{"nrhp_refnum":"66000771","name":"Massachusetts Statehouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Beacon Hill","address_restricted":false,"city":"Boston","county":"Suffolk County","state":"MA","lat":42.35835498450007,"lon":-71.06368483407147,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1966-10-15","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1960-12-19","areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"The Massachusetts State House is a government building on Beacon Hill in Boston, designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1787 and erected in 1795-98, with later additions and a landscaped grounds area of about 5.75 acres.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it one of the supreme examples of Federal-period civic architecture in the United States and the masterpiece of Bulfinch's public buildings. Despite 19th-century exterior and interior changes, much of the interior finish of its major rooms is original material and workmanship. Its dome became the signature of Boston and it established the character of Beacon Hill.","narrative":"Crowning Beacon Hill in Boston, the Massachusetts State House was designed by Charles Bulfinch in 1787 and built between 1795 and 1798. Its brick south front has a Corinthian colonnade over arches and a central dome, which was covered in copper by Paul Revere and Sons in 1802 and has been gold leaf since 1874. Bulfinch drew inspiration from Somerset House in London, softening its Neo-Palladian character with Neoclassical details. The nomination values it as one of the finest Federal-period civic buildings in the country and Bulfinch's masterpiece. The building changed over time: the dome was rebuilt in 1859 and 1897, a large rear extension was added in 1889-95, and marble wings followed in 1914-17. Doric Hall and the chambers of the Council, Representatives and Senate retain much original workmanship. The grounds were also reshaped, including gates and walls by Alexander Parris and Solomon Willard in 1826.","period_of_significance":"1700-1799","architect_builder":"Charles Bulfinch","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as occupied, in good condition, and in government use; owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 01:59:07.638752-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/33/7938/63793833/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/66000771_NHL.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000771/162f056595-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/66000771/162f056595-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Christian David","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Massachusetts_State_House,_Boston,_Massachusetts.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Christian David</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Massachusetts_State_House,_Boston,_Massachusetts.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793833","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_State_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1150259"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/suffolk-county/massachusetts-statehouse-66000771/"}