The Massachusetts State House

The Old Town House and the Old State House

Boston’s original Town House contained a marketplace on its open first floor and enclosed town meeting space on the second floor. The Old Town House stood at the corners of King, Queen and Cornhill Streets (present-day Court, State and Washington Streets).

The Great Fire of October 2, 1711 completely destroyed the original wooden structure. Rebuilt in brick eighteen months later, the Old Town House continued to serve as a place to conduct town business and hold county court proceedings—until the interior was destroyed by a second fire on December 9, 1747. Fortunately, the brick outer walls contained the damage, and the town only needed to reconstruct the interior. Though burnt, altered, and repaired many times over the years, the Old Town House continued to serve town and county business through the end of the colonial period and into the new republic. It served as the Commonwealth’s first State House until January 11, 1798, and then as the Town Hall for the City of Boston before becoming the first City Hall of Boston. After Boston built a new city hall on School Street, the Old Town House fell into disrepair. Years later, preservationists stepped in to rescue and restore it.

Many important historical events occurred within or upon the grounds of the Old State House, including:

• The creation of North America’s first (and the world’s third-oldest) military organization, now known as the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, chartered in 1638 with Robert Keayne its first captain.
• The Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770.
• James Otis Jr.’s challenge against the English writs of assistance imposed on colonists. John Adams, observing Otis’ arguments, later remarked: "Then and there the child Independence was born."

Massachusetts State House Cornerstone

By the end of the American Revolution, the state’s citizens and leaders desired a larger and more elegant structure to better represent the new country—and promote optimism for the new age of independence and self-rule. Officials secured the site of former patriot and Governor John Hancock’s cow pasture, on Beacon Hill, and laid plans there for the new State House.

On July 4th, 1795, Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and Revolutionary War Colonel William Scollay led a grand procession, followed by fifteen white horses, one representing each state in the union, to draw the cornerstone from the Old South Meeting House through the streets of Boston to the top of Beacon Hill. The cornerstone was set amidst an escort of fusiliers and a fifteen gun salute that echoed across Boston Common.

During the ceremony, two sheets of lead (with the corners flanged over) were placed under the cornerstone. Revelers also placed eleven coins (including a pine tree shilling dating back to 1652), a copper medal with George Washington’s likeness, and a silver plate which may have been engraved by Paul Revere to commemorate the erection of the new State House.

On Wednesday, June 17, 2015, the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, officials drew the "cornerstone" once again, this time represented by a granite plinth inscribed with the date of 1795, and drawn by fifteen white horses through the streets of Boston to the steps of the State House, where the original cornerstone waited for the commencement ceremony.

Governor Charles Baker, Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin, and Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge Harvey Waugh oversaw the formal cornerstone blessings—dating back to Biblical times—ending in a cannon salute on Boston Common.

State House Time Capsule

In 1855, as work continued on foundation of the State House, workers unearthed a time capsule. The contents were cleaned, catalogued, and returned to their resting place in a newly-built brass box. Residents placed new contents into the capsule, including silver and copper coins dated 1851 to 1855, an impression of the current state seal, assorted morning newspapers, two business cards, and additional script engraved on the reverse side of the original silver plate by then Governor Henry J. Gardner and Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge Winslow Lewis.

Many years later, in 2014, the time capsule was unearthed for the third time. Officials took the capsule, measuring 5.5 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches and weighing about ten pounds, by State Police escort to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Pamela Hatchfield, of the Robert P. and Carol T. Henderson Head of Objects Conservation, opened, examined, and conserved the capsule.

The cornerstone and time capsule were quietly returned to their original places on Thursday, June 18, 2015—with a new silver plate commemorating the occasion and a mint set of 2015 United States coins.

The New State House

American-born architect Charles Bulfinch designed the current Massachusetts State House, which was completed in 1798. Bulfinch based its neoclassical-federal style on the magnificent Greek and Roman temples of Europe, and was particularly inspired by federal-style civic architecture in London.

