The State House, for the business of the Legislature of the commonwealth, was built in 1798, and has been recently greatly extended. It stands on the highest land in the city,—what remains of the old Trimountaine summits,—and has a gilded dome, fountains, and statues on its lawn, with statues, busts, paintings, and trophies within. The edifice looks nobly down upon the "Common," so dear to the citizens of Boston. This park came with the original purchase from Mr Blaxton, and encloses 48 acres, with malls all round it, a pond, a fountain, a soldiers' monument, a deer park, and about 1300 trees. An Act of the Legislature of 1875 protects it from being encroached upon in any way by the municipal authorities without a vote of the majority of the citizens. To the State also belong a court-house and some of the newly reclaimed territory on the South Bay. To the county of Suffolk belong a jail, and court-houses, municipal and probate. The State prison is in Charlestown district.
To the city, besides the school-houses,—which bear the names of honoured citizens for many generations, and of ex-mayors,—belong a large number of structures and appliances:—the Old State House, so called, built for the British authorities in 1712,—the oldest public building now standing in the city, Christ Church, dedicated in 1723, coming next to it; Faneuil Hall, famous for its patriotic oratory, originally the gift of Peter Faneuil in 1743, used for “town meetings,” and enlarged in 1806; extensive market-houses; the City Hall; the Public Library; bath-houses; engine-houses and armories; the Public Garden on the new territory, highly ornamented, enclosing more than 24 acres, with a pond; city stables, &c.
Statues in public places:—in bronze, a fine equestrian statue of Washington, and those of Dr Franklin, born in Boston, January 17, 1706,—of Daniel Webster, Horace Mann, and Edward Everett; of marble or granite, Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Governor Andrew, Columbus, Aristides, soldiers in the war of secession, and the monument commemorating the introduction of the use of ether as an anæsthetic, first applied in the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Boston is fringed with substantial wharves on all its water margins, for the most part covered with massive warehouses. Horse railroads, or tramways, make easy connections within its own limits, and with the suburbs. Steam roads open communication with the whole continent, in every landward direction. Successive experiments have been tried with the various materials and methods for paving the streets, and constructing side-walks. The streets of the town were first named in 1708. The first map of the town, that of Bonner, was made in 1722. Overseers of the poor were first chosen in 1691. The superintendent of lamps has charge of 7664 gas, and 976 fluid, burners. The cost of gas to the city, for 1874, was $275,064·35. There are seventeen police-station houses and lock-ups; the expense of that department was $683,892·78; of the health department, $446,877·08; of the fire department, $671,511·13; of the City Hospital, $111,198·31; of penal and pauper institutions, $405,903·40. The cost of street widenings and extensions from 1822 to 1874 was $21,739,983·13; and in 1873-74, $6,403,413·76, reduced by “betterments,” $283,697·50; tax assessed in 1874, $9,022,187·17 The revenue of the city was $23,633,874·06. There had been in the town and original city eleven burial-places. Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, five miles distant, enclosing 125 acres, was put to use in 1831. There have been more than 19,000 interments in it. Five other suburban cemeteries are now provided, and interments in the city are prohibited.
The Public Library, as an institution of the city, was fostered by an enterprise initiated by M. Vattemare, in securing a gift of books from the city of Paris, in 1843. Acts of the Legislature, renewed and extended from 1848 to 1857, aided by the efforts of individual citizens and meetings of committees, with free and conditional gifts of money and of books, kept the object steadily in view. In 1852 Mr Joshua Bates, born in Massachusetts, then of the firm of the Messrs Baring, of London, made a gift to the city for the purpose of a library, of $50,000, subsequently adding various donations of books. The main hall of the library building bears his name, in commemoration of his munificence. The present spacious and solid structure, which, however, already needs a second enlargement, was inaugurated for its uses, on January 1, 1858, with an address by Edward Everett. It cost, with the land, $365,000. Large donations of money and of private libraries have since accrued from living benefactors, and by bequests. The names of Ex-Mayor Bigelow, of Abbot Lawrence, and Jonathan Phillips deserve mention for their pecuniary gifts; while the libraries of Theodore Parker, Edward Everett, and George Ticknor have furnished most valuable acquisitions. Here is deposited the Prince Library, belonging to the Old South Religious Society. The unique and rich collection, known as the Barton Library, of 12,000 volumes, including the magnificent Shakspearian treasures, was obtained in 1873. The edifice has been once enlarged, with efforts to render it fireproof, and additional ground has been purchased at a cost of $70,000. The expense of its maintenance and care, in 1874, was $135,000. There are employed in it 103 persons. The number of volumes is about 280,000, besides pamphlets, MSS., and valuable collections of engravings, including the Tosti, so called. Branch libraries are established for the convenience of the citizens, in South and East Boston, Dorchester, Roxbury, Brighton, and Charlestown; and a system of other local deliveries has been initiated.
Of churches and places of worship in Boston, there are 163 for Protestants, 26 for Roman Catholics, and 3 Jewish synagogues. The Roman Catholics have a cathedral which will seat more than 4000. The Unitarians have the largest number of Protestant churches. There are 112 public halls, which serve very miscellaneous uses of worship, debate, lecturing, society meetings, and amusement.
Literary, learned, scientific, benevolent, and secret societies, represented by their own edifices, halls, libraries, and collections, are very numerous, and well sustained. Among these may be mentioned the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the Massachusetts Historical Society; the Boston Athenæum, with a very extensive library, paintings, and statuary; the New England Historic Genealogical Society; the Masonic Temple; the Odd Fellows' Hall; the Mechanics' Association; the Mercantile Library Association; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the Boston College (Roman Catholic); the Boston University (Methodist); Young Men's Christian Union; Young Men's Christian Association, with a sectarian condition; Young Women's Christian Association; the Natural History Society; the Horticultural Society; the Marine Society; the Boston Library Society; the Music Hall, with its great organ; the Harvard Medical School, and Warren Museum; the State Library; the Law Library; the General Theological Library; the Art Museum, &c. There are four theatres in the city,—the Boston, the Globe, the Howard, and the Museum.
