Andover Historical Society – 2011 Auction - Take 2!
Auction Ends: Dec 11, 2011 08:00 PM EST

Unique Experiences

Patriotic Package: Statehouse Tour & Flag

Item Number
129
Estimated Value
Priceless
Sold
100 USD to tonyve
Number of Bids
3  -  Bid History

Item Description

You are bidding on a personalized tour for two of the Massachusetts Statehouse by Andover's own Doric Docent Joe Ponti and  a United States flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol building.  The flag comes with a presentation certificate signed by Senator Nikki Tsongas.

This is a very informative, amusing and fun tour of the Statehouse in Boston. A luncheon at the 21st Amendment Resturant on Bowdoin Street is included. Guaranteed to please!

In 1713 the seat of the Massachusetts government was the old State House at the corner of Cornhill (now Washington street) and State street (formerly King street). After the American Revolution, state leaders wanted a larger and more elegant home to better reflect the prosperous new republic, spacious enough to accommodate an expanding government.  They selected a superb site for the new State House close to the summit of the south side of Beacon Hill, overlooking Boston Common and the Back Bay. The land had originally served as a cow pasture for the Revolutionary patriot and governor John Hancock.

A young native-born architect, Charles Bulfinch, was chosen to design the building. Bulfinch was a public-minded citizen who had served Boston as a selectman; the many buildings he designed in Boston made a strong mark on the character of the city. He later contributed to the plans of the Capitol in Washington.

The Bulfinch State House was completed on January 11, 1798 and was widely acclaimed as one of the more magnificent and well-situated buildings in the country. Its dome dominated the Boston skyline until the advent of the skyscraper.

Item Special Note

Tour will be coordinated with tour guide Joseph Ponti for a mutually agreed upon day and time.

Donated By:

Joe & Louise Ponti

Senator Nikki Tsongas