Old State House — layered architecture

The Old State House’s brick “Town House” was constructed in 1713, a date that marks it as Boston’s oldest surviving public building. revolutionaryspaces.org The building sits at 206 Washington Street at the corner of State Street, an address listed in its National Register entry. en.wikipedia.org It also anchors a marked site on the Freedom Trail. thefreedomtrail.org Major preservation work earned the Bostonian Society an American Association for State and Local History award in 2006 for restoration of the northeast corner. revolutionaryspaces.org In March 2026, Revolutionary Spaces received $286,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for structural stabilization of the 1713 fabric. charlestownbridge.com The east façade displays the re-created lion and unicorn while a copper gilded eagle was returned to the west apex after a two‑year conservation and re-gilding completed on Aug. 28, 2024. historicboston.org The sculptures are modern copper replicas rather than the original wooden pieces, a conservation choice documented in the 2014–2024 treatment history. historicboston.org At 65 feet tall, the Old State House was Boston’s tallest building until 1745, and contemporary prints and cupola views record how the 18th‑century sightlines have been reframed by downtown glass and steel. en.wikipedia.org The site’s museum programming and stewardship shifted after the Bostonian Society merged into Revolutionary Spaces on Jan. 1, 2020, and the operator now provides interior exhibits plus a 3D virtual tour of areas not open to the public. wikiwand.com The building’s association with the Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770) and the July 18, 1776 public reading of the Declaration reinforces why current projects prioritize stabilization over alteration. revolutionaryspaces.org