British Lion - Old Statehouse - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 42° 21.553 W 071° 03.485
19T E 330513 N 4691712
On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed from here. Later that day, the lion and unicorn were taken down from the roof of the building and burned in a great bonfire in Dock Square. They were restored in 1882.
Waymark Code: WM797W
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2009
Views: 29
The British Lion and the Scottish Unicorn are depicted supporting a central shield on the official coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The lion as a British symbol goes back at least 800 years to the time of King Richard I, the Lionhearted.
From the Boston Historical Society (
visit link)
The Old State House, the oldest surviving public building in Boston, was built in 1713 to house the government offices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It stands on the site of Boston's first Town House of 1657-8, which burned in 1711.
The Council Chamber of the Royal Governor was located upstairs at the east end of the building, looking toward Long Wharf and the harbor. This room was the setting for many stirring speeches and debates by dedicated patriots against the British crown.
Official proclamations were read from the Old State House balcony, on the east side of the building, looking down State (formerly King) Street. The area beneath the balcony was the site of the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, when a handful of British soldiers fired into a taunting crowd, killing five men. Today a circle of paving stones marks the spot of the Massacre.
On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was first proclaimed from here, to the jubilant citizens of Boston. Later that day, the lion and unicorn, along with other symbols of royal authority, were taken down from the roof of the building and burned in a great bonfire in Dock Square.
In 1881 the Bostonian Society was founded to preserve the building. The City of Boston agreed to restore the Old State House to a more historic appearance, and leased the upstairs to the Society for use as a museum.
In 1882 restoration was completed under City Architect George Clough and Councilman William Whitmore (the Society's first president). The lion and unicorn are returned to east facade.