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Castillo de San Marcos
In the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida, lays Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest fort in the country. It was built from 1672 to 1695 by Cuban workers. Castillo de San Marcos is made from coquina. Coquina means “small shells” in Spanish. It is composed of old shells that formed limestone. In 1861, when Florida seceded from the Union, the Confederacy -
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army took control of the fort using no force or bullets. A couple of months later, Union armies retook the fort without firing a single shot due to St. Augustine city officials willing to surrender to preserve the city. In the late 19th Century, many Apache prisoners were sent to the fort, including many of Geronimo’s band. In 1933, the fort became a National Park. -
Boston Old State House
On March 5th, 1770, in Boston, Massachusetts one of the most famous Revolutionary War events took place. The Boston Massacre killed five people. The site of the massacre was the Old State House of Boston. Built in 1713, it served as the state’s legislature until 1798. It is the oldest public building in Boston. Colonel Thomas Crafts read the Declaration of Independence -
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to a very lively crown in July of 1776. Today it is a National Historic Landmark and is a museum. It also was slightly destroyed by Hurricane Wilma in 2005. -
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, were marching on foot, Newman would light one lamp. If the Redcoats were on water, he would light two. Newman faintly lit two lamps for only a brief minute and escaped quickly, to avoid any arrest. Paul Revere, the local silversmith, rode on horseback through town warning people that British were coming to invade. This started the American Revolution. -
Old North Church
The Christ Church in the City of Boston, better known as Old North Church, was built in 1723. It is one of the most iconic and important buildings of the American Revolution. On April 18th, 1775, Robert Newman, the caretaker, climbed up to the steeple to light a lamp. The famous quote, “One if by land, two if by sea” means if the British army, also called Redcoats -
Faneuil Hall
Located near the waterfront of Boston is Faneuil Hall. It served as the marketplace and a meeting place in the 18th century. On the bottom floor was the marketplace and the second floor was the discussion floor. Samuel Adams and other patriots led passionate speeches at Faneuil Hall -
Faneuil Hall
. It was built in 1740 with Georgian style architecture. Today it serves as a marketplace still with many tiny shops around it. It is a National Historical Site and over 12 million people visit there every year. -
Independence Hall
Philadelphia is the most common city associated with the American Revolution. Perhaps the most famous building in Philadelphia is Independence Hall. Independence Hall was completed in 1753. It is most commonly known for being the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Constitutional Convention was held in 1787. The famous Liberty Bell was hung in the bell -
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tower originally until it cracked and was moved to Liberty Bell Center, just across the street. In the bell tower now the Bicentennial Bell is hung. It was given to the United States in 1976 from Queen Elizabeth II of England. It is now a National Historic Site and can be found on the back of the one hundred dollar bill. It remains one of the many symbols of freedom. -
Mount Vernon
In my humble opinion, the most famous American to ever live was George Washington: Revolutionary War hero, the first president of the United States of America, and one of the Founding Fathers. George Washington was born near Alexandria, Virginia at a place named Mount Vernon. Once his half-brother, Lawrence, died in 1752, George took over the plantation and rebuilt the house -
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from the ground up. The rebuilt house was double the size of the original, and slaves mainly built it. It was completed in 1757 and George resided there until his death in 1799. It is now and U.S. National Historic Landmark and is a fascinating place to visit. It is full of historical artifacts, beautiful architecture, and the feel of a true American patriot. -
Portland Head Light
Turning away from common buildings in the United States, we turn to Portland Head Light. Lighthouses are built high above shorelines to guide ships in the dark. The significance behind Portland Head is that George Washington himself directed the construction of the lighthouse. It can be found in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and is one of the most famous lighthouses in the country. It was completed in 1791, when -
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this part of Maine was still apart of Massachusetts. The lighthouse keepers used whale oil lamps to illuminate the black ocean’s darkness. Standing 101 feet tall, it was at one point 20 feet taller. Due to the construction of Halfway Rock Light, just a little more off the coast from Portland Head, it didn’t need to be that tall. It is now a registered U.S. Historical Site. -
