Faneuil Hall

Boston
MA
Portrait to Come (Hidden)

Portrait by Artist to Come

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Peter Faneuil, a wealthy merchant, built Faneuil Hall as a center for commerce in 1742. Today it is still a place of business with landmark stalls of shops on the first floor, but it is the second floor meeting hall that has the greater legacy.

It was at Faneuil Hall in 1764 that Bostonians protested against the Sugar Act, working towards the doctrine of no taxation without representation. Gatherings to protest the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, and the military occupation of Boston would follow. A statue of Samuel Adams stands in front of Faneuil Hall, where some of his most significant work was done by dominating town meetings and staging a funeral for the victims of the Boston Massacre.

The third floor is Headquarters for the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, the third oldest chartered military organization in the world and the oldest in the western hemisphere.

Part of the Freedom Trail™.

Associated People
Adams, Samuel

In the fall of 1775 Congress chose brown as the original color for the national uniform. In October 1778, however, France sent uniforms with a predominance of blue coats (although there were also brown), and so on 2 October 1779 Congress switched to blue as the official color.

— Michael Stephenson
Patriot Battles: How the War of Independence Was Fought (2007)