Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall ( pronounced Fan-Yul or Fannel ) was a major marketplace, meeting hall and a prominent landmark in Boston in the 18th Century, since 1742. The most distuingishing feature Faneuil Hall was the Grasshopper weather vane located on top of it.

Description
Faneuil Hall was built in 1742 and was named after Peter Faneuil, the local merchant who offered to build it at his own cost as a gift to the town. Faneuil Hall was originally meant to be a place for local farmers to sell their products so that the streets would be rid of the carts crowding them.

However, Faneuil Hall was nicknamed as " The Cradle of Liberty " after the famous meeting hall built on its second floor. People met here to raise their voice against the Stamp Act, which was a tax on all stamps used in postage purposes.It is also famous for the first anti-tea tax meeting held there. At times the anti-British meetings attracted such a large crowd that Faneuil Hall was not big enough to accomodate all of them( in which case they were sent to Old South Meeting Hall ).

An important purpose Faneuil Hall served was in identifying spies. During the war of 1812, people who were suspected to be spies were asked what was on the top of the Faneul Hall weather vane. If their answer was " a grasshopper ", they could pass as a local. If they were wrong, they were convicted as British spies.

During the siege of Boston, the meeting hall here was made into a theatre. But any kinds of plays were banned here.