"Let it burn, let it burn, let it burn!" That was our chant as many of us stood watching the flames engulf the tower of Harvard's Memorial Hall. Memorial Hall was immediately adjacent to Harvard Yard, and it os an imposing Victorian building. Completed in 1878 it honors the sacrifices of Harvard men in defense of the Union during America's Civil War. Memorial Hall was in my opinion - Harvard's UGLIEST BUILDING - with it's gothic and ornamental design in conflict with then current post war modernism. I cheered for its total destruction when it caught fire in 1956. 

However I also had some positive feelings and associations with Memorial Hall. Sanders Theatre occupies one half of the ground floor of Memorial Hall. It was designed as a lecture hall, but today is also used as much as a theatre and a place for musical elements. Many orchestras used Sanders Theatre as their primary location or visit several times a year. I attended concert, and several lecture courses in Sanders - one called "Wagon Wheels"- a history of westward migration of our country. I enjoyed it so much I majored in American History. 

Sanders Theatre in Memorial Hall was the location of our freshman smoker in 1952. at this freshman class orientation in the first week of college we receiver some words of advice from our Freshman Dean. Then he gave us a beer party - with a beer drinking competition, and all paid for by Harvard. Entertainment for the rest of the evening was Tom Leher singing a number of his clever songs and Rose la Rose, the stripper from the Old Howard Burlesque. She made her appearance and disrobed - dancing to appropriate striptease music supplied by Tom Leher. 

After the firs of 1956 only partial repairs were made to the tower. The bells and chimes were quickly restored and soon again they marked the changing of classes every hour. However, for over four decades Memorial Hall stood damaged. Half a century later in 1999 Harvard finally completely restored the tower to its full Victorian glory. 

During those many years I underwent a transformation in my architectural taste. My career as a historic house mover and as a historic real estate consultant and developer, and the developer of the Victorian 1864 Boston City Hall changed my perspective about victorian architecture. I became an admirer of late 19th century architecture. My feelings about the architectural design of Memorial Hall did a complete reversal, especially with the magnificent restoration of the tower by the Boston architectural firm of Childs, Bertman, and Tseckares. Richard Bertman, FAIA, was one of my Harvard roommates - and his participation in the restoration of the tower made my love of the newly renovation Memorial Hall even sweeter. I continue to enjoy and admire Sanders Theater as one of the very best theaters, lecture halls and concert places in Boston. Today the cambridge skyline is radiant with this architecture jewel, Memorial Hall with it's beautifully restored tower overlooking Harvard Yard. 

I've come to love Memorial Hall. Now at Harvard - Memorial Hall is my favorite building. 

​

The first fire knocked me out of the competition to develop the Faneuil Hall Markets. The second fire knocked me out of my career path as a historic preservation developer. 
​
In 1969 in the last stage of developing and implementing a plan to utilize the North and South Market Buildings of the emptying wholesale food district, Mayor White and his Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) Director Hale Champion, were seeking a for profit developer. None was to be found. Hale Champion requested that I, the Director of the non profit Architectural Heritage Foundation that helped develop the plan, put forth my own proposal to develop the Faneuil Hall Markets.  At that time Architectural Heritage Foundation was successfully completing the redevelopment of Boston's Old City Hall. Hale Champion also solicited a redevelopment proposal from the for profit developer Van Arkel and Moss of Philadelphia, utilizing Ben Thompson as their architect. 

I accepted Hale Champion's request to compete for the development of the Markets and hired Sy Mintz as my architect. Tad Stahl was now the City's Architect about to restore the exteriors of the Markets to the 1826 original design by Alexander Parris and unavailable. Sy Mintz and I submitted a completed redevelopment plan in response to the BRA's Request for Proposals (RFP), as did Van Arkel and Moss with Ben Thompson their architect. 

