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During your Boston vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Park Street Church
Henry James described this 1809 structure with a 217-foot steeple as "the most interesting mass of bricks and mortar in America." The church has accumulated an impressive number of firsts: The first missionaries to Hawaii left from here in 1819; the prominent abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison gave his first antislavery speech here on July 4, 1829; and "America" (commonly known as "My Country 'Tis of Thee") was first sung here on July 4, 1831. You're standing on "Brimstone Corner," named either for the passion of the Congregational ministers who declaimed from the pulpit, or for the fact that gunpowder (made from brimstone) was stored in the basement during the War of 1812. This was part of the site of a huge granary that became a public building after the Revolutionary War. In the 1790s, the sails for USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") were manufactured in the former granary.
Old Corner Bookstore Building
Built in 1718, this building is on a plot of land that was once home to the religious reformer Anne Hutchinson, who was excommunicated and expelled from Boston in 1638 for heresy. In the middle of the 19th century, the little brick building held the publishing house of Ticknor & Fields, which effectively made this the literary center of America. Publisher James Fields, known as "Jamie," counted among his friends Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. For many years this was the Globe Corner Bookstore (the bookstore is now in Harvard Square). Today the building houses the Boston Globe Store (tel. 617/367-4000), which sells souvenirs and newspaper-related merchandise.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Turn right and walk 1 block.
Boston Common
In 1634, when their settlement was just 4 years old, the town fathers paid the Rev. William Blackstone £30 for this property. In 1640 it was set aside as common land. The 45 or so acres of the country's oldest public park have served as a cow pasture, a military camp, and the site of hangings, protest marches, and visits by dignitaries. Today the Common is a bit run-down, especially compared with the adjacent Public Garden, but it buzzes with activity all day. You might see a demonstration, a musical performance, a picnic lunch, or a game of tag -- almost everything but a cow. Cows have been banned since 1830, which seems to be one of the few events related to the Common that isn't commemorated with a plaque.One of the loveliest markers is on this route; head up the hill from the train station inside the fence. At Beacon Street is a memorial designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens to celebrate the deeds (indeed, the very existence) of Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the Union Army's 54th Massachusetts Colored Regiment, who fought in the Civil War. You might remember the story of the first American army unit made up of free black soldiers from the movie Glory.To continue on the Freedom Trail: Cross Beacon Street.
Copley Square Hotel
Perhaps it's the personalized service and somewhat casual atmosphere that encourages writers to describe the hotel as European in style. Though understandable, the hotel is also, undoubtedly, unique to Boston. Owned and operated by the Saunders family of Boston for three generations, the Copley Square Hotel is a local landmark, gracing the corner of Huntington Avenue and Exeter ...
Millennium Bostonian Hotel Boston
Located in the heart of Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Bostons Financial District. The Millennium Bostonian Hotel offers every amenity imaginable in this intimate and highly personalized luxury hotel. Some of the 201 guest rooms feature working fireplaces and French doors opening onto quaint balconies. The Millennium Bostonian Hotel, Boston is an intimate and highly personalized luxury hotel offering guests a high-quality residential atmosphere. Located at Faneuil Hall, straddling Bostons ...
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