A New Interpretation for the Old State House

FAIN: BK-50058-07

Bostonian Society (Boston, MA 02109-1702)
Rainey Tisdale (Project Director: September 2006 to July 2008)

Consultation that would lead to new interpretive directions for the Old State House, with special attention to the era of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the country.

The Bostonian Society (TBS), Boston's historical society, seeks a grant of $15,000 to support a major change in the interpretation of the Old State House (OSH), Boston. Built in 1713, the OSH is the oldest public building in Boston and was the site of some of the most important events leading to the American Revolution and to the establishment of the United States. For over 125 years, the OSH has functioned as an all-purpose museum of Boston history rather than as an historic site focusing on the building's own unique role in the founding era of the United States. A Consultation Grant from NEH will enable the museum's leadership to seek the advice and original thinking of humanities scholars and other specialists on how best to tell the story of the OSH's central role in American history, while effectively steering some 80,000 - 100,000 visitors through the site annually.