though due to scarcity of funds, the construction proceeded slowly and was not completed until 1754. For the same reason, the church spire was never constructed.The chapel was constructed around the smaller all-wood 1688 church that it replaced.The building is made primarily of granite, though some wood is employed for the columns. The granite comes from Quincy, MA and Braintree, MA. The church bell was cast by Paul...

Old South Meeting House

Wed, 02 May 2007 19:46:34 +0000

The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 and is one of the oldest churches remaining in Boston.The Georgian style brick structure stands in the same spot as its wooden predecessor which was built in 1669. Benjamin Franklin was baptized in that building.The meeting house was often used for gatherings when the crowd was too large to fit in nearby Faneuil Hall. The most famous of these is the meeting of 5000 people which preceded the Boston Tea Party.During the Siege of Boston,...

Fill-A-Buster

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 08:06:48 +0000

Directly across the street from the State House the Fill-A-Buster (where the politicians go to eat) has been around forever. What’s noteworthy about them is that the food is really good and you always feel you’ve gotten your money’s worth. Actually, you usually feel you got too much. The people there are always greet their regulars with a smile. The menu is comprised of standard US lunch fare plus some Greek plates, and standard home cooking. They also have a great, and...

Park Street Church

Wed, 02 May 2007 00:09:31 +0000

The Park Street Church was erected in 1809. The main part of the building is of brick. The wooded spire reaches a height of 217 feet.The church stands on the corner of Tremont Street and Park Street, which was once supposedly known as "Brimstone Corner." It's unclear if this appellation is a product of the gunpowder that was stored in the crypt during the War of 1812, or for the nature of the oratory delivered from the pulpit.In 1902, the church and its site were sold to...

Freedom Trail Information Center

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:51:17 +0000

The Freedon Trail information center marks the head of Boston's Freedom Trail. The center is located in Boston Common steps away from the Park Street subway station.Guide Pictured is from The Histrionic Academy LLC. ResourcesThe Freedom Trail Foundationwww.freedomtrailtours.com

Ceiling, Sevens, Boston

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:43:58 +0000

Go into the Sevens some time and walk toward the back. Take a moment to look up at the ceiling and you'll be greeted by this smiling fellow. The room is dark and frankly the ceiling isn't the first place people look so it might not jump out at you unless you're looking for it.

Equestrian Statue of Washington

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 02:28:03 +0000

This fine bronze statue of George Washington on his mount can be found near the Arlington Street gate of the Boston Public Garden. The statue was sculpted by Thomas Ball and dedicated on July 3, 1869 after a year of construction.The statue itself is twenty-two feet tall and thirty-eight in total with the pedestal, which is solid masonry. The statue cost $15,000.Edwin M. Bacons describes the statue in “Illustrated Boston” less than 20 years after the erection of the statue:The...

Longfellow Bridge Towers

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 13:51:05 +0000

I walk over the Longfellow Bridge regularly and am curious about the towers. I took a photo of the inside of one and see that it has stairs going down. Does anyone know where they lead and what they are for?

9/11 Memorial - Boston Public Garden

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:53:15 +0000

I was walking past the other day and there were a bunch of people skateboarding across the top edge of the memorial. Something about that bothered me. I'm curious about who designed the memorial and if there are any plans to modify its design.

Kendall Colossus

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:15:53 +0000

There's no missing this monster if you're in the area. It's big, it's yellow and from time to time it produces huge plumes of white smoke or steam that tower over East Cambridge. But what exactly is it? I've always assumed it was some kind of a powerplant but I don't really know . . .

John Hancock Tower

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 11:26:58 +0000

One of the two tallest buildings in Boston and a great place to visit for tourists.

Two Indeterminate Lines

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:10:49 +0000

This sculpture is consists of two metal bands that coil together. I don't have any other details at the moment.

Figure Decoupee, Picasso - MIT, Cambridge, MA

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 02:08:28 +0000

This is a concrete sculture that was designed by Picasso in 1958. This version was executed by Carl Neiser in 1963. When I posted the picture on Flickr, someone from Amsterdam posted a picture of the same statue there. I've asked for him to send me the longitude and latitude and will add a Spot when I get am able. It would be great to find out if there are others out there.

Boston Marathon Finish Line

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 17:23:45 +0000

This is the finish line for the Boston Marathon.

Reclining Figure @ MIT

Fri, 30 Mar 2007 19:21:01 +0000

Reclining Figure, Henry Moore, 1963 (working model for Lincoln Center Sculpure, Bronze Edition 1 of 2). This sculpture is near the entrance to the MIT health center.

Red Dollar, MIT

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 19:58:39 +0000

This is a large red dollar sign that had (at least as of February) been located on the MIT campus. I noticed today that this is no longer there - no idea where it went or what happened to it. Enjoy the photo though.