Old State House
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Old State House is a museum in Massachusetts, at a recorded elevation of 8 m. Single Tree Hill stands 100 m to the west-southwest, 5.4 miles off. The nearest named place is Boston Massacre Site, a historic site less than a tenth of a mile away. Revolutionary Heritage Byway passes 0.7 miles off.
The story
The Old State House (originally the Second Town-House; also the Court House, Province House, or Old Provincial State House) is a historic building at 206 Washington Street in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Completed in 1713, it is the city's oldest extant public building, hosting the judicial, legislative, and executive branches of the Massachusetts provincial and state governments during the 18th century. At 65 feet (20 meters), it was also the tallest building in Boston until 1745. Old State House is located on Boston's Freedom Trail and is designated as a National Historic Landmark and Boston Landmark. Two buildings previously occupied the site: the First Town-House, which burned down in 1711, followed by the Second Town-House, which was rebuilt after being gutted by fire in 1747. The state legislature, the Massachusetts General Court, moved to the New State House in 1798, after which the Old State House was used by the municipal government. It was used as Boston's city hall after Isaiah Rogers refurbished the structure in 1830. After a new city hall opened in 1841, the structure was used by commercial tenants for four decades. George A. Clough renovated the Old State House in 1881–1882, following threats of demolition, and the Bostonian Society took over much of the building. The Old State House has functioned as a history museum since then, undergoing additional renovations in the 20th and 21st centuries. The building has a brick facade and rises 2+1⁄2 stories above a partially raised basement. The facade is divided vertically into bays, with entrances on three sides and a balcony facing east. It has a gable roof with decorations such as a lion and unicorn, topped by a central tower. The interior has been modified repeatedly; the modern layout dates to Clough's renovation, with design details from various eras. The rooms are arranged around a spiral stair that passes through a rotunda. The basement has mechanical spaces and an entrance to the MBTA subway's State station, while the first and second stories have exhibit rooms flanking the rotunda. The building also has an attic and additional rooms in the tower. The museum hosts Boston-related exhibits and reenactments.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Dates from 1713.
Wikidata Q1320533, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Height
- 20 m
- Elevation
- 8 m
What to expect
- Fee
- Yes
How to reach it
- 0.7 mi off the Revolutionary Heritage Byway, National
- 5.7 mi off the Battle Road Scenic Byway, National
- 23.6 mi off the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Skywalk Observatory · 2 mi
- Sunset Ledge · 24 mi
- Eagle Rock · 26 mi
- Lookout Point · 28 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Boston Massacre Site: 0.0 mi
- D.L. Moody Historic Marker: 0.1 mi
- Samuel Adams: 0.1 mi
- Irish Famine Memorial: 0.1 mi
- Josiah Quincy III: 0.1 mi
- Bill Russell: 0.1 mi
- Boston Latin School Site: 0.1 mi
- "The Creature Pond" Sculpture: 0.1 mi
- Ab Initio: 0.2 mi
- Armenian Genocide Sculture: 0.3 mi
- Boston National Historical Park: 0.1 mi
- School Street Mall: 0.1 mi
- Old City Hall Grounds: 0.1 mi
- Liberty Square: 0.1 mi
- Curley Memorial Plaza: 0.1 mi
- Golden Teapot: 0.1 mi
- First Public School Site: 0.1 mi
- Quincy Market: 0.2 mi
- Faneuil Hall Marketplace: 0.2 mi
- Boston Stone: 0.2 mi
- Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company Museum: 0.1 mi
- Old South Meeting Place: 0.1 mi
- Museum of Illusions Boston: 0.2 mi
- Alexander Graham Bell Room Museum: 0.2 mi
- Pierce/Hichborn House Museum: 0.4 mi
- Rose Kennedy Rose Garden: 0.3 mi
- Saint Leonard's Peace Garden: 0.4 mi
- Saint Leonard's Peace Garden: 0.4 mi
- Rain Garden: 0.8 mi
- Golden Age Center: 0.8 mi
- Beacon Hill: 0.5 mi
- Flagstaff Hill: 0.5 mi
- Copps Hill: 0.6 mi
- Breeds Hill: 1.2 mi
- Camp Hill: 1.3 mi
- Pleasure Bay Beach: 2.5 mi
- Corinha Beach: 3.9 mi
- Yirrel Beach: 4.5 mi
- Nickerson Beach: 4.5 mi
- Short Beach: 4.5 mi
- Buena Vista Urban Wild: 2.8 mi
- Hall's Pond Sanctuary: 2.9 mi
- 140 Highland St: 2.9 mi
- Amory Woods: 3.0 mi
- Parker Hilltop: 3.2 mi
- Pererea Point: 4.0 mi
- Winthrop Head: 4.6 mi
- Grovers Cliff: 5.0 mi
- Moon Head: 5.1 mi
- West Head: 5.3 mi
- Pine Knoll: 4.0 mi
- Oak Lea: 4.1 mi
- Nature's Pavilion: 4.2 mi
- Babcock Arboretum: 6.5 mi
- Pinetops Picnic Area: 9.3 mi
- Boathouse: 8.7 mi
- Keeper's Dwelling: 8.7 mi
- Oil Shed: 8.8 mi
- Rainshed: 8.8 mi
- Boston Light: 8.8 mi
- Commissioners Landing: 0.8 mi
- Westwood Rest Area: 11.0 mi
- State Route 3 Parking Area Northbound: 21.8 mi
- State Route 3 Parking Area Southbound: 21.8 mi
- Quarry Spring: 5.9 mi
- Pakomet Spring: 10.4 mi
- Mystery Spring: 23.6 mi
- Cascade Falls: 6.1 mi
- Rock Falls: 11.3 mi
- Wamesit Falls: 22.3 mi
- Haywardville: 7.5 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 6.2 miles of Old State House. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Tree Hill | WSW 243° | 100 m | 5.4 mi |
| Waban Hill | WSW 257° | 98 m | 6.1 mi |
| Cairn Hill | NNW 346° | 92 m | 6.2 mi |
| Mount Walley | SW 230° | 91 m | 5.4 mi |
| Green Hill | SW 225° | 89 m | 5.4 mi |
| Chestnut Hill | WSW 250° | 86 m | 5.7 mi |
| Boojum Rock | NNW 347° | 83 m | 5.7 mi |
| Fisher Hill | WSW 245° | 81 m | 4.7 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:49 | 18:19 | 18:57 |
| June solstice | 05:08 | 19:43 | 20:25 |
| September equinox | 06:32 | 18:06 | 18:43 |
| December solstice | 07:11 | 15:30 | 16:15 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 30 | 32 | 38 | 49 | 58 | 68 | 74 | 73 | 66 | 55 | 45 | 36 |
| Precip in | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.3 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Boston, 2 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOfficial siteOpenStreetMap element way/29608515
Day trips start here
- Boston · 0 mi
- Boston/Downtown · 0 mi
- Boston/North End · 0 mi
- Greater Boston · 0 mi
- Boston/Back Bay-Beacon Hill · 1 mi
- Boston/Charlestown · 1 mi
Take the scenic way to Old State House.
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