Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall (/ˈfænjəl/ or /ˈfænəl/; previously /ˈfʌnəl/) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742,[2] it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain. It is now part of Boston National Historical Park and a well-known stop on the Freedom Trail. It is sometimes referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty,"[3] though the building and location have ties to slavery.[4]
Location
1742
John Smibert; Charles Bulfinch
October 15, 1966
October 9, 1960
In 2008, Faneuil Hall was rated number 4 in "America's 25 Most Visited Tourist Sites" by Forbes Traveler.[5]
History[edit]
Eighteenth century[edit]
After the project of erecting a public market house in Boston had been discussed for some years, colonial merchant and slave trader Peter Faneuil offered, at a public meeting in 1740, to build a suitable edifice at his own cost as a gift to the town. There was a strong opposition to market houses, and although a vote of thanks was passed unanimously, his offer was accepted by a majority of only seven (367 to 360). Funded in part by profits from slave trading,[6] the building was begun in Dock Square in September of the same year.[7] It was built by artist John Smibert in 1740–1742 in the style of an English country market, with an open ground floor serving as the market house, and an assembly room above. According to Sean Hennessey, a National Park Service spokesman, some of Boston's early slave auctions took place near Faneuil Hall.[8]
In 1761, the hall was destroyed by fire, with nothing but the brick walls remaining. It was rebuilt by the town in 1762. In 1775, during the British occupation of Boston, it was used for a theatre.[7]
Uses[edit]
On Friday in early August 1890, one of the first black Republican legislators of Boston, Julius Caesar Chappelle, made a speech "At the Cradle of Liberty" in support of the Federal Elections bill that would help give Black people the right to vote. Chappelle was a Boston legislator from 1883 to 1886. The Faneuil Hall event was covered by the media in the United States, and the speech by Chappelle appeared in an August 9, 1890, article, "At the Cradle of Liberty, Enthusiastic Endorsement of the Elections Bill, Faneuil Hall again Filled with Liberty Loving Bostonians to Urge a Free Ballot and Fare Count" on the front page of The New York Age newspaper on Saturday, August 9, 1890.[13]
On November 7, 1979, Faneuil Hall was the site of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's speech declaring his candidacy for president.[14] On November 3, 2004, Faneuil Hall was the site of Senator John Kerry's concession speech in the 2004 presidential election.
On April 11, 2006, Governor Mitt Romney signed Massachusetts' health care bill into law with a fife and drum band in Faneuil Hall before 300 ticketed guests.[15]
On October 30, 2013, President Barack Obama delivered a defense of the Affordable Care Act from the same spot where Romney signed his state's expansion of healthcare in 2006.[16]
On November 2, 2014, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino lay in state in Faneuil Hall following his death on October 30, 2014.[17]
The headquarters of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts has been in Faneuil Hall since 1746, currently on the 4th floor.
It is also still used for political debates between Massachusetts candidates as well as political shows, such as The O'Reilly Factor.
Name[edit]
Faneuil is a French name, and is anglicized as /ˈfænəl/ or /ˈfænjəl/ (rhyming with panel or Daniel). During the colonial era, it may have been pronounced as in funnel. At Peter Faneuil's burial, only the Faneuil family crest was displayed on his headstone; its current inscription of "P. Funel" was added much later. In his 1825 novel Lionel Lincoln, James Fenimore Cooper used eye dialect for Bostonian characters to indicate that they pronounced it Funnel Hall.[18]
Boston area locals often use the term Faneuil to refer to the entire surrounding neighborhood, particularly as a landmark for its vibrant nightlife.[19]
In August 2017, amid heightened media coverage of the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials, the activist group New Democracy Coalition proposed that Faneuil Hall's name be changed because of Peter Faneuil's participation in the slave trade.[20] In response to the proposal, Boston mayor Marty Walsh stated: "We are not going to change the name of Faneuil Hall".[21] Additional name change protests have followed, including activists chaining themselves to the front door and a sit-in.[22][23]
Building elements[edit]
Bell[edit]
After a sixty-two year hiatus, the hall's bell began ringing again in 2007 when a stuck clapper was freed and lubricated and new bellrope attached to the bell. Its last known ringing with its clapper had been at the end of World War II in 1945 (though it had been rung several times after that with a mallet).[24]
Grasshopper weather vane[edit]
The gilded grasshopper weather vane on top of the building was created by Deacon Shem Drowne in 1742. Gilded with gold leaf, it weighs 80 pounds (36 kg), is 4 feet (1.2 m) long,[25] and is believed to be modeled after that of the London Royal Exchange, itself based upon the family crest of Thomas Gresham.[26][27]
1789 engraving of Faneuil Hall
1839 engraving of Faneuil Hall
The Great Hall
1798 eagle statue in the building's interior
The building's exterior in 2020
Notes
Further reading