FIRST - New England Architect - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 21.496 W 071° 03.794
19T E 330086 N 4691617
Charles Bulfinch is regarded as the first native born, professional, American architect. A memorial plaque to Charles Bulfinch is located in Doric Hall of the Massachusetts State House at 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA.
Waymark Code: WMVMPY
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 05/05/2017
Views: 0
Inside the entrance to Doric Hall is a 60.75" by 33.5" by 2.75" bronze plaque contains the relief portrait of architect Charles Bulfinch. Bulfinch is depicted from mid-chest up wearing a coat that is opened to the collar to reveal a ruffled shirt. The sculpture was created by Herbert Adams and cast at the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company foundry.
Charles Bulfinch's designed his first building, Hollis Street Church in 1788. He went on to design some of the nation's most importand buildings. The inscription on a bronze plaque, below a relief of Charles Bulfinch, contains a short biography and a list of his major accomplishments. The plaque is inscribed:
IN MEMORY OF
CHARLES BULFINCH OF BOSTON
THE FIRST NEW ENGLAND ARCHITECT
BORN 1762 DIED 1844
EDUCATED AT HARVARD COLLEGE
AND BY FOREIGN TRAVEL
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN
FROM 1797 TO 1818
A PERIOD OF GREAT IMPROVEMENTS
FROM 1818 TO 1830
THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
AT WASHINGTON
AMONG HIS IMPORTANT DESIGNS WERE
THE FIRST THEATRE IN BOSTON 1793
THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE 1795
THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH IN BOSTON 1803
FANEUIL HALL ENLARGED 1805
UNIVERSITY HALL AT HARVARD COLLEGE 1814
THE MCLEAN ASYLUM AT SOMERVILLE
1792 AND 1817 AND THE
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL 1818
A GRAVE MODEST JUST AND CHEERFUL MAN/
OF SIMPLE HABITS CLEAR INTELLIGENT
HIGH PRINCIPLES AND GENTLE JUDGMENTS
The Massachusetts State House is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. All visitors must enter through the General Hooker entrance.
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