Old South Meeting House

Old South Meeting House Famed 1729 National Historic Landmark where the Boston Tea Party began in 1773. Visit the famed, National Historic Landmark where the Boston Tea Party began in 1773.
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Within the walls of Old South Meeting House, meeting by meeting, vote by vote, a revolution began. Visit to experience one of the nation's most important colonial landmarks. On exhibit: Historic 3-D model of colonial Boston showing the Patriots' route to the harbor; John Hancock's portable writing desk; first edition 1773 book by slave & poet Phillis Wheatley; and many more rare revolutionary artifacts and historic documents. Old South Meeting House is an independent, non-profit museum and historic site funded by individuals like you; The Massachusetts Cultural Council (www.massculturalcouncil.org), a state agency; The Lowell Institute; The Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati; and other public and private foundations and corporations. A legislated partner in Boston National Historical Park, Old South Meeting House participates in the Passport program as an official Passport Cancellation Station. _______________________________ Admission: $6 Adults, $5 Seniors/Students, $1 Children (ages 6-17), under age 6 FREE. Free for OSMH Museum Members. Freedom Trail Ticket Available: Includes discounted admission to Old South Meeting House, Old State House Museum and the Paul Revere House. $13 adults ($6.50 savings!), $2 children. Available at Old South Meeting House.

Operating as usual

Revolutionary Spaces
01/12/2021
Revolutionary Spaces

Revolutionary Spaces

Join us TOMORROW at 5:30 p.m. ET for Difficult Transitions: The Transfer of Presidential Power Between Factions!

We'll hear from a stellar lineup of panelists, including:

-- Joseph Ellis, Ford Foundation Chair of History (retired) at Mount Holyoke College and Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author of "Founding Brothers, Passionate Sage and American Sphinx"

-- Eric Rauchway, Professor of History at UC Davis and author of "Winter War: Hoover, Roosevelt, and the First Clash Over the New Deal"

-- Amber Roessner, Associate Professor of Journalism at University of Tennessee, Knoxville and author of "Jimmy Carter and the Birth of the Marathon Media Campaign"

-- David Greenberg, Professor of History and of Journalism & Media Studies at Rutgers University, and author of "Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency"

REGISTER NOW: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/2020/12/16/presidential-transitions/

12/16/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

It's the 247th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party!

Join Revolutionary Spaces TONIGHT at 7:30pm for the premiere of Tea Party Tonight! here on Facebook and YouTube.

It's finally Tonight! Rob Crean hosts Revolutionary Spaces' newest program, Tea Party Tonight!, a first-of-its-kind comedy talk show. Along with some of the leading voices in Boston history and research, Rob explores the roles of our city and its people in the creation and evolution of the American experiment, with plenty of laughs along the way.

Broadcast from the historic Old South Meeting House on the 247th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, Rob is joined by scholars William Fowler, Ben Carp, and Chernoh Sesay to dive into the world surrounding the "destruction of the tea," what kind of society it wrought, and why 18th century events still have meaning today.

THIS WEEK at Revolutionary Spaces! ✨🍵 Wed, Dec. 16 at 7:30pm ET - The premiere of Tea Party Tonight! RSVP: https://revol...
12/14/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

THIS WEEK at Revolutionary Spaces! ✨

🍵 Wed, Dec. 16 at 7:30pm ET - The premiere of Tea Party Tonight! RSVP: https://revolutionaryspaces.org/.../12/03/tea-party-tonight/

📜 Thurs, Dec. 17 at 7pm ET - The Petition: A Virtual Performance. REGISTER: https://revolutionaryspaces.org/.../petition-virtual.../

THIS WEEK! ✨

🍵 Wed, Dec. 16 at 7:30pm ET - The premiere of Tea Party Tonight! RSVP: https://revolutionaryspaces.org/2020/12/03/tea-party-tonight/

📜 Thurs, Dec. 17 at 7pm ET - The Petition: A Virtual Performance. REGISTER: https://revolutionaryspaces.org/2020/11/19/petition-virtual-performance/

TOMORROW at 7pm ET! Join Revolutionary Spaces on Zoom for Looking for Miss Phillis: Finding the Woman Inside the Icon wi...
11/18/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

TOMORROW at 7pm ET! Join Revolutionary Spaces on Zoom for Looking for Miss Phillis: Finding the Woman Inside the Icon with Honoree Fanonne Jeffers!

