The History of Boston’s Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall is a historical building that is located in the middle of Boston, Massachusetts. It was built when Boston was still a town and now it is one of the busiest sites in the bustling city. The building is steeped in the history of Massachusetts and the United States of America. Some of the nation’s founding fathers walked through Faneuil Hall and spoke in the meeting room on the second floor. In fact, great men and women have been visiting the building throughout its long history. It is a cherished landmark in the city and one of the sites on Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Faneuil Hall was constructed in 1742, when Peter Faneuil decided that the town desperately needed a marketplace. Peter was a very wealthy merchant and could afford to build one, so he payed for John Smibert to design and build Faneuil Hall, which Peter turned over to the town. The building was constructed of brick in the Georgian style. It had two floors, a marketplace on the first and a meeting room on the second. The building was also topped with a cupola, which was topped by the famous grasshopper weathervane.

A devastating fire destroyed all of Faneuil Hall save its brick walls, in 1761. The building was renovated and reopened very soon after. Boston town meetings were held on the second floor of the building from 1764 to 1774, during the beginnings of the American Revolution. On July 4, 1776, President George Washington celebrated the United States’ first birthday at Faneuil Hall.

In 1806 it was decided that the building needed an expansion to keep up with the growing town. Charles Bulfinch, the man responsible for the Massachusetts State House, was brought in to design and construct the expansion. A third floor was added at this time and the width of Faneuil Hall was doubled.

In 1826 the popular Quincy Market, which was named for Boston mayor, Josiah Quincy, was added to the Faneuil Hall marketplace. Eventually the North and South Markets were added on either side of Quincy Market. Quincy Market became just as busy as Faneuil Hall, but as the years wore on, it fell into utter disrepair. It was to be demolished, when in 1976 the decision was made to renovate the old buildings of the market. Today it is a very busy and successful market. On a side note, it is also one of the best places in New England to enjoy authentic New England clam chowder. Faneuil Hall was also renovated in the late 1970s.

Today Faneuil Hall is visited by more than eighteen million people annually. Street performers can be found outside in the promenade on any given day. The building itself serves roughly the same purpose that it did more than two hundred years ago. The first floor is still a market. The second floor still contains a meeting room, but it is no longer an official meeting place. However, it is a great place to hear a short speech on the history of Faneuil Hall, which is given every half hour when the building is open. The third floor houses the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts’ museum and armory. Admission to Faneuil Hall is free.

If you ever visit Faneuil Hall, you would be tracing the footsteps of these great people, among others.

George Washington

Susan B. Anthony

Samuel Adams

Bill Clinton

Frederick Douglass

William Lloyd Garrison

Lucy Stone

Oliver Wendall Holmes