Massachusetts State Capitol (USA) – description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.
The Massachusetts State Capitol, or “new” Capitol in the Beacon Hill area, was built by the famous architect Charles Bulfinch in 1798. It has been constantly enlarged since then and is today considered a masterpiece of federal architecture and one of the best works of Bulfinch. For its architectural merit, the Capitol has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The building occupies 27 thousand square meters. m on a plot of land formerly owned by the first governor of the state, John Hancock. In the design of the building, Bulfinch was inspired by two London buildings: Somerset House and the Pantheon. The most extensive reconstruction of the Capitol was in 1895, when it was significantly expanded with additions, and in 1917 two wings from the west and east were added to the building. See citypopulationreview for state facts, symbols and history of Minnesota.
One of the most notable features of the Capitol is its dome. Initially, it was wooden, and in 1802 it was covered with sheet copper. Gilding covered the dome in 1874 and then again in 1997. At the very top you can see a small bump, which symbolizes the great importance of the lumber industry in Boston during colonial times.
One of the cornerstones contains a “time capsule” by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere. It is believed that she was hidden there in 1795.
In addition to the dome, the red-brick building of the Capitol is distinguished by an imposing portico, consisting of an arcade on the first floor and a row of double white columns on the second. Initially, the building ended with this part (the side parts are the result of later alterations).
There are several statues in front of the building. Among them is a sculpture of John F. Kennedy.
In the interior of the Capitol, you can also see a lot of interesting things. In particular, on the second floor, under the dome, there are murals by Edward Brodney, who won the competition to decorate the Capitol in 1936. The mural depicts Colombia with World War I soldiers. The story goes that Broadney didn’t have the money to pay models, so his sister posed for Columbia and his brother for the kneeling soldier figure. A couple of years later, the artist completed a second painting under the dome, depicting the mothers of the First World War, and his friends and family members again became models.
The main staircase of the Capitol leads from Beacon Street to the Doric Hall inside the building. But its massive door opens only one of three times: either for a visit by the President of the United States or a foreign country, or when the regimental flag is returned home after the war (this has not happened since Vietnam, since flags are now returned to Washington), or on the last day of government governor. The last tradition is called “The Lonely Walk”. According to it, the governor, alone, passes through the Doric Hall on the second floor and exits through the main doors, and then descends the main staircase, crosses the square and enters the Boston Common.
Another curious story is connected with the Massachusetts Capitol: a “time capsule” by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere was placed in one of the corner stones. It is believed that she was hidden there in 1795, during the governorship of the two aforementioned persons. It is the oldest time capsule in the US and is a medium sized metal container weighing less than 5 kg. In 1855, the capsule was moved, while cleaning and documenting its contents, as well as adding something to it. Then in 2014 the capsule was moved again, and in 2015 it was opened at a special event dedicated to this event at the American Gallery. Inside were newspaper pages and coins, including a “pine shilling” of 1652. For some time, the contents were exhibited in the gallery, but have already been returned to the capsule.
Practical Information
Address: 24 Beacon St.
Boston Athenaeum
Boston Athenaeum (Boston, USA) – exposure, opening hours, address, phone numbers, official website.
To put it very simply, the Ateneum is a public library. In fact, the word “Atheneum” (on behalf of the goddess of wisdom) indicates that this is something much more than just a library. Boston has long been considered the cultural capital of the United States, and the Boston Athenaeum is the oldest independent library in the country. And its “chosenness” character emphasizes a rare rule for US public libraries, according to which, in order to use library collections, you must first become a member of the Athenaeum (however, this is not at all difficult).
The Athenaeum was founded in 1807 by the Anthology Club of Boston. Today it is a combination of a library, a museum and a venue for cultural events. The collection of rare books of the Ateneum consists of more than 100 thousand volumes, the art collection of art objects – more than 100 thousand art objects, including paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, photographs and objects of arts and crafts.
The special charm of the Ateneum lies in the art gallery on the ground floor, which can be viewed completely free of charge.
Among the most valuable treasures of the Athenaeum are a significant part of the library of President Washington from Mount Vernon, busts of Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Lafayette (the former property of Thomas Jefferson) by Houdin, the first edition of Audubon’s Birds of America and a set of portraits by Goya’s Los Caprichos ( 1799).
Members of the Athenaeum at various times included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, John Fitzgerald and Edward Kennedy.
It is unlikely that on a tourist trip someone would enroll in a public library, even such a famous one. But the special charm of the Ateneum lies in the art gallery on the ground floor, which can be viewed completely free of charge. And this is not to mention the fact that the building itself, built in 1849, is included in the List of National Historic Landmarks and is worth at least an external inspection: in particular, the neo-Palladian facade, very unusual for the architecture of Boston of that time, has survived to this day.
Members of the Athenaeum are allowed to bring well-behaved dogs with them, as long as they remain on a leash. What other library do you see this in?
Practical Information
Address: 10 1/2 Beacon Street. Website.
Opening hours: Tuesday from 12:00 to 20:00, Wednesday – Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00.