REGISTER HERE: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/.../looking-for-miss.../

We're getting excited for this week's exploration of the life and legacy of Phillis Wheatley Peters with Honoree Fanonne Jeffers!

Learn more about Professor Jeffers' journey with Phillis, then register for Looking for Miss Phillis: Finding the Woman Inside the Icon on Thurs, Nov. 19 at .7pm ET.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/2020/11/03/looking-for-miss-phillis/

http://commonplace.online/article/the-age-of-phillis/

Artists! Join Revolutionary Spaces for FREE workshops in December to explore the life and work of America's first publis...
11/17/2020

Artists! Join Revolutionary Spaces for FREE workshops in December to explore the life and work of America's first published Black woman writer, Phillis Wheatley Peters.

Learn more and sign up today! https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/wheatley-workshop/

Calling artists of all kinds! This December, join us for a riveting workshop series to explore the life and legacy of Phillis Wheatley Peters, America's first published Black woman poet, and long-time congregant of Old South Meeting House. Through these workshops, we hope participants come away with their own personal connection to Miss Phillis and her work.

These workshops are inspired by "The Age of Phillis,” a lyrical new work by poet and writer Dr. Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, who imagines Phillis Wheatley Peters, America’s first published Black woman poet, “as a human being who lived and loved while making her mark on history.”

Like Dr. Jeffers, participants will ground their creative process in the history by exploring primary sources and scholarly works about Peters. From there, participants will craft their own responses to her life in forms that may include writing, art, and performance concepts.

This project is supported by the 400 Years of African-American History Commission.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/wheatley-workshop/

If you're not following Revolutionary Spaces, you're missing out on some stellar upcoming events, including:Tues, Nov. 1...
11/07/2020
Events

If you're not following Revolutionary Spaces, you're missing out on some stellar upcoming events, including:

Tues, Nov. 10: Monumental Attucks

Thurs, Nov. 19: Looking for Miss Phillis: Finding the Woman Inside the Icon

Sun, Nov. 22: Poetry as a Force for Change: A Conversation with Marge Piercy

LEARN MORE via RevolutionarySpaces.org.

A community connected. Upcoming Events

09/24/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Join Revolutionary Spaces next Tues, Sept. 29 at 4pm ET for Imagining Attucks!

Register Now: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/imagining-attucks/

Join us next Tues, Sept. 29, at 4pm ET for Imagining Attucks, where we'll discuss the challenges that come with bringing Crispus Attucks to life by drawing on the historical record to create a well-rounded portrayal of the man who helped spark the American Revolution.

Panelists include:

--- Rasheed Walters, a Boston-based social entrepreneur and historical re-enactor who has played Crispus Attucks in the Boston Massacre re-enactment

--- Miranda ADEkoje, a Boston-based playwright, currently writing I Am This Place, a new short play about Crispus Attucks commissioned by Revolutionary Spaces and produced by Plays in Place.

--- Mitch Kachun, Professor Emeritus of History at Western Michigan University, and author of First Martyr of Liberty: Crispus Attucks in American Memory

REGISTER NOW: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/imagining-attucks/

09/17/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates on programming about Crispus Attucks!

#ReflectingAttucks

REGISTER for Attucks and the Politics of Liberty & Sovereignty in 18th Century New England NOW: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/attucks-politics-liberty-sovereignty/

What was Crispus Attucks fighting for?
He is often called the first man to die for American independence, but what had he seen, what had he experienced, that made him take action the night of the #BostonMassacre?

Our next #ReflectingAttucks virtual panel - Attucks and the Politics of Liberty & Sovereignty in 18th Century New England - looks at the politics and environment that would have shaped Attucks's worldview, to understand what liberty may have meant to him.

