Old City Hall (Boston) facts for kids
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Old City Hall
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(2016)
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| Location | 45 School Street Boston, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1862–1865 |
| Architect | G. J. F. Bryant, A. D. Gilman |
| Architectural style | Second Empire |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000687 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 30, 1970 |
| Designated NHL | December 30, 1970 |
Boston's Old City Hall is a famous historic building. It was the main office for Boston's city government from 1865 to 1969. This beautiful building was one of the very first in the United States to use the French Second Empire style. This style became very popular after Old City Hall was built. You can see similar buildings in other big cities like Washington, D.C., Providence, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. The architects who designed it were Gridley James Fox Bryant and Arthur Gilman.
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History of Old City Hall
Old City Hall was built between 1862 and 1865. It stands at 45 School Street in Boston. This spot is right on the Freedom Trail, a famous path that takes you to important historical sites. It's located between the Old South Meeting House and King's Chapel.
Before this building, the Boston Latin School was on this site from 1704 to 1748. Later, a courthouse for Suffolk County was built here in 1810. This courthouse became Boston's second city hall in 1841. The current Old City Hall replaced it 24 years later.
Many important people worked in this building. Thirty-eight different mayors of Boston served their terms here. Famous mayors like John F. Fitzgerald, Maurice J. Tobin, and James Michael Curley were among them. They worked at this location for a total of 128 years.
In 1969, the city government moved to the new Boston City Hall. Old City Hall was then changed to be used for other purposes. This process, called "adaptive reuse," means giving an old building a new life. The architecture firm Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc helped with this successful change.
Because of its history and design, Old City Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It was also named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in the same year.
Cool Architectural Features
Old City Hall has many interesting design elements:
- The outside of the building is made of granite. It has fancy columns, a special type of roof called a mansard roof, and a part that sticks out in the middle.
- The large front doors are unique. They use different types of wood and have a marble circle built into each door.
- Inside the entrances on School Street and Court Square, you can see murals. These paintings show the history of the building and the land it sits on.
- In the first-floor lobby, there's a marble plaque. It remembers when the first stone was laid in 1862 by Mayor Joseph Wightman. It also notes when the building was officially opened in 1865 by Mayor Frederic W. Lincoln, Jr..
- On the School Street sidewalk, you can find a hopscotch game. This marks the spot where the Boston Latin School once stood.
Statues in the Courtyard
The courtyard outside Old City Hall has several interesting statues:
- Benjamin Franklin: This statue honors Benjamin Franklin, who went to school on this very site. The statue, made in 1856, was the first portrait statue in Boston. It shows Franklin as he would have looked, not dressed in old-fashioned robes. Scenes from Franklin's life are carved into the base of the statue. Richard Saltonstall Greenough designed the statue and some of the carvings.
- Josiah Quincy III: This statue, made in 1879 by Thomas Ball, is of Josiah Quincy III. He was Boston's second mayor.
- A Donkey: This statue represents the Democratic Party. In front of it, there are two bronze footprints that say "stand in opposition." A plaque explains how the donkey became the symbol for the party.
Old City Hall Today
In 2017, a company called Synergy Investments bought Old City Hall. The building is very large, with over 83,000 square feet of space. Today, it is home to many different businesses and organizations. Some of the tenants include Ruth's Chris Steak House, Welch & Forbes, Underscore VC, McLane Middleton, and Kaymbu. A famous French restaurant called Maison Robert used to be there but closed in 2004.
Mayors Who Served in Old City Hall
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Gallery
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Old Suffolk County Courthouse and Boston's City Hall 1841 to 1865
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Old City Hall, around 1865
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Old City Hall, around 1868 in a stereograph view
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Courtyard and entrance, October 2006
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Boston City Council office, City Hall, 1940
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James Curley at Boston City Hall, 1913
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Boston City Council chambers, City Hall, around the 20th century