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many reconstructions. John F. Kennedy had different rooms built, each one of them with a different theme. The Red Room has an American Empire theme, the Blue Room has a French Empire theme, the Green Room has a Federal theme, and the Yellow Oval Room has a Louis XVI theme. The White House has six stories and 132 rooms total. -
White House
No other building in the United States of America is more symbolic and famous than the White House. Located in Washington D.C., the White House is the defining structure of the U.S. It was built in 1792 to house the current president and his family. In 1814, British troops set the building on fire, during the War of 1812. It was rebuilt and over the years it has seen -
Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry is located in Baltimore Harbor, in Maryland. It is most famous for it being the site of where Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, during the War of 1812. During the Battle of Baltimore Key wrote the song, Fort McHenry defended United States armed forces from a British navy attack. It was designed in 1798 by Jean Foncin. It was built to defend the Baltimore Harbor -
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from future naval attacks after the U.S. victory in the Revolutionary War. In 1925 it became a National Park under President Calvin Coolidge. Only a few years later, it became a National Monument and it remains the only site in the United States to have both designations. The American flag that flew during the Battle of Baltimore can now be found in the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. -
Monticello
The third president of the United States was born in 1743 in Virginia. He inherited many acres of land and built one of the most historic and iconic buildings in the United States, Monticello. After his wife Martha died in 1782, Thomas Jefferson moved to France as the U.S. Ambassador to France. While he was there, he was intrigued by architecture of the buildings of Paris -
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When he returned to his home in Virginia, he began plans to build a house on his land based on the architecture he had seen in France. He built “second Monticello” in the 1790’s. It was bigger than the original house so it could hold Jefferson’s many collections including, books, art from Europe, artifacts of the Native Americans, and mementos from his many trips. -
Fort Sumter
The first shots of the Civil War were fired on January 9, 1861. Those shots were fired upon a fort located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. That fort was Fort Sumter. Construction of this historic fort began in 1829 and was not completed when the first of shots of the war occurred. It was named after Revolutionary War hero, General Thomas Sumter. Fort Sumter -
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was never surrendered although when word got to Charleston that General Sherman’s forces were making there way to South Carolina, Charleston was forced to evacuate. This led the abandoning of Fort Sumter on February 22nd, 1865. There are still cannonballs lodged into the brick that are visible today. Now the fort is National Monument and can be visited by ferry. -
Eastern State Penitentiary
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the old Eastern State Penitentiary. For 142 years, the Eastern State Penitentiary held the most dangerous criminals and killers. It was built in 1829 and closed in 1971. When it was built, it was the largest and most expensive jail in the country. It is still standing today as a National Historic Landmark and is open for tours. Al Capone, perhaps the country’s -
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most famous criminal, was held at this prison. In the 1980’s, the jail was abandoned. The inside of the buildings grew bushes and vines. In 1994 the jail was opened for public tours. In recent events, there are many reports that the jail is haunted. Many paranormal investigators have conducted investigations and experiments there. Of course, no proof has been evident. -
Appomattox Courthouse
After over three years of fighting, the Confederacy surrendered to the Union on April 9th, 1865. Confederacy General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. The original courthouse was built in 1846 and was burned down in 1892. The courthouse was rebuilt in 1892 and is used for current courthouse of Appomattox -
Appomattox Courthouse
. The signing of the treaty actually occurred at the McLean House. The signing also occurred on Palm Sunday. The ending of the war enabled the country to return to its original state. -
Fort Jefferson
Fort Jefferson is located in the western-most part of the Florida Keys. It was built in 1847 and it was under construction for over 30 years and interestingly never officially finished. Overall, there are around 16 million bricks in Fort Jefferson. The yellow bricks of the fort were placed before the Civil War and the red bricks used were shipped all the way from Maine during the Civil War. The walls the fort are 45 feet tall and eight feet thick. Although it was built as a fort for battles, it -
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Although it was built as a fort for battles, it never was fired upon. As previously mentioned, the fort was never officially finished. Construction of the fort stopped in 1875 when all of the workers and soldiers left the fort abandoned. It is now a part of Dry Tortugas National Park. -
Smithsonian Castle
