Twice per year, our doctors want to see us (even though we think once per year would be sufficient...Oh, well). So, this time, after paying our taxes, we returned to the Boston area for our biannual check-ups.
Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts. Both Lori and I grew up in the greater Boston metropolitan area (Lori 23 miles south in Norwood, and I grew up in Melrose, almost ten miles north). Founded on what was known as the Shawmut peninsula in 1630, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. It's Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile long walking route encompassing some of the most important historical sites in the city. Early settlers originally called this area "Trimountain" after the three mountains surrounding the city (only traces of them remain). It was renamed "Boston" by the Puritans who had moved over from neighboring Charlestown in search of fresh water. Later on, many of the crucial events of the American Revolution occurred in Boston ( or nearby); "The Boston Massacre", "the Boston Tea Party," "Paul Revere's Ride," " the Battle of Lexington/Concord," and "the Battle of Bunker Hill." The first public school in the United States (Boston Latin) was founded here in 1635. The first public park in America (Boston Common) and the first subway system ( Tremont Street Railway) were also developed here. Its close connections with seafaring trade made Boston one of the wealthiest industrial ports in the world, until the "Embargo Act" of 1807 and the War of 1812 saw much of that wealth move elsewhere. There are over one hundred colleges and universities (some of them the best in the world) are located in the greater metropolitan area of Boston; these include Harvard (the oldest in the country), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts, Boston University, Brandeis, Northeastern University, and Boston College).
"Disclaimer" - Because of varying weather conditions during our stay in the Boston area, which made photography difficult, we had to resort to using some pictures taken from the Internet .
Built in 1713 (making it one of the oldest public buildings in the U.S.) , the Old State House was the site of the Massachusetts General Court until 1798. On the corners of the roof-line are a pair of seven-foot tall wooden statues of a Lion and Unicorn", symbols of the British Monarchy during the Colonial era. We saw these same symbols many times during our travels through the British Isles.
Fenway Park (as seen from the Prudential Tower) has been home to the Boston Red Sox since 1912 and is the oldest park in Major League Baseball
Norwood
During this current visit to Boston, we stayed in Norwood, Massachusetts, Lori's hometown. Settled by Ezra Morse in 1678, as part of Dedham, it was not incorporated as a separate entity until 1872. Prior to its settlement as a European community, this area was a favorite hunting ground for local Native Americans. One of its many historical sites is the Oak View Mansion, built by Francis Olney Winslow between 1870 and1873. Among the many prominent figures that socialized at the mansion were Presidents William Howard Taft and Calvin Coolidge, Russian composer Sergi Rachmaninov, artist John Singer Sargent, and jurist Oliver Wndell Holmes. In more recent times, Norwood has been noted for being home to "The Automile" along Route One, founded by automobile magnate, Ernie Boch.
Fifty years ago, Lori and I got married here in St. Catherine of Sienna church opposite City Hall.