REGISTER NOW: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/events/attucks-politics-liberty-sovereignty/

09/09/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Over the course of several months, Revolutionary Spaces' #ReflectingAttucks provides a ground-breaking look at Crispus Attucks - a man of African and Native descent, who was the first to die at the Boston Massacre.

The time has never been more relevant to reflect on the "first martyr of liberty" as our nation grapples with the vital role that protest and resistance play in American democracy and with the historical roots of inequality, particularly for Black and Indigenous communities.

Join the conversation: www.RevolutionarySpaces.org/ReflectingAttucks

Video narration by Charles Coe.

Over the course of several months, #ReflectingAttucks provides a ground-breaking look at Crispus Attucks - a man of African and Native descent, who was the first to die at the Boston Massacre.

The time has never been more relevant to reflect on the "first martyr of liberty" as our nation grapples with the vital role that protest and resistance play in American democracy and with the historical roots of inequality, particularly for Black and Indigenous communities.

Join the conversation: www.RevolutionarySpaces.org/ReflectingAttucks

Video narration by Charles Coe.

Revolutionary Spaces is excited to announce the reopening of Boston's Old State House and Old South Meeting House on a t...
08/01/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Revolutionary Spaces is excited to announce the reopening of Boston's Old State House and Old South Meeting House on a trial basis for at least 3 weeks beginning TODAY!

MORE INFO AND ONLINE TICKETS: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/reopening/

📣 We're excited to announce the reopening of Boston's Old State House and Old South Meeting House on a trial basis for at least 3 weeks beginning Aug. 1!

Revolutionary Spaces' top priority is guest and staff safety. Strict cleaning and physical distancing guidelines are in place.

MORE INFO AND ONLINE TICKETS: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/reopening/

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates!
06/02/2020

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates!

Silence is violence. As a new organization striving for a just, equitable future, we cannot ignore the injustices Black people in America face every single day.

As a nation, we look to our history to tell us who we are. Too often our founding history has been enlisted to justify inequality and legitimize white supremacy. We cannot allow this to happen any longer. We must recognize and credit the many Black and Brown people who have contributed so much to the ongoing American experiment. While we can’t change the past, we have a duty to tell the truth about the founding of our nation, and we stand committed to exploring this history in new and honest ways.

We know we have work to do as a public history organization striving to be anti-racist in our practices. But we stand here committed to listening, to learning, to growing. This is only the beginning.

Hi folks! Since we merged with the Bostonian Society in January, we'll be posting all Old South Meeting House and Old St...
04/29/2020

Hi folks! Since we merged with the Bostonian Society in January, we'll be posting all Old South Meeting House and Old State House updates over at Revolutionary Spaces.

Like and/or follow Revolutionary Spaces now!

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for all Old South Meeting House updates!
04/17/2020

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for all Old South Meeting House updates!

Take a look at Revolutionary Spaces' blog for a deeper look at the Great Fire of 1872, and how ordinary Bostonians leape...
04/14/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Take a look at Revolutionary Spaces' blog for a deeper look at the Great Fire of 1872, and how ordinary Bostonians leaped to action in the face of that crisis.

And remember to follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates on Old South and the Old State House!

Like all of us, the Old State House and Old South Meeting House have been through their fair share of challenges.

On our blog today, take a deeper look at just one of the many instances when ordinary Bostonians leaped to action in the face of crisis - the Great Fire of 1872.

Wise words from Phillis Wheatley.Remember to follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates in these times of social distan...
03/26/2020

Wise words from Phillis Wheatley.

Remember to follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates in these times of social distancing.

As days and nights start blending together, we turn to the words of Phillis Wheatley. She may have been looking at the Western and Eastern skies between the Old State House - close to the Wheatley family home - and Old South Meeting House - where she attended church every Sunday - when she wrote her poem “A Hymn to the Evening,” with its description of one day’s end and anticipation of the next day’s beginning.

