208 Washington Street
Owner/Developer: The Bostonian Society
Architect: Tellalian Associates Architects & Planners, LLC
General Contractor: Lee Kennedy Co., Inc.
Historic Specialist: Preservation Technology Associates, Inc.

Built in 1713, the Old State House is the oldest surviving public building in Boston and was the center of Boston’s civic life throughout the eighteenth century.  It is here that historical figures such as Samuel Adams, John Hancock and John Adams debated the future of the British Colonies.  The Boston Massacre took place on its east steps, and in 1776 the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed from its balcony.  As the site of such significant events it has become a prominent symbol of America’s independence.

In the era of its construction, the State House tower was one of the highest points in Boston and was a grand spot to watch ships entering and leaving the harbor.  But after nearly three hundred years of harsh New England winters it was in dire need of repair.  During storms, water streamed in through rotted wood siding and seeped down to the lower floors.  The workings of the still-functioning 1831 Simon Willard clock, the face of which is located between the lion and unicorn of the east façade, was threatened.

During the summer of 2008 The Bostonian Society, Tellalian Associates Architects, Lee Kennedy Co., and Preservation Technology Associates collaborated to under- stand and restore the structure.   During the course of the work the Old State House Museum remained open to the public, as did the MBTA station beneath the building, adding greater complexity to the project.  The construction team re-gilded the gold dome and original weather vane, repaired and re-glazed the windows, applied new copper roofing, repaired and replaced wood balusters and siding, and made the tower watertight.  Restoring the tower to its original condition was a critical project in the broader project to keep the Old State House’s its historical character intact.

Photo courtesy of Patty Kelliher