The secrets of the Hub's past are revealed in our survey of Boston's off-the-beaten-path history by Christine Celli
You may have trekked the red bricks of the Freedom Trail but you didn't get the whole story. Sure, the 16 historic sights you visited told you a big part of American History. But decades of Bostonians and their claims to fame spread far beyond that two-and-a-half-mile jaunt. So take a lesson from Robert Frost and try the road less traveled. It is one peppered with Boston's more recent past. And one that proves that while we may sometimes take our freedoms for granted, those in Beantown are proud of their past-especially the parts that include baseball, donuts or beer.
AFRICAN MEETING HOUSE
8 Smith Court, 617-725-0022. It's the oldest black church edifice still
standing in the U.S., but most importantly, the African Meeting House
represents a long history of struggle and achievement within the
African-American community in Boston and beyond. Once called the black
Faneuil Hall, it's where William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England
Anti-Slavery Society. While at the Meeting House, visit the nearby Smith
Court Residences and Abiel Smith School. All three destinations are stops
on the Black Heritage Trail and offer a rare glimpse at African- American
life in Boston during the 1800s.
OLD NORTH CHURCH
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
193 Salem St., 617-523-6676. The Old North Church may be stop on the
Freedom Trail, but the legendary landmark holds secrets aplenty. Once
you've heard the tales of Mr. Revere, ask for a behind-the-scenes glimpse
that brings you through century-old crypts including the grave of the
first commanding officer of the U.S.S. Constitution. At least one body
resting there wished it were resting somewhere else. British Major John
Pitcairn, killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill, was meant to be sent back
to England for burial. A mistake caused someone else's body to be sent in
his place. And the church that once held Paul Revere's lanterns also
houses the oldest church bells in North America. Originally cast in
Gloucester, England in 1744, the bells were restored in 1975 and have rung
regularly ever since.
HOOPER-LEE-NICHOLS HOUSE
159 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-547-4252. Built in 1685 by Dr. Richard
Hooper, a budding Boston-area socialite, this
house is believed by many historians to be the oldest house in Cambridge.
It incorporates an eclectic mix of architectural styles from more than
three centuries of renovations, restorations and preservation attempts,
making it a marvel of period-unspecific decor. Today it is the
headquarters of the Cambridge Historical Society, an organization that
during the summer provides tours of the house and leads walks down Tory
Row-a Revolutionary War-era segment of Brattle Street that includes the
Harvard University President's house.
BURRAGE HOUSE
314 Commonwealth Ave. Suckers for the gaudy and grotesque will find it
difficult not to ogle at the many-faceted (over 160 facets, to be
specific) dimensions of this century-old mansion. Its charm lies in the
nearly 50 dragons and gargoyles, 30 cherubs, 300 bibliophiles, and lion,
eagle, and human heads carved into the elaborate stonework outside the
building. Once the strikingly ornate home of Albert Cameron Burrage, the
mansion is now an assisted-living community. Take a walk or a short T ride
from downtown, perch yourself on the curb, and dare to wonder at this
French Renaissance-style funhouse.
ADAMS
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
1250 Hancock St., Quincy, 617-770-1175. The birthplace of both John
Adams and John Quincy Adams, this National Park houses a compact history
of one of America's most notable founding families. Visit the Old House
where four generations of Adams families resided or explore the crypts
where both presidents and first ladies are buried. Guided tours of the 11
historic structures and 14 acres of natural beauty are available from
April 19 through November 10. Recreational activities, educational
programs, and family-oriented events are planned throughout the year.
JOHN F. KENNEDY BIRTHPLACE
83 Beals St. (off Harvard Ave.), Brookline, 617-566-7937. Though
most Americans fondly remember the days when JFK and his young
family romped around the White House and the Hyannis shores, many
forget the Kennedy's more humble beginnings in suburban Brookline.
The green and yellow three-story house where JFK was born is simple
and unpretentious, inviting visitors to explore its historical
significance with only a small
plaque and a gas lamp. Inside and out, the house remains remarkably
similar to when the Kennedy family lived there in the early 20th
century. On display are family artifacts such as a christening dress
worn by his sisters, medical and growth-charting cards mother Rose
kept for the children and a grand piano. Open March through
November. Tours are available.
ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL'S LABORATORY
185 Franklin St., Verizon Building, 617-743-4747. "Mr. Watson, come
here. I want you to see what my lab looks like." Okay, that's not
exactly what Alexander Graham Bell said when he placed the first
phone call ever, right here in Boston. But you can see a re-creation
of the attic laboratory where the first working telephone was
developed. Also displayed are Bell's original workbench along with
several manuscripts, sketches and the prototype of the first
telephone. Free and open to the public 24 hours a day.