Our Architectural Heritage Foundation office was located under the 1826 Alexander Parris dome on the second floor of the Quincy Market that had been given to us by the BRA.  Shortly after submission of our RFP proposal, an arsonist fire was set out side our office in the hallway under the dome. I withdrew from the competition for the markets and moved our new Architectural Heritage Foundation office to the Old City Hall on School Street. After this fire Van Arkel and Moss was "tentatively" designated developer of the Markets.

That spring my brother, Bob, died at age 40 of a heart attack leaving his widow with four children under fourteen. I decided to take my four nieces and nephews to Scotland and later Italy with my wife and children and to take some time off from historic real estate development and to devote more of my time to family. In the meantime Mayor White had hired Bob Kenney as his BRA director and Bob Kenney had determined Ban Arkel and Moss were lacking financing and unable to proceed with the development of the Markets. The "tentative" developer designation was withdrawn by the BRA. 

BRA Director Kenney decided to again offer the RFP for the Markets and requested my participation again as a potential developer. I accepted and submitted another non profit proposal (costing more tens of thousands of dollars). However, the nationally known for profit development James Rouse became interested. With the architect Ben Thompson, they successfully developed the project in 1973 to 1976 into a "Festival Marketplace"--all within the restored 1826 Alexander Parris Marketplace recreated by Tad Stahl, FAIF, as the City's Architect in 1971-1972.
I shifted my focus and energy to the adjacent 1850s Sunburn Fish Building that was struggling to continue in business and to pay City of Boston taxes. The "trabeated" (constructed with horizontal and vertical granite post) seven story warehouse building was of interest to architectural historians as the best example of the later and fully developed building technology devised by Alexander Parris to build the Quincy Markets. It's preservation was of importance. I negotiated a 99 year lease for the empty and vacant upper six floors of the building in exchange for paying all taxes. Architectural Heritage Foundation was within six months of successfully completing the redevelopment of this important landmark building when it was destroyed by and arsonist set fire. Evidence indicated a professional arsonist had been hired to destroy this project. (And another historic building in Rhode Island was destroyed by a similar arsonist fire that did not utilize financing offered by Boston financier!) The fire closed a restaurant for weeks at the west end of North Market Building, closed the parking facilities under 60 State Street, the next door fifty story office build, and damaged the exteriors of Faneuil Hall and all adjacent buildings including 60 State Street. Our insurance did not being to cover these financial losses and the Architectural Heritage Foundation withdrew from the project in debt. 

The successful redevelopment of Old City Hall lifted the foundation out of debt, but I was traumatized by this experience and I withdrew from real estate development. I reverted to historic preservation consulting and created several non profit preservation corporations such as Architectural Conservation Trust (ACT) and used the substantial cash flow generated by Old City Hall to support the activities of many more non profit preservation organizations. Low cost and no cost office space in Old City Hall was made available to numerous non profits such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Massachusetts, Walk Boston, and The Boston Preservation  Alliance. 

In 1969 Boston had few first class dining opportunities and practically non outdoors. The big five star hotels had not yet come to Boston. in 1969 I lease the ground floors and outdoor areas to the finest French restaurants in Boston at that time, Maison Robert. The Robert family provided some of the most interesting dining in Boston at Old City Hall for over thirty-three years. 

In 1963 I sat in the office of Bert Little, Director of the Society of the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), now called Historic New England. His phone rang and Bert picked it up. 
"Bert this is Kathryn Bullard. I just bought a historic captain's house. I want you to restore it so I can give it to New Bedford."
"Congratulations Kathryn! However, you don't need me. You need a preservation consultant. And, I have one sitting here at my desk at this very moment. Let me introduce you." That phone call took me to New Bedford and my first job as a consultant. Mrs. Bullard had bough a 1820 Federal Period Captain's house. It was surrounded on all four sides by a storefront shop on the street and warehouses attached to the sides and rear. This project was a challenge and a delight! Mrs. Bullard's budget was fifty thousand dollars -- to be spent as I recommended prior to her gift to New Bedford. This was enough to clear away the warehouses, storefront shop, restore the granite and repair the much damaged and altered exterior of the Captains House. 
Thus I discovered that as a "consultant" I could direct an exciting and successful project without incurring my own financial risk, and that seemed like a step forward. 

