The Old State House
State Street, 1801
Oil on canvas, by James Brown Marston, 1801
95 cm x 129.2 cm; in frame: 115.5 cm x 150 cm
This James Brown Marston painting depicts the eastward side of the Old State House as it looked in 1801. For half a century the Old State House was used by governors, councils, and the General Court. The open square, shown in this painting as a place of social and commercial activity, was also the scene of the Boston Massacre, which occurred on 5 March 1770. Marston, a native of Salem, was in the commercial painting business in Boston from at least 1803, and like many artisans he became a member of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association. He was also active in the military as a captain in the state militia and a member of the prestigious Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.
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