U.S.S. CASSIN YOUNG
Charlestown Navy Yard, 617-242-5601. Right by "Old Ironsides" is
what you might call 'Young Ironsides.' This is by no means an
official name for the U.S.S. Cassin Young, but this World War II
Destroyer represents the modern face of the Navy's workhorse ships.
While the wooden U.S.S. Constitution got its nickname from its
unusual ability to withstand attack, the Cassin Young was
specifically designed this way. Be it torpedos, gunfire or kamikaze
attack, ships like the Cassin Young were expected to handle it all.
During WWII, the Cassin Young withstood two kamikaze attacks and
thwarted nine others. Today, she is a memorial to the destroyermen
and the ships they served on.
THE FELICANI COLLECTION-
SACCO
AND VANZETTI ARTIFACTS
Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 617-536-5400, ext. 4236.
Most grandparents remember the controversy and high level of
publicity that plagued the Boston-based trials of Italian immigrants
and anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in the early
part of the century. The men were sentenced to death for robbery and
murder in 1927 and even after a controversial legal battle, many
Americans still questioned the democratic process and showed lapsing
faith in the justice system. The BPL collection includes original
letters between Sacco and Vanzetti, manuscripts, Defense Committee
papers, publicity scrapbooks, photos, placards, the death masks and
more, ultimately detailing one of the most infamous trials in
American history this side of O.J.
FIRST DUNKIN' DONUTS STORE
543 Southern Artery,
Quincy, 617-472-9505. Satisfy your inner Homer Simpson by taking a
snack break at the ultimate donut place. Dunkin' Donuts has become a
cultural institution with over 5,000 stores in the United States and
40 other countries, including Peru, Guatemala, Bulgaria and
Thailand. However, few people know that the first Dunkin' Donuts
opened in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts, half a mile from the Quincy
Center stop on the T's Red Line. Within a dozen years the company
was celebrating the opening of its 100th store. Today they sell
enough donuts each year to circle the earth twice. Even Homer should
be happy with that.
BOSTON BEER COMPANY
30 Germania St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-9080. Not just loyal
Bostonians, but beer lovers of all stripes will agree that it
doesn't get much better than paying $1 to taste quality beer on a
tour of one of America's most celebrated breweries. In 1985, Jim
Koch returned to the family business and revolutionized the American
beer industry with the introduction of Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
The craft-brewed creation sparked the microbrew renaissance that led
to opening of other local breweries like Tremont and Harpoon. The
facility, now used for research and development, boasts a storied
history. It was once home to Haffenreffer Brewery and the original
Boston Beer Company, which for years was the oldest brewery in
America.
REVERE BEACH
Ocean Drive, Revere, 781-286-8190. Revere Beach is America's first
public beach and in its heyday gave even Coney Island a run for its
money. Long gone are Bluebeard's Funhouse, Wonderland Park (which
some say was the inspiration behind Disney World), Moorish Castle,
and the area's famed ballrooms that once hosted a star-studded
lineup of musical acts. But one can still enjoy a panoramic and
picturesque view of Massachusetts Bay with lighthouses and ships at
sea adorning the horizon, or take a swim along the sandy shores.
BRAVES FIELD/NICKERSON FIELD
285 Babcock St., 617-353-4632. The Sox might have Derek Lowe and
Pedro Martinez now, but in 1948 Bostonians city-wide were bowing at
the feet of the one-two punch of Boston Braves' starters Warren
Spahn and Johnny Sain. The pair did what this year's dynamic duo
couldn't and led their team to a pennant win. Today, their stomping
ground is covered with Astroturf but portions of the field, now home
to Boston University sports, still retain aspects of the former
structure-including a grandstand with the original right-field
bleacher seats. The area was also the site of three World Series and
the longest baseball game ever played (26 innings). So go on, get
out in front of those college students and yell "Spahn and Sain and
pray for rain!" We dare you.
THE HOUSE THAT CY YOUNG BUILT
400 Huntington Ave. About three miles south of Nickerson Field is
the site of another piece of Boston's baseball history. The Boston
Pilgrims' Field has been covered over with Northeastern University's
Cabot Center, but visitors can still stand on the spot where
baseball legend Cy Young pitched the first perfect game of the
modern era. The area also marks the site of the first modern World
Series match-up between the American League champion Boston Pilgrims
(later re-named the Red Sox) and the National League champion
Pittsburgh Pirates in 1903. The statue of Young stands on what was
the original pitcher's mound and the World Series Exhibit Room in
Cabot Cage houses mementos from the pre-Fenway era.
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Sarah Buckley, Inna Golovatch and Meredith Pitts contributed to this article.