The Old State House
Here the first Town House was built in 1657 in the earliest market place of Boston. The present building was built in 1713, burned in 1747, and immediately rebuilt with walls of the former building being utilized. Here met Colonial Courts and Legislators, town and city governments and the General Court of the Commonwealth. It was used as a City Hall from 1830 to 1840. It is open to the public from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m., daily. From the windows, one may look out on the Washington Street side and see the site of Paul Revere’s Silver Shop.
Leaving the old State House, pause for a moment at Number 28 State Street. Here is another historic site where stood the Royal Exchange Tavern, from which the first stage coach started to New York on September 7, 1772, “to go once every fourteen days.” Across the street, at 27 State Street, stood the first meeting house, built by the Colonists in 1632. The church was a rude but substantial edifice of mud walls with a thatched roof. The first pastor was John Wilson, who had for his associate the Reverend John Cotton, the former pastor of old St. Botolph’s, Boston, England.
Proceeding down State Street to Number 30, we come to the site of