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Rh street, near the centre of the city, with its dome 50 ft. in diameter and 30 ft. high, 110 ft. above the hill on which it stands and 230 ft. above the water of the harbor, is the most

conspicuous edifice in Boston. It was com- menced in 1793, when Samuel Adams was gov- ernor, and was finished and occupied in Jan- uary, 1798. Its form is oblong, 173 ft. front by 61 deep. The land was purchased by the city of Boston of the Hancock family, and given to the state. It was then known as " Gov. Hancock's pasture." The view from the dome is very fine, as it includes the harbor with the ocean beyond, an immense extent of country in various directions, covered with towns and villages, and the Blue hills of Milton. The hall of the house of representatives, the senate chamber, the rooms of the governor and coun- cil, the offices of the secretary of state, state treasurer, adjutant general, and auditor, and the state library, together with some minor offices, are in the state house. Large addi- tions have been made to the state house since 1852, for the accommodation of the govern- ment ; in 1866-'7 it was remodelled inside. On the terrace in front of the state house are statues of Daniel Webster and Horace Mann. In the Doric hall, or rotunda, is a statue of by the Washington monument association. Here are also the battle flags borne by Massa- chusetts soldiers during the civil war, copies of the tombstones of the Washington family in Brington parish, England, a statue of Gov. Andrew, busts of Samuel Adams, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Sumner, and many his- torical relics. The old state house was erected in 1748, and was for half a century the seat of government, being the building which is of such frequent mention in the revolution- ary history. It is in Washington street, at the head of State street, dividing the latter, and obstructing a beautiful view. It has long been devoted to business purposes, having been en- tirely remodelled. One of the most imposing specimens of architecture in the city is the city hall in School street. It covers 13,927 square feet, is built of the finest Concord granite in the Italian renaissance style with modern French modifications, and is surmounted with a Louvre dome. It was completed in 1865 at a cost of $505,691. The city officials have commodious quarters here, while in the dome is the central point of the fire-alarm tele- graphs. On the lawn in front of the city hall stands the bronze statue of Franklin by Green- ough. The new post office, in Milk, Water, and Devonshire streets, the corner stone of which was laid Oct. 16, 1871, will be when completed the finest building in New England. Its architecture is of the most ornate character. It will be of the finest granite, four stories high, with a frontage of over 200 ft. in Devon- shire street. Its cost will exceed $2,000,000. The upper stories will be occupied by the United States sub-treasury. The post office was in the merchants' exchange in State street until the fire of 1872, when it was removed temporarily to Faneuil hall. The exchange, completed in 1842, at a cost, exclusive of the land, of $175,000, was noted for its large size and massive architecture ; but in consequence of the damage then received, it was decided to remodel it. The custom house is a large and costly granite edifice in State street, and was 12 years in building, 1837-'49, at an expense of $1,076,000. It is of the Doric order, and is 140 ft. long from N. to S., 95 ft. through the centre, and 75 ft. at the ends. The form is that of a Greek cross. The porticos are 67 ft. long, and project 10 ft. on each side. They comprise 32 Doric columns, each 32 ft. high with a diameter of 5 ft. 2 in. The build- ing is surmounted by a dome, the top of which is 90 ft. from the ground. The court house, also of granite, is in Court square. The state and municipal courts are held here, while the old Masonic temple in Tremont street is devoted to the use of the United States courts. The Suffolk county jail, in Charles near Cam- bridge street, completed in 1849, is 70 ft. square and 85 ft. high, with four wings. The exterior is of Quincy granite, and the remain- ing porticos are of brick, stone, and iron. No school building in the United States surpasses in general completeness that of the girls' high and normal school. It was completed in 1870 at a total cost of $310,717, has a frontage of 144 ft. both on Newton and Pembroke streets, contains 66 separate apartments exclusive of halls, corridors, &c., and has accommodations for 1,225 pupils. The large hall in the upper story contains a valuable collection of casts of classical sculpture and statuary acquired by do- nations. Tremont Temple, in Tremont street, was erected in place of the building burned in 1852, which had been made from the Tremont theatre. The main hall is 124 ft. by 73, and is
 * Washington by Chan trey, placed there in 1828