Boston and Harvard Vacation Highlights

After spending a day at sea, we arrived in Boston.  We hopped on board a bus to start our tour of historical Boston.  This city played an important part in the American Revolution between the British and 13 American colonies.

Now, I can say that I went to Harvard

Diane in Front of One of the Buildings in the Undergraduate area.

Before I get to the history sites that we saw, we did a tour of Cambridge and Harvard University.

Harvard University was founded in 1636 because the Puritan immigrants wanted someplace where clergymen could be educated.  In 1639, the name was changed from New College to Harvard College.  John Harvard willed the college £779 pounds sterling and 400 books for the library.

Notice the statue in the background.  There are three lies about this statue:

• The statue is not of John Harvard.  It is actually a 19th-century Harvard student that posed for the statue.
• John Harvard was not the found of the university but a financial supporter.
• The date on the statue is 1638 when actually is was founded in 1636.

The irony around these 3 lies is that the motto for the university is “TRUTH”.

Our way back to Boston, we also passed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a school for the Sciences and Technology.  This school is a popular as Harvard but not nearly as many students or high tuition fees.

Before we left Cambridge, we crossed the Charles River, where the Harvard University Rowing Team trains.

Harvard University Rowers Training in the Charles River

It was off to Boston to visit various historical sites and hear the story of Paul Revere and the American Revolution.

The first place we passed was an historical Fire Engine House.  Notice how small the opening where the Firetruck sits.  Because of the small opening, the City of Boston has to special order the Firetrucks.

We past by the new Old South Church but before I talk about it, I want to talk about the Old North Church.  After having made our way through the narrow windy streets of the historical district, we made a stop at the bottom of a large hill.  There was no parking for the bus so we had to walk up the hill and down another hill to get to the church.  And there it was at the bottom of the hill, the Old North Church.

Old North Church at on Salem Street

This church was the site of Paul Revere’s famous signal was sent…”One if by sea, Two if by land”. This phrase refers to Paul Revere’s midnight ride which preceded the American Revolution in 1776. The lanterns were used to signal the patriots of the British military movements.

Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride

The church is still used today.  Notice the box pews rather than the regular pews we are used to seeing in a church.  These pews were bought by the members of the congregation.  The wealthiest were able to purchase the pews at the very front.  Your financial status indicated where you could sit in the church.  People painted and decorated their box pews according to their own tastes.

The Box Pews inside the Church

Finally, I will leave you with pictures of the new Old South Church.  The original church was a meeting house and it was there that the Boston Tea Party gave the war “whoops” in 1773 to signal  the beginnings of the American Revolution.

New Old South Church

There is so much history in the eastern US.  I certainly enjoyed learning about and hearing about the history that I really never payed attention to when I was in school.

Join me in my blog posts and show you more history.  Next up will be Portland, Bar Harbor and Rockville, Maine.