-----

Soon as the sun forsook the eastern main
The pealing thunder shook the heav'nly plain;
Majestic grandeur! From the zephyr's wing,
Exhales the incense of the blooming spring.
Soft purl the streams, the birds renew their notes,
And through the air their mingled music floats.
Through all the heav'ns what beauteous dies are spread!
But the west glories in the deepest red:
So may our breasts with ev'ry virtue glow,
The living temples of our God below!
Fill'd with the praise of him who gives the light,
And draws the sable curtains of the night,
Let placid slumbers sooth each weary mind,
At morn to wake more heav'nly, more refin'd;
So shall the labours of the day begin
More pure, more guarded from the snares of sin.
Night's leaden sceptre seals my drowsy eyes,
Then cease, my song, till fair Aurora rise.

-----

Read more about Phillis Wheatley via the Poetry Foundation & Poetry Magazine. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/phillis-wheatley

Becoming a Revolutionary Spaces member gives you the opportunity to connect with the history and continuing practice of ...
03/24/2020

Becoming a Revolutionary Spaces member gives you the opportunity to connect with the history and continuing practice of democracy through the intertwined stories of two of the nation’s most iconic sites – Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House.

https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/membership/

As we grapple with uncertainty in this pandemic, we're finding new ways to connect in the chaos. Becoming a Revolutionary Spaces member gives you the opportunity to connect with the history and continuing practice of democracy through the intertwined stories of two of the nation’s most iconic sites – Boston’s Old South Meeting House and Old State House.

While we can't be together in person right now, we're exploring new ways to connect virtually, and will roll out new member-exclusive content soon.

Your support is vital in helping us bring people together, and we couldn't do this without you.

https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/membership/

It's lovely to relive In Mo Yang's 2018 #MusicattheMeetingHouse performance. Follow Revolutionary Spaces for more ways t...
03/22/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

It's lovely to relive In Mo Yang's 2018 #MusicattheMeetingHouse performance.

Follow Revolutionary Spaces for more ways to stay connected in these times of social distancing!

In these times of social distancing, it's apparent how much we start to miss the ability to gather together. Though we can't gather in-person, we can still share common experiences, like In Mo Yang's 2018 performance for Music at the Meeting House.

Grab some pancakes and coffee, and listen to these soothing sounds from Old South Meeting House.

Thanks to WGBH Forum Network for helping us relive this moment and stay connected!

03/19/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

#ThrowbackThursday to just a couple of weeks ago when we commemorated the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre.

Watch Mayor Marty Walsh talk about Revolutionary Spaces and Boston's diverse communities.

“Your name Revolutionary Spaces says it all - something that is really important. A revolutionary history isn’t just about the past, it inspires Boston to be a revolution today, for medical treatments that heal people, for leading the fight in social justice.”

Hear more from our mayor Marty Walsh about how Boston’s diverse communities made it the city it is today.

#BostonMassacre250

03/17/2020
WGBH Forum Network

As we adjust to this new normal of social distancing, follow Revolutionary Spaces for updates and digital content related to Old South Meeting House and the Old State House!

"Bostonians were deeply divided in 1770," said Nat Sheidley about the city's reaction after the #BostonMassacre "But they came together in this great hall every March 5th in order to fashion their loss into a powerful sense of shared purpose."

Watch more via Revolutionary Spaces to see what we can learn from history in moments of crisis: https://forum-network.org/lectures/commemorating-250th-anniversary-boston-massacre/

Old South Meeting House and the Old State House will be closed to the public tomorrow through March 31. More info: https...
03/12/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Old South Meeting House and the Old State House will be closed to the public tomorrow through March 31.

More info: https://www.revolutionaryspaces.org/covid19-closure/

🚨 The Old State House and Old South Meeting House will be CLOSED through March 31, and all events in that time period are canceled. Leadership will continue monitoring the situation and reassess closures within the next two weeks.

The primary tool for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 is to promote social distancing. Revolutionary Spaces' work is rooted in bringing people together to learn, explore, and debate at two of our nation's most iconic historic sites. At this time, we cannot continue this work without threatening the well-being of the community to which we belong.

More info below ⬇️

This last week was packed with moving, meaningful, and memorable commemorations of the 250th Anniversary of the Boston M...
03/10/2020

This last week was packed with moving, meaningful, and memorable commemorations of the 250th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre. Remember to follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates!

