Audio
IMAGE AND TEXT: Boston Common and State House
Transcript
IMAGE and TEXT: Boston Common and State House
DESCRIPTION: This is a photograph of the Massachusetts State House taken from across the street. This photograph reveals a red brick, federal style building with two main stories, supporting a smaller third story, which is approximately one third of the length of the bottom two stories, and rests immediately in the center of the building. This smaller third story provides a base for a brick pediment, outlined in a white trim, which provides the base for a large gold dome. On top of the dome rests a small cupola, which appears to be made of white wood and adorned with gold decoration. On the top of the cupola is a small pine cone, to represent the state symbol.
If the viewer were looking at the building from a birds eye view, it would reveal the bottom two stories are not perfectly rectangular. Rather, it would appear as if there were a larger rectangle serving as the actual building, with another rectangle protruding from the front center two thirds of the building. This additional rectangle provides a covered entryway and a balcony. On the first floor, this covered entryway is marked by brick arches, evenly spaced throughout the front, center, two thirds of the building. Each of these arches have a white adornment at the keystone, and thin, white imposts connecting them. Just above this covered archway is a balcony, where there are white columns supporting the roof. On each side, the first two series of columns are placed in pairs that are very close together. The center four columns are free standing. There are five rectangular windows visible in the center of the building, evenly spaced, and are framed on either side of this portion of the building by two white doors leading inside.
There are windows visible on the portions of the first and second stories that are excluded from the entryway. Because the photograph is taken slightly off center, there are two rectangular windows visible on the left side of the first floor, and three rectangular windows visible on the right side of the first floor. On the second floor, there are two windows in the shape of an arch on the left side, and three windows in the shape of an arch on the right side.
On the smaller third floor, there are five rectangular windows, evenly spaced, all of which are framed with adornments shaped like the columns along the entryway. They however have no structural purpose, other than decoration. There also appears to be a small white fence along the top of the building. The pediment just above these windows is constructed in plain red brick, and is framed in an ornamental molding. The photograph was taken on a sunny day and the dome of the State House is framed by dark green leaves from a tree on the same side of the street as the photographer.
CREDIT: NPS/James Higgins
RELATED TEXT: Freedom Trail begins at Boston Common where cattle once grazed and British soldiers camped. Puritan settlers established the Common in 1634, making it the nation’s oldest public park. Charles Bulfinch designed the Massachusetts State House, which overlooks the Common. Samuel Adams and Paul Revere laid the cornerstone in 1795. The memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment, opposite the State House, marks the start of the Black Heritage Trail®, a feature of the Museum of African American History and Boston African American National Historic Site.
Description
Audio description of text and relevant image of the Phillips School and surrounding streets as depicted in this brochure.
Duration
3 minutes, 33 seconds
Credit
UniDescription/Gould and Pollock
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