Route 2 as it crosses Belmont Hill was widened in the 1960s. A dozen houses were scheduled to be demolished. I selected a 19th century house to move to Belmont. 
My neighbor, Derek Lamb, took an interest in my project. Derek taught film at Harvard and asked to film the process. He intended to condense the whole three months move into a five minute time lapse documentary film. I agreed. 
Derek's film starts showing us placing the house on a low touch bed. The the excitement builds as we pull into traffic on Route 2 and for several miles cross Belmont streets to reach the new location at 30 School Street, near Belmont Center. Cars quiz past. Trucks and buses stop to make way for a house on the move! Triumphantly the house arrives at its new home and is placed upon its waiting foundation. A final sequence shows the house being repainted and awaiting its new owner. This all happens in minutes on the film. Derek's film was shown on local TV stations and beyond. Local newspapers featured the move. 
Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from Headmaster Hamilton of Belmont Hill School. He asked if I had ever moved a church. I said no, but I was interest if he had one in mind. 
Headmaster Hamilton suggested we talk. At our meeting he said he needed a church moved to his school to accommodate 400 people, the number of his faculty and students. Hamilton asked if I was interested. I responded I was, if I could find a church that was available. 
Within months after numerous trips to unused or abandoned churches I located in Connecticut a beautiful 1840 Greek Revival Methodist Church that was being acquired by the U.S. Army Engineers to crete a flood control valley. Headmaster Hamilton liked the church. His board of trustees liked my price to move it, about half to two-thirds the cost of building a new school chapel.  We signed a contract. 
All went well. I promised Headmaster Hamilton if I made a profit on this project I would do extra work not in the contract such as recreate the ornamental ceiling and other architectural details of the original design, I hired Connecticut carpenters and we went to work disassembling the church into thousands of pieces and reassembling them at belmont hill school. Over the half year of this project I became good friends with Headmaster Hamilton. I was especially pleased to hear that in his weekly lecture to students and faculty Headmaster Hamilton had used me as his example of someone "who does the extra mile."

In 1964 I received a phone call from Albert B. Wolfe saying an alleged 1690  Cambridge farmhouse was being offered to anyone willing to move it and properly preserve it.  Abe was then Chairman of the Cambridge Historical Commission and lived on Brattle Street.  He was a committed preservationist.  Abe asked if I wanted one of the best preserved pre - Revolutionary farm houses in Cambridge containing original  paneling, stairs, and woodwork and presently located in North Cambridge.  I said sure,  but I had no place to relocate it.  Abe said he understood and he would help me find a suitable location in Cambridge.  Meanwhile, I was required to move it to a storage location nearby until we found a permanent site.

Within weeks I arranged to move the house in one piece to the nearby lot on Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge,  and then began my search for a permanent location.  The closer to Harvard Square area I could relocate this landmark, the more value I believed I could create.

Starting at Brattle Square I walked Brattle Street stopping at every house that had a side lot or sufficient room to relocate the farmhouse,  asking each owner if they had any interest in providing a site for one of Cambridge's earliest houses, allegedly 1690,  but probably mid 18th century.  I received only vague expressions of interest or an incredulous -  "Are you crazy?"

Reaching the end of the large lot Cambridge Brattle Street houses,  I turned left onto Elmwood Avenue towards the president of Harvard's house, "Elmwood".   Receiving similar rejections along Elmwood Avenue I knocked on the door of the last house.  It stood directly opposite Harvard's "Elmwood" on the corner of Mount Auburn Street and Elmwood Avenue.

Mrs Counihan  came to her front door and I made my plea.

