Boston National Historical Park | OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE

Old South Meeting House on Washington Street in Boston

Old South Meeting House on Washington Street in Boston


See the Churches web page for an interactive location map.


LOCATION

310 Washington Street

MANAGEMENT

The Old South Meeting House, part of Boston National Historical Park, is owned and operated by Revolutionary Spaces, the same organization that runs the Old State House.

OPERATING HOURS AND FEES

The Old South Meeting House is typically open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM, except when closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Day.

The Old South Meeting House requires a paid ticket to enter ($15 / adult at the time of this writing). The ticket price also gets you into the Old State House.

See the Revolutionary Spaces website for the latest fees and current operating hours.

VISITING THE OLD SOUTH MEETING HOUSE

Guests are welcome to explore the interior of The Old South Meeting House on their own (no tours are given for individuals, but Revolutionary Spaces does offer Group Tours). There is an Architectural Guide available that points out the interesting features of the building. However, the bulk of a visit will be spent browsing through the Voices of Protest, an exhibit that covers The Old South Meeting House’s role in free speech issues throughout the history of the United States. See the Voices of Protest web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

MEETING HOUSE HISTORY

Built in 1729, The Old South Meeting House originated as a Puritan church. It was the largest building in Boston at the time, and because the Puritans did not believe that buildings were sacred, they allowed it to be used for public meetings. Faneuil Hall was usually the first choice, but if the expected crowds were too large, the venue was often changed to The Old South Meeting House.

The Old South Meeting House’s claim to fame is that it was used as the overflow meeting place—overflow from Faneuil Hall—on December 16, 1773, for a discussion on what to do with three ships loaded with English tea that were docked at Griffin’s Wharf on Boston Harbor. After the meeting, the infamous Boston Tea Party took place; the men who supposedly participated in the protest left directly from here after the meeting.

The Third Church, the name of an early Puritan congregation in Boston, first built a wooden meeting house on this site around 1680. When members decided to build a larger space in 1729, they wanted the building to be fashionable so they chose a design similar to the Anglican churches. However, the interior differs in that it has a short center aisle that leads to a pulpit—there is no alter—while the Anglican churches have a long center aisle that leads to an alter.

Short aisle leads to the pulpit of the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Short aisle leads to the pulpit of the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Like many churches of the time, pews were rented by members of the congregation—the better the seat, the higher the price. To help eliminate cold air drafts, a box-style of pew was used. This not only allowed people to cuddle together with blankets, but they could also bring coal-fired feet warmers with them. Over the years the pews were removed and rearranged. The current pews were built during a 1947 renovation; the configuration is based on an early architectural drawing.

Box pews in Boston's Old South Meeting House

Box pews in Boston’s Old South Meeting House

The British heavily damaged the church’s interior during the American Revolution, turning it into a riding school, so after the war the entire building had to be renovated. Only two of the original pews remain, one in its entirely and a second that was repaired using pieces of broken pews that were still on site.

One of the original pews at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

One of the original pews at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Those who could not afford to rent a lower level pew had to sit in the upstairs balcony. Prior to 1781, those who sat upstairs included slaves. In 1781, slavery was abolished in Massachusetts.

Lower-level pews and balcony seating in Boston's Old South Meeting House

Lower-level pews and balcony seating in Boston’s Old South Meeting House

The sounding board above the pulpit, which was used to help amplify the voice of the person speaking, was built in 1808, while the pulpit itself is from 1857.

Sounding board and pulpit at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Sounding board and pulpit at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

The two most notable features of the building’s exterior are the clock and bell tower. The clock was built by Gawen Brown and installed in 1770, having been paid for by the city of Boston. It still functions today, needing only a weekly winding by hand.

A bell was hung when the church was first built, and it lasted until 1815 before cracking (ironically, the King’s Chapel bell cracked in 1816). A replacement was hung in 1816, but this was removed when the Old South congregation moved to a new location in the early 1870s. After that, the bell tower stood empty for over one hundred years. As luck would have it, a bell made by Paul Revere in 1801 still existed in Westborough, Massachusetts. The last congregation that was using it closed its doors in 2007. No longer needing the bell, the church donated it to the Old South Meeting House, and it was installed in October 2011.

Clock and bell tower of the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Clock and bell tower of the Old South Meeting House in Boston

In the early 1870s, the Old South congregation decided to sell the building and move to a new location. It was initially leased to the United States government and used as a post office, then put up for a demolition auction in June 1876. It was actually in the process of being torn down when a group of influential Bostonians, including Wendell Phillips, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Longfellow, and Louisa May Alcott, were able to raise $400,000 from public donations to purchase the lot and building. The public response was largely due to the centennial of the American Revolution, which bolstered a wave of historical preservation. The Old South Association was formed to manage and maintain the property.

In 1877, the building was reopened as an American history museum and meeting place. There was an emphasis on citizenship, education, and debate. Town hall-style meetings are still held today. The facility is willing to host any speaker, regardless of controversy, as long as the event is free, educational, sponsored by a non-profit or community organization, and open to the public. For those who qualify, normal rental fees are waived, but operational costs must still be paid (staffing, security, sound equipment, etc.). For all other events, including weddings, the hall is available at regular rental rates.

In January 2020, The Old South Association merged with the Bostonian Society, the group that owned the Old State House, to form Revolutionary Spaces. This organization now oversees both properties.

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Only the main floor of the Old South Meeting House is open to the public, and taking a look around the church won’t take up much of your time. The bulk of a visit is spent reading through the exhibits in the Voices of Protest. As with any exhibit, most people take a quick look around and are back out on the street in fifteen minutes. I read everything, plus took photos of the church, and was done in exactly an hour.

Visitors at the Voices of Protest exhibit at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

Visitors at the Voices of Protest exhibit at the Old South Meeting House in Boston

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Last updated on January 31, 2024
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