The most extensive and amazing collection of artifacts and art can be found at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. There are 19 different museums of the institute, including the Air and Space Museum and the American Indian Museum. The main building of the Smithsonian is the castle. It is modeled after 12th century Roman and Gothic architecture. James Renwick Jr -
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. who also designed St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City designed the castle. Originally it was supposed to be built out of white marble and then sandstone. Ultimately red sandstone from a small creek in nearby Maryland was chosen. This was the first building built for the institute and didn’t expand into other buildings until the 1960’s. It is now a U.S. National Historic Landmark. -
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is located on the National Mall in the United States’ capital, Washington D.C. Construction of this famous piece of architecture took place during two different times: 1848-1856 and 1876-1884. Most people think there was a 20-year break because of the Civil War but there were other factors as well. These included political turmoil, insufficient funds, and questioning if the Union would actually survive the Civil War. -
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The monument itself is just over 550 feet tall and is made out of white marble. Most of the marble used was from Maryland and a few blocks of marble came from Massachusetts. There are 896 steps that go up to the very top of the monument where people can go to view the entire city of Washington D.C. -
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It was built in France piece by piece and shipped to the United States and constructed here. The statue itself stands 151 feet and from the torch to the ground it is 305 feet tall. When it was completed, New York City had its first ticker tape parade. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge designated the statue as a National Monument. -
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is an American icon. It stands in New York Harbor welcoming people to the United States. Over 3.2 million people visit the site every year. It was given to the United States by the country of France in 1886. Although Edouard Rene de Laboulaye is commonly known as the man behind the Statue of Liberty, fellow Frenchmen, Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was the sculptor. </a> -
B&O Warehouse
Going away from historical buildings and famous structures of the United States, this building is quite different than the others. Located in Baltimore, Maryland is the Baltimore and Ohio Warehouse. The Baltimore and Ohio, also known as the “B&O”, is one of the oldest railroads in the country. This warehouse was built in 1899 and is the longest building the country, stretching -
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out to 1,116 feet long. It was used for storage and distribution until the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad sold it in the 1970’s. Today it is used as part of Major League Baseball’s Baltimore Orioles’ stadium, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Located beyond the right field fence, it is iconic in Major League Baseball and of the Orioles. It is used as offices and team space for the team today. -
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in 1900. Immigrants would go through Ellis Island to receive their new name, if need be, and a full health inspection. When it closed in 1954, it was estimated that around 12 million immigrants had been processed there. The most popular year was 1907 when over one million immigrants were processed. A “Save Ellis Island” group, in hopes to return it to its glorious state, is now renovating it. -
Ellis Island
In the late 19th century, many immigrants came to the United States in search for opportunity and prosperity. In the west, in San Francisco, Chinese and other Asian immigrants went through Angel Island. In the east, Jersey City, New Jersey to be exact, Irish and European immigrants went through Ellis Island. The main building of Ellis Island, the First Immigrant Station, was built -
Philadelphia City Hall
High above the Philadelphia skyline stands the tower of one the most prominent buildings in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia City Hall. It is located in the Centre Square of Philadelphia. At 548 feet tall, it is the tallest masonry building in the world. It also used to be the tallest building in the world from 1901 to 1908. It remained the tallest building in Philadelphia until 1987. It -
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was completed in 1901 and at the top of the building a statue of the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn. The statue of the William Penn is 37 feet tall and weighs over 27 tons. It is the tallest statue to be at the top of any building in the world. It is now a National Historic Landmark. -
Bibliography
http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/ http://www.bostonhistory.org/?s=osh www.visitphilly.com/history/philadelphia/city-hall/ www.easternstate.org/ www.nps.gov/apco/ www.portlandheadlight.com/ www.ellisisland.org/ www.nps.gov/stli/ www.ballparkchasers.com/photo/b-o-warehouse www.nps.gov/fomc/ www.nps.gov/drto/historyculture/fort-jefferson.htm www.nps.gov/fosu/ www.si.edu › Museums and Zoo www.whitehouse.gov/ www.nps.gov/inde/independence-hall-1.htm www.oldnorth.com/ www.nps.gov/ -
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