Faneuil Hall - The Cradle of Liberty

Photo: Eric Kilby from Somerville, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Boston Freedom Trail, a free self-guided tour.

Faneuil Hall opened in 1742 as a gift to the town from Peter Faneuil, one of Boston's richest merchants. The ground floor was a market, and the upstairs hall became the place where Bostonians met to argue and vote. Speeches here against British taxes earned it the nickname the Cradle of Liberty.

That liberty had a hard irony built in. Faneuil's fortune came partly from trade tied to slavery, and he himself enslaved people. In later years the hall welcomed abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, who spoke here against slavery, and today it hosts naturalization ceremonies for new citizens.

Charles Bulfinch enlarged the building in 1806. Look up at the roof for the gilded grasshopper weather vane made by Shem Drowne, which has topped the hall since the 1700s.

Out front stands a statue of Samuel Adams, the organizer who stirred up more than a few meetings inside.

Getting here: From the Massacre circle, follow the red line down Congress Street and across to Dock Square; Faneuil Hall is the brick building with the cupola.

Did you know?: The grasshopper weather vane was reportedly used as a test during the War of 1812: anyone who could not name what topped Faneuil Hall was suspected of being a spy.

Photo op: Stand behind the Samuel Adams statue in Dock Square to frame him with the hall and its cupola behind.

More on Wikipedia: Faneuil Hall · Peter Faneuil · Frederick Douglass · Samuel Adams

Stops on this tour

1. Boston Common - Where Cows Grazed and Redcoats Camped
2. Massachusetts State House - The Golden Dome
3. Park Street Church - Brimstone Corner
4. Granary Burying Ground - Patriots at Rest
5. King's Chapel - The Church That Ran Out of Money
6. Boston Latin School Site - America's First Public School
7. Old Corner Bookstore - Where Books Changed America
8. Old South Meeting House - The Tea Party Starts Here
9. Old State House and Massacre Site - Shots on State Street
10. Faneuil Hall - The Cradle of Liberty
11. Paul Revere House - Home of a Busy Silversmith
12. Old North Church - Two Lanterns in the Steeple
13. Copp's Hill Burying Ground - A View Across the River
14. USS Constitution - Old Ironsides Still Afloat
15. Bunker Hill Monument - The Battle on Breed's Hill