The most recognizable feature of the State House is its golden dome, which was originally covered in wooden shingles, then copper-plated, before being gilded in 23-karat gold leaf. At the very top of the dome, Bulfinch placed a gilt pine cone as a symbol of the forests that made it possible for the early settlers to survive.

The State House has been modified and expanded several times.

• The first addition, in 1831, added four fireproof rooms designed by Isiah Rogers to the north portico, for the safe-keeping of the Commonwealth’s records.
• The second addition, in 1853, added much larger space for the State Library in the north portico. Builders further added a basement in 1855, while additional space for other departments, designed by Gridley J. F. Bryant, were completed in 1856.
• The third addition, by Charles E. Brigham, began in 1889 and included the large yellow brick extension still in use today. Completed in 1899, the extension removed and replaced the previous two additions to the north portico.
• Between 1914 and 1917, the fourth addition included the Chapman, Sturgis, and Andrews-designed east and west wings. These new wings were built of white Vermont marble, framing the original Bulfinch front of the State House.
• The fifth addition included a bomb-proof archival room, constructed in 1958-1960 and located in the basement.
• In 1990, constructors converted a former central air and light-well into two floors of hearing rooms, below the Great Hall.
• In 1991, Ashburton Park was completed—returning what had become a parking lot into a welcoming open public space and placing a parking garage underneath.

Some interesting facts about the State House

• The wooden shingles first adorning the dome failed to keep water from entering the House. In 1802, Paul Revere and Sons sheathed the dome in copper to prevent additional leaks.
• The dome has since been gilded in gold twice:
  • First in 1874, at a cost of $2,900
  • And again in 1997, at a cost of more than $300,000
• During World War II, the dome was painted dark gray to avoid attracting attention from enemy ships at sea or enemy planes overhead—and to reduce reflected light during the day or during ordered blackouts at night.
• Brothers John and Simon Skillin, who carved the first figurehead of the U.S.S. Constitution, also carved the pine cone atop the dome and assisted with the House’s Corinthian columns and capitals. The columns were so strong that they lasted over 150 years, save one. In 1960, all of the columns were replaced by iron reproductions.
• The original Corinthian columns were hand-carved on the front lawn of the State House from solid logs, measuring 25 feet long and 30 inches in diameter. The logs were acquired from Calais, Maine (then a territory of Massachusetts), from the estate of Speaker of the House Edward H. Robbins.
• The red brick Bulfinch front was painted white in 1825, yellow in 1855, then white again in 1917 to match the white marble wings of the 1914-1917 addition. In 1928, the brick walls were cleaned of paint and have remained unpainted since.

Grounds

Various statues adorn the grounds outside the State House.

• The western grounds include a statue of Anne Hutchinson with one of her nine children. Hutchinson was banished from the colony in the early 17th century because she dared to question Puritan theology.
• On the eastern grounds stands a statue of Mary Dyer, a martyr to her Quaker faith when Quakerism was outlawed in the colony.
• Near the entrance stands the statues of Daniel Webster, a spellbinding orator in the U.S. Senate, and Horace Mann, a compassionate educator who fought for public education for all children.
• Near the east wing stands a statue of General Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker on horseback.
• The most recent addition, designed and sculpted by Isabel McIlvain, is a bronze statue of President John F. Kennedy. The statue originally stood near the west entrance staircase, but has since moved to the southwest corner overlooking Beacon Street. It was dedicated on May 29, 1990.
• Facing the State House, and standing in the Common, is a bas relief monument sculpted by Augustus St. Gaudens honoring the Civil War's Massachusetts 54th Regiment. This first all-African-American volunteer unit was led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, who died in its first battle at Fort Wagner, South Carolina. In the same battle, Sergeant William Carney of New Bedford, though badly wounded, rescued the flag of the 54th and bore it safely back to the Union camp. For his valor, he became the first African-American to receive the Medal of Honor.