Credit: Justin Saglio

Join us this Thursday! And follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates and upcoming events!
03/09/2020
Revolutionary Spaces

Join us this Thursday! And follow Revolutionary Spaces for all updates and upcoming events!

Don't worry, we'll post more photos from last week's #BostonMassacre250 excitement soon, but If you just can't get enough interpretation of the Boston Massacre, join us THIS THURSDAY at Old South Meeting House to witness Dr. Joseph Warren's barn-burning 1775 oration, contextualized for today's audience.

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Videos

The Redcoats have landed at Long Wharf!

Scholar Stefan Aguirre Quiroga shares about Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II’s visit to Boston in 1876. Why visit so far from home? Listen to find out!

Exactly one minute after a city-wide moment of silence, staff and visitors at Old South Meeting House were blessed with an impromptu (and tear-jerking) performance of 'Star Spangled Banner' by British A Cappella group Semi-Toned. All of us at OSMH would like to thank you for providing us with such a heartwarming memory for #onebostonday For more on Semi-Toned, visit them on YouTube!

Did you miss hearing our Paul Revere bell ring this afternoon? Here is a short clip from inside our bell tower! #bellsacrosstheland #oldsouthmeetinghouse #visitma #visitboston #bostonglobe #bostondotcom

Would you have known the answer to this Jeopardy question? We think so! If you like game shows, you’ll love ‘The Fife is Right’ this Wednesday! Quizmaster Susan Wilson will challenge two expert panels on the theme of Literary Boston, and the audience will pitch in! For tickets and details: http://fifeisright2015.bpt.me/

The Holiday Jazz Ensemble from NEC rocked it today! Stop by tomorrow for more fun programs during our Holiday Open House www.osmh.org/calendar

Join us on Monday, December 16, at 6:30 pm to relive the daring Boston Tea Party just as it happened in 1773. Early bird ticket rate closes tonight at midnight. The full event will sell out so buy tickets early. http://bostonteaparty2013.bpt.me

Join us for the Boston Tea Party Annual Reenactment on December 16, the historic anniversary of the nation's most famous protest! Tickets on sale now at http://bostonteaparty2013.bpt.me.

A Special Invitation from Paul Revere
A Special Invitation from Paul Revere

Silversmith and Patriot Paul Revere invites YOU to come join Old South Meeting House for a Bell Raising Celebration on Sunday, October 16, at 1 pm. Come see our 1801 Paul Revere bell be lifted to the steeple of the Meeting House.

A Final Ring to Westbiorough, MA
A Final Ring to Westbiorough, MA

Mallory Shane & her mother Mary Batties, both of Westborough, ring the 1801 Paul Revere bell from the back of the the truck that will carry it to Boston. This historic sound is the last time the bell will ring in the town of Westborough. The bell will ring next from the Old South Meeting House steeple in Boston. It'll be on display starting Saturday and will be installed this fall!

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Comments

Photos from last Night's "Orations" are on my FB page and Thank You for a Fun & Educational Evening!
Thanks.🙂
Dr. Benjamin Franklin, born on Milk Street next to the Old South Meeting House, daily posts items from his almanacs, letters, and other writings, and occasionally from the writings of his contemporaries. Of the things he posts, some are rather wise, some are otherwise, but all, in some wise, he hopes are useful; either entertaining or enlightening. Please visit his page. If you see what you like, then "like" what you see. As a publisher of almanacs and newspapers, and a natural philosopher, Dr. Franklin knows that improved circulation is good for his heart!
Good Morning and Happy Friday!!! FYI, I'm in the process of building a model village of Boston from the 1770's. I'm using 3/4" square wooden dowels for the frames of my structures, 1/4" plywood for my walls/floors, thin pine wood for shingles and/or siding, and I'm also using air-dry clay for the exterior environment.
What an amazing venue for my sons USMC commissioning. The staff was fantastic and the location was beautiful. Couldn’t ask for anything more! 5 ⭐️
My family's name was on the wall there. My ancestor Timothy Prout, rented a pew there in 1729. It's a special place in my family's history.
We visited in October and it is very interesting, an important place in American history. See the Posts on our page; Adventures with Penny #NewEnglandRoadTrip