About Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall, near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of Boston National Historical Park and a well known stop on the Freedom Trail. It is sometimes known as "the Cradle of Liberty".
The original Faneuil Hall was built by artist in 1740–1742 in the style of an English country market, with an open ground floor and an assembly room above, and funded by a wealthy Boston merchant, Peter Faneuil.
The grasshopper weathervane is a well known symbol of Boston; see the section "Grasshopper Weathervane", below.
The hall burned down in 1761, but was rebuilt in 1762. In 1806, the hall was greatly expanded by Charles Bulfinch, doubling its height and width and adding a third floor. Four new bays were added, to make seven in all; the open arcades were enclosed; and the cupola was moved to the opposite end of the building. Bulfinch applied Doric brick pilasters to the lower two floors, with Ionic pilasters on the third floor. This renovation added galleries around the assembly hall and increased its height. The building was entirely rebuilt in 1898–1899, of noncombustible materials. The ground floor and basement were altered in 1979. The Hall was restored again in 1992. The building is a National Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fanueil Hall is now part of a larger festival marketplace, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which includes three long granite buildings called North Market, Quincy Market, and South Market, and which now operates as an outdoor–indoor mall and food eatery. It was managed by The Rouse Company; its success in the late 1970s led to the emergence of similar marketplaces in other U.S. cities.
On November 3, 2004, Faneuil Hall was the site of Senator John Kerry's concession speech in the 2004 presidential election.
Though Faneuil is originally French, it is pronounced ['fæn.əl] or ['fænˌ.jəl] rather than [fa.nøj]. Native Bostonians generally pronounce it to rhyme with panel, manual, or Daniel, with the first generally preferred by baby boomer and older residents, and the last fairly common as well. Rhyming it with manual is often heard as well. There is some evidence that it was pronounced quite differently in Colonial times, as in funnel. Peter Faneuil's gravestone is marked "P. Funel", although the inscription was added long after his burial. The stone originally displayed only the Faneuil family crest, not his surname.
The bell was repaired in 2007 by spraying the frozen clapper with WD-40 during the course of a week and attaching a rope. The last known ringing of the bell with its clapper was at the end of World War II, in 1945; it has since been rung several times by striking with a mallet.
The gilded grasshopper weathervane atop Faneuil Hall
The gilded grasshopper weathervane on top of the building was created by silversmith Shem Drowne in 1742 and was modeled on the grasshopper weathervane on the London Royal Exchange, thus associating the new building in the New World with a great center of finance of the Old World.
The weathervane has a total weight of thirty-eight pounds and is fifty-two inches long. Made of solid copper covered with gold leaf, it has glass eyes which are said to have begun life as door-knobs.
The origin of the grasshopper is that it is the family crest of Sir Thomas Gresham, founder of the Royal Exchange in 1565.
During the Revolutionary War, a challenge issued by Colonial soldiers was: "What sits atop Faneuil Hall?" If the swift reply were not, "Why, the grasshopper, of course", there would be trouble.
A History of the Faneuil Hall Grasshopper
Key events in the life of one of Boston's most beloved landmarks:
1742
November 1 - The grasshopper weather vane, built by master craftsman Shem Drowne,
is installed atop Faneuil Hall. Constructed of copper and gold leaf, with glass
doorknobs for eyes, it measures 52 inches long and weighs 38 pounds.
1755
November 18 - An earthquake shakes the weather vane from its perch and it falls
to the ground. It is repaired by Shem Drowne and his son Thomas at their shop on
Ann Street (now North Street) in the North End.
1761
January 13 - A fire at Faneuil Hall damages the weather vane and it is repaired
by Thomas Drowne.
1768
June 28 - Thomas Drowne inserts the following note inside a copper container in
the grasshopper's vest or stomach area: The headline reads "Food for the
Grasshopper" and the note continues "Shem Drowne made it, May 25, 1742. To my
brethren and fellow grasshoppers, Fell in ye year 1753 (1755) Nov. 13, early in
ye morning by a great earthquake by my old Master above. Again, like to have met
with Utter Ruin by Fire, by hopping Timely from my Public Station, came of the
broken bones and much Bruised. Cured and Fixed. Old Master's son Thomas Drowne
June 28, 1768, and Though I will promise to Discharge my office, yet I shall
vary as ye wind."
1805
The grasshopper is refurbished when Faneuil Hall is redesigned and expanded by
architect Charles Bulfinch. The cupola, where the weather vane sits, is moved
from the middle of the building to the East end.
1812
During the War of 1812, the weather vane was used as a lie-detector for
potential British spies. An individual was suspect if he did not know the
identity of the unique item atop Faneuil Hall.
1974
January 4 - The weather vane is stolen, but discovered less than a week later
hidden in the eaves of the cupola under some old flags.
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