Doric Hall

Doric Hall’s name comes from the double row of columns with Doric capitals that Bulfinch employed. State officials held a banquet in Doric Hall for President James Monroe when he visited Boston in 1817, and held a reception for General Marquis de Lafayette during his American tour in 1824. It is still used for social gatherings, official ceremonies and art exhibits.

The large double doors at its front entrance are ceremonial, and are opened on only three occasions:

• When a Governor enters the state house for the first time or leaves the State House for the last time after his or her term of office has expired (a tradition called "The Lone Walk")
• When a President of the United States or foreign head of state visits the State House
• When the Massachusetts Regimental Flags are received into the permanent collection

Officials have carefully preserved Doric Hall over time, retaining most of its original architecture except for a marble floor to replace the original wooden one.

A bronze bust of John Hancock, first elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, sits on the west wall. The two cannons surrounding Hancock were captured during the War of 1812.

The Hancock bust is bookended by portraits of Generals Artemas Ward and Thomas Gage, adversaries at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Ward served as commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s militia, while Gage was the colony’s final Royal governor.

A full-length painting of President Abraham Lincoln hangs on the east wall—one of only three known in existence. Lincoln was said to be sensitive about his great height, preferring not to be painted in a standing position. This painting by Albion Bicknell was completed forty years after his death. The two cannons below Lincoln's portrait are commemorative replicas of the American Revolution.

Bartlett Hall

The Brigham Addition of the State House, designed in Italian Renaissance style, was completed in 1895. A heroic-sized statue of General William Francis Bartlett, dedicated in 1904 and designed by Daniel Chester French, stands in the hall. Bartlett enlisted as a private for the Union Army during the Civil War, eventually ascending to brigadier general.

Above the Bartlett statue sits a stained glass window, showing names of some Republics established before the United States (including Iceland and Holland). It also shows the seal of Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the seal of the Pilgrims who arrived in Massachusetts in 1620.

Nurses Hall

Beyond the smaller Bartlett Hall sits the larger Nurses Hall, named to honor the service of Union women during the Civil War. The most prominent statue in the hall features a young woman tending to a fallen soldier. This statue, named the Army Nurses' Memorial, was sculpted by Bela Pratt in 1911 and installed in 1914.

Two marble staircases ascend from the hall. The east staircase leads to the Senate, while the west staircase leads to the Governor's office.

Three paintings by Robert Reid hang high on the north wall, each representing dramatic events in Massachusetts history.

• The center painting shows James Otis, a young Boston lawyer, arguing against the Writs of Assistance in 1763. The Writs were issued by the Royal Governor to enable British officers to enter and search any home or warehouse without consent or warrant.
• The painting on the right shows Bostonians dumping tea in the harbor, protesting taxes imposed by a faraway English Parliament.
• The painting on the left shows Paul Revere makes his famous ride to warn that British soldiers in Boston are planning to seize gunpowder stored in Concord.

Memorial Hall

Tall columns of Siena marble surround the circular Memorial Hall, with a floor patterned in various kinds and colors of Italian marble. It was built to honor those who fought and died in the Civil War, though now also contains flags recognizing sacrifices in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

Various paintings adorn the walls of Memorial Hall, including:

• Civil War flags being returned to the State House, on the east wall
• Pilgrims on the Mayflower, on the north wall
• The Battle at Concord Bridge in 1775, on the west wall
• John Eliot, a Puritan minister, teaching Indigenous Persons, on the south wall

Overhead sits a large skylight of stained glass, showing the seals of the original thirteen states.

Great Hall

Completed in 1990, the Great Hall is the newest interior addition to the State House. The hall holds official state function and receptions, as Massachusetts does not have a Governor's Mansion. It is decorated with flags of cities and towns in the Commonwealth.

State Seal Window

Behind Memorial Hall, a large stairway (named the "Grand Staircase") leads to the third floor. A large stained glass window overlooks the landing, displaying the various seals used by the governments of Massachusetts.

