In the heart of downtown Boston, a red brick building stands humbly among the glass skyscrapers and bustling streets. But don‘t let its modest appearance fool you. The Old South Meeting House is one of the most historically significant sites in America, an icon of the struggle for freedom that gave birth to a new nation.
Puritan Beginnings
The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 as a Puritan meeting house, home to the Third Church congregation founded by Samuel Sewall and other prominent Bostonians. The Georgian style building features a two-story brick facade, large multi-paned arched windows, a Palladian window above the entrance, and a 180-foot steeple that was once the tallest structure in Boston.
Inside, the meeting house originally had a high pulpit, side galleries, and box pews that could seat up to 5,000 people, making it the largest gathering place in colonial Boston. The building was expanded in 1730 and extensively renovated in 1783 after suffering damage during the American Revolution.
Cradle of Resistance
But the Old South Meeting House was much more than a place of worship. In the increasingly turbulent years leading up to the Revolutionary War, it became the epicenter of colonial resistance to British authority.
As relations between the colonies and the Crown deteriorated, large public meetings protesting unpopular British policies were often held at the Old South Meeting House, since it could accommodate thousands more people than Boston‘s Town House (now the Old State House). In these crowded, raucous meetings, prominent figures like James Otis, Samuel Adams, and Dr. Joseph Warren delivered fiery speeches condemning British tyranny and advocating for the rights of the colonies.
Some of the most consequential gatherings at the Old South Meeting House included:
-
August 14, 1765: A meeting to protest the Stamp Act, where an effigy of the stamp distributor Andrew Oliver was hung from the Liberty Tree and later burned, forcing him to resign.
-
June 14-15, 1768: A meeting to oppose the seizure of John Hancock‘s ship Liberty by British customs officials, denouncing the incident as another example of "taxation without representation."
-
March 6, 1770: A massive meeting the day after the Boston Massacre, where over 5,000 outraged citizens listened to impassioned speeches and passed resolutions demanding the removal of British troops from Boston.
-
November 2, 1772: A meeting of the Boston Committee of Correspondence to organize resistance to the Crown across the colonies, establishing a crucial communication network in the years before the war.
But the most famous meeting of all took place on December 16, 1773. Over 5,000 angry Bostonians packed into the Old South Meeting House to debate the controversial Tea Act and demand that the East India Company ships in the harbor leave without unloading their cargo. When the ship owners refused, Samuel Adams finally declared, "This meeting can do nothing more to save the country!"
This statement acted as a secret signal to the Sons of Liberty, and dozens of men disguised as Native Americans marched down to Griffin‘s Wharf, where they dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. The Boston Tea Party, as it came to be known, was a pivotal act of defiance that soon led to open warfare between the colonies and Britain.
As Benjamin Franklin recalled years later: "The Old South Meeting-House was so spacious, that it often contained a greater number, who could be well enough heard. For so numerous an assembly however, it was not a proper place, as there were no seats, excepting a few for the elderly and infirm. The house indeed was crowded with standing standers, as we called them; and these thoughtless, and impatient of remaining long in one place, were continually pushing and shoving one another; which made it both fatiguing and dangerous to be among them."
Trials and Triumphs
As a hotbed of sedition, the Old South Meeting House paid a heavy price once war broke out and the British occupied Boston in 1775. The Redcoats gutted the interior and used the building as a horse riding arena, filling the sanctuary with dirt and gravel. All the original wood was stolen for firewood, and the east galleries were torn down to supply materials for fortifications.
But the Old South Meeting House persevered, much like the new American nation. It was restored in 1783 and saw illustrious speakers like the Marquis de Lafayette and Daniel Webster grace its halls in the early 19th century. In 1872, the building miraculously survived the Great Boston Fire, which destroyed many of the surrounding blocks.
As the neighborhood changed and church membership dwindled, the Old South congregation decided to move to a new location in 1874 and put the old meeting house up for sale. The building was in danger of demolition until a group of concerned Bostonians formed the Old South Preservation Committee and raised $400,000 to purchase it, a staggering sum at the time.
In the 20th century, the Old South Meeting House evolved into a museum, historic site, educational center, and most importantly, a space for free speech and dialogue on the vital issues facing society, hosting lectures by luminaries like Booker T. Washington and serving as the backdrop for rallies supporting women‘s suffrage, civil rights, and the anti-war movement.
Enduring Symbol
Today, the Old South Meeting House welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually as one of the most popular stops on Boston‘s Freedom Trail. The current exhibit "Voices of Protest" examines the role of the meeting house in the American Revolution and the ongoing struggles for freedom and justice that continue to this day.
Visitors can take guided tours, attend reenactments and lectures, view rare artifacts, and walk in the footsteps of the Founding Fathers. The Old South Meeting House is open daily from 10am-5pm (until 6pm in the summer) and admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors/students, and $1 for children.
Over 250 years after the Boston Tea Party, the Old South Meeting House remains an enduring symbol of civic engagement, free expression, and the power of ordinary people to change the course of history. Its long legacy is perhaps best summed up by the words of philosopher and education reformer John Dewey, who spoke at the building‘s rededication in 1877:
"What a glorious morning this is! What a blessed thing that this old house is preserved! There is no spot in the country which has played a more important part in our history. But it is not merely a monument to the past. It is a living institution today, inspiring us in the present and for the future. For the struggle for human freedom never stays won; it must be rewon in every generation."
Key Facts and Figures
- Built: 1729
- Location: Corner of Washington and Milk Streets, Boston, MA
- Architectural Style: Georgian
- Seating Capacity: 5,000 people (18th century)
- Boston Tea Party: December 16, 1773 (342 chests of tea dumped)
- Restored: 1783
- Established as Museum: 1877
- Designated National Historic Landmark: 1960
- Annual Visitors: 100,000+
