The Boston National Historic Park actually consists of a number of related attractions along the Freedom Trail. We didn't walk the Freedom Trail today - we have before, though, and undoubtedly will again - but merely visited the Visitor's Center. Which, honestly, isn't the highlight; I was surprised at how sparse the bookstore was. But, we do now have our passport stamped.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
38) Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters
Visited: Sunday, June 19th, 2011
For Father's Day, we went to the Longfellow House, which isn't easy to park near but which was well worth the walk. It's unusual among the historic sites we've visited, in that the furnishings all date back to Longfellow; the preservation of the house began early, and this has left the house feeling very much like a step into history. The split history of the house - the original owner, a British sugar plantation owner who fled prior to the revolution, followed by a brief stint as Washington's headquarters, followed later by Longfellow - makes for a somewhat schizophrenic tour, but appropriately so as it's clear that the house's place in history was part of the draw for Longfellow, and was actively enhanced (with a bust, paintings, and the like) during his ownership.
One nice aspect of the house is the preservation of open space in Cambridge; there are no houses between the Longfellow House and the Charles. On the front lawn, they have set up era-appropriate amusements, which really caught Ethan's attention.
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