The first seal appears in top pane of the window. Designed in England for the original Massachusetts Bay Colony, the seal portrays, unrealistically, an Indigenous Person attired in a grass skirt voicing the plea, "Come Over and Help Us."

When Massachusetts became part of the Dominion of New England in 1686, a new seal was adopted.

The family seals of the provincial governors appear on the two side panels.

The Revolutionary seal appears at the bottom of the window. This seal portrays a colonist clutching the Magna Carta in one hand and a sword in the other.

Our current state motto, "Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem," was adopted at that time. It means: "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty."

Massachusetts adopted its current seal in 1780. It appears just above the Revolutionary seal. A more realistically dressed Indigenous Person is shown on a blue background, standing below a drawn sword. The star over his shoulder indicates that Massachusetts is one of the original colonies. The motto of the commonwealth appears at the bottom of the seal.

Learn more about the state seal here

George Fingold State Library

Named after former Massachusetts Attorney General George Fingold, the State Library stands on the third floor. It contains over one million volumes, covering state and local histories, public documents, directories, and government laws.

House of Representatives Chamber

The House of Representatives is the larger of the two legislative chambers. Each session, 160 Legislators meet in the House chamber to discuss legislative matters. The room was constructed out of Honduran mahogany and completed in 1895.

In the front of the room, various paintings by Albert Herter hang high on the wall. The paintings picture the growth of freedom in Massachusetts.

• The far left painting depicts the Puritans, led by Governor John Winthrop, landing in Massachusetts in 1630.
• The far right painting depicts the banishment of Sir Edmund Andros, the unpopular Royal Governor of the Dominion of New England.
• The inner left painting depicts one of the judges of the Salem witch trials, repenting for condemning accused witches to death.
• The inner right painting depicts John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin writing the Massachusetts Constitution.
• The middle painting depicts John Hancock requesting that the Bill of Rights be included in the Federal Constitution.

The Famous "Sacred Cod" hangs in the House chamber gallery, directly opposite the Speaker's chair. The Cod was carved out of a solid piece of pine, and symbolizes the importance of the fishing industry.

Senate Chamber

Forty state senators meet in the Senate Chamber, directly underneath the State House golden dome. The current Senate Chamber originally served as the House of Representatives, before the lower house moved to its current location. Prior to 1895, the Senate occupied the room across the hall, now known as the Senate Reception Room.

Three hundred and sixty pieces of carved wood sit at the base of the dome’s inverted rim, each representing a degree of the compass.

Carved emblems representing Commerce, Agriculture, War, and Peace adorn the walls at each corner.

Two Revolutionary muskets, one British and one American, hang on the south wall.

In response to the House’s famous "Sacred Cod," which originally sat in the Senate Chamber, constructors fashioned a new fish into the wrought iron chandelier. This fish is called the "Holy Mackerel."

Reception Room

Originally the first Senate chamber, the Reception Room now houses meetings and conferences. The unusual ceiling is called a barrel vault, because it is carved like the inside of a barrel. Bulfinch used Ionic column forms for this room, and they remain the only original hand-carved wooden columns in the building.

Executive Suite

The west side of the original State House building contains the Governor's office and the Council Room. A reception room, hung with portraits of the most recent Governors, leads into these two rooms.

The Governor's Office looks out over the Boston Common, with large arched windows on two sides. The gold star on the east wall signifies Massachusetts as one of the original thirteen states.

The Governor's Council Room stands across a narrow hall. It originally served as the Governor’s Office itself. The Council Room, unlike every other room in the State House, is a perfect cube; with the same height, width, and depth.

Ashburton Park

Ashburton Park, with the Beacon Hill Eagle Monument in the center, was constructed on the State House’s right side exterior, replacing a long-standing parking lot. The Beacon Hill Monument was designed by Charles Bulfinch to commemorate the events that led up to the American Revolution.

For more information see An Online Tour of the Massachusetts State House.