"Well, I love Cambridge and I would like to help --  but I need my side lawn....... That is where my daughter will be married  --  and I will hold her wedding reception."

"Oh..... How lovely!"  I commented.  "Is your daughter considering a marriage?" 

"Yes,  of course."

"When is the wedding?"

"In September."

"Wonderful............  I can wait."

Mrs Counihan smiled and then laughed.....    So did I.

"Are you sure?" she inquired.

"Yes........ I am sure."

We negotiated the terms and the price of the buildable lot,  $10,000.

We shook hands, and I called Abe to tell him I had found a site for the Watson House.  He asked....  "Where?"

"On Elmwood Avenue opposite Elmwood.

"Great!!!  ...... How did you do it?"

I looked at Mrs Counihan......and smiled.  "I knocked on the door of a very kind and wonderful lady."  Mrs Counihan smiled, and then we laughed.

 I have no memory when I began to stutter as a child.  Yet, I have no memory of ever not stuttering as a child.  This imperfection got me into difficulty,  especially in the first grade.  The teacher would assemble a circle of students to read at loud.  Inevitably,  when the reader got two seats away from my turn I would start a fight.  And then I would be kicked out of the reading circle.  By the end of the first grade at Edgemont Public School, they strongly urged my parents to enroll me in a private elementary school, Brookside.

 At Brookside my academic achievement was minimal.  By the fifth grade again the school recommended I apply to another private school,  Montclair Academy.  Again my academic achievement was low.  Montclair Academy recommended to my parents I see a psychiatrist.  The arrangements were duly made by my mother.

On the appointed day to see the doctor my mother dropped me off at his office and said he was expecting me.  I was welcomed by the doctor and told to come into his office,  where he asked me why I was there.  I had no answer other than my mother had brought me and she would be back in an hour.

The psychiatrist looked a little puzzled.  He asked me-

"Do you have any problems?"

I was at a loss for words.  No one had ever asked me that question.

"Well, yes, I guess I do"

"Will you tell me?"

"OK,  .......... I stutter."

"I don't think I can help you much on that.  What else?"

"I still wet my bed and I am in the sixth grade"

"Oh,  I don't think I can do much about that, either."

"I hate my name Sherrill."

"Sherrill?  That is an unusual name."

"I hate it.  Kids call me Shirley Temple, and I have to fight them."

"Well, I may be able to help you on that one.  I'll talk to your mother and maybe we can change it."

My mother agreed to change my name,  but that is the only appointment she ever made with that or any psychiatrist.

After chatting with the doctor a bit more, he asked me."   May I ask you one more question, before you leave?

"OK."

"Which would you rather stop first? Bed wetting or stuttering?"

That was another question no one had ever asked me..   I thought about it.

"Bed wetting."

Within a month my name was changed.  The next year I stopped wetting my bed.  However,   I did not stop stuttering until I was in my 70s.

In the mid 1960s my friend Tad Stahl, FAIA, board member of The Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England) and I, the founder and president of Architectural Heritage Foundation were commissioned by Ed Logue, Director of the the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and  Mayor Collins to undertake a study of the Faneuil Hall Markets.  We were commissioned to produce a plan to utilize the soon to be empty North and South Market Buildings of the wholesale food district.  The city acquired these much altered buildings from wholesalers to facilitate the removal of Boston's two hundred year old  food market from Boston's center to less congested neighboring locations.

We completed our study in 1967 and we proposed the restoration of the much altered and decayed  Faneuil Hall North and South Market Buildings to their original historic Greek Revival  1826  design by Alexander Parris.  In addition to proposing this restoration we had to determine their adaptive reuse and if our plan was feasible.  Another year of study determined our plan was not feasible --  unless the City of Boston and the federal government provided up to four million dollars of historic preservation grants that we determined may be available from the federal government and others.

We presented our plan to outgoing Mayor Collins and the soon to depart Ed Logue.  Our plan was accepted.  However, the job of finding up to four million dollars of historic preservation grