Massachusetts State House Building

Running Head: ART & ARCHITECTURE 1
Massachusetts State House Building
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Introduction

ART & ARCHITECTURE 2
Massachusetts State House was constructed after the American Revolution in 1798.
Located on the Boston's Freedom Trail, it is indeed a prominent location as it is a symbol of
revolution, freedom, and self-governance. The cornerstone of the State House was laid by Paul
Revere and Samuel Adams, who were famous revolutionary war heroes (Boston Discovery
Guide, 2018). They planned this neo-Palladium style building as a temple to democracy.
Massachusetts State House is perched on top of Boston's Beacon Hill and boasts of fine
architectural details and is filled with legendary art and cultural artifacts (Boston Discovery
Guide, 2018). There are museum-quality treasures within the State House. Massachusetts State
House is the oldest building on Beacon Hill. Although the State House has been renovated
several times and has expanded through the years, what remains untouched is the famous
Bulfinch Front (Boston Discovery Guide, 2018). The State House organizes various free tours,
and one can take those free tours inside to see the State House's treasures and eland about the
history, traditions and political rivalries of Massachusetts.The Massachusetts State House is
where the government works, and it is indeed an imposing building. Although the entry is free to
the building, one has to pass through security and some areas are not accessible to the public.
The architecture and artworks of the State House are simply magnificent. As you enter the State
House, there are vast open interiors with rotundas and grand staircases. There are pamphlets at
the information center that explain the importance of the different rooms and monuments.
Charles Bulfinch was only in his twenties when he designed the Massachusetts State
House and just after his Europe tour. His work shows the influence of the Neo-Classical style
which was popular in Europe then (Boston Discovery Guide, 2018). The three major classical
orders that describe the Greek later Roman decorations are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian (Khan
Academy, 2018). Those classical styles continue to be used in architecture today. The late