Old State House clock

Built in 1713, the Old State House has seen its fair share of history. The oldest surviving public building in Boston proper, the red bricked landmark is the scene of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Boston in 1776. Sitting atop the MBTA’s intersecting blue and orange subway lines, today the Old State House has evolved into a beacon on the downtown transportation grid. Nestled between the financial district’s tall skyscrapers, the Old State House may not stand as prominently on Boston’s skyline as it used to, but the building makes up for its size with its rich history.
Built in 1713, the Old State House has seen its fair share of history. The oldest surviving public building in Boston proper, the red bricked landmark is the scene of the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Boston in 1776. Sitting atop the MBTA’s intersecting blue and orange subway lines, today the Old State House has evolved into a beacon on the downtown transportation grid. Nestled between the financial district’s tall skyscrapers, the Old State House may not stand as prominently on Boston’s skyline as it used to, but the building makes up for its size with its rich history.
(Photo: John Tlumacki/Globe Staff; Text: Chris Brook/Boston.com correspondent)

About the book

Boston's Secret Spaces offers tantalizing peeks into places ordinary mortals rarely see. Published in partnership with The Boston Globe and based on the exceedingly popular Boston.com feature (3.7 million page views and counting), the book takes readers behind the scenes at several sports hot spots, historical landmarks, and offbeat Beantown locales.