Tombstone of William Hough, 1714. Copp’s Hill, the Town’s second burying ground, was established in 1659 on a hill named for shoemaker William Copp. The site soon rivaled the Common as a public venue, hosting such spectacles as the 1704 execution of seven pirates.
Tag Archives: Province House
Boston Common photo
British troops bivouacked on the Boston Common from 1758 to 1776, when George Washington forced them out, demolished their trenches, and sent them packing with loyalists to Nova Scotia. Cast in Paris in 1868, the Fountain was donated by Gardner Brewer and named for him. The fountain was restored in 2009-2010.
USS Constitution bicentennial stamp photo
200 years ago today, “USS Constitution” fought and defeated “HMS Guerriere,” a British frigate taken from the French. Commanded by Isaac Hull, “Constitution” dominated the British ship, shot away her mizzen mast, took the crew prisoner, and burned the wreck. This commemorative stamp was issued yesterday.
USS Constitution Bicentennial sailing photo
200 years ago today, USS Constitution fought and defeated HMS Guerriere, a British frigate taken from the French. Commanded by Isaac Hull, “Constitution” dominated the British ship, shot away her mizzen mast, took the crew prisoner, and burned the wreck. Today, “Old Ironsides” took a bicentennial turn around the harbor and put her sails up in tribute to this glorious victory. This short sail was only the 2nd time in over 100 years that the ship has been underway on her own.
Old State House photo Boston
Boston’s oldest public building, erected in 1713 overlooking Long Wharf, replaced an old wooden Town House dating from 1658. After the Great fire of 1711, the town financed a brick building with a room for the Elder’s meeting, a library, an arsenal, and an arcaded farmers’ market “for the country people that come with theire provisions…to sitt dry and warme both in colde raine and durty weather.” It became the hub of the colony’s trade.