Old State House

Historic building in the central part of Boston, built in 1713. On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence of the United States was read from the balcony of this building.nThe Old State House was the residence of the British governor, and it is still decorated with wooden figures of a lion and a unicorn with a royal coat of arms. The spot where Crispas Attax was shot, a runaway African American and the first victim of the War of Independence, was marked.nOn March 5, 1770, The Boston Massacre occurred in front of the building on Devonshire Street. Lieutenant Governor Thomas Hutchinson stood on the building’s balcony to speak to the people, ordering the crowd to return to their homes.nSince 1798, the Old State House building has been used for trading purposes – there were several private stores, wine trade, production of wigs and hats, as well as a restaurant. In the 1820s, the 2nd floor of the building was used by masons.nOn October 9, 1960, the Old Capitol was granted the status of a national historical monument of the United States, and on October 15, 1966 it was entered into the National Register of Historic Places of the United States. In 2013, the 300th anniversary of the Old State House building, which is called the “most historic building of Boston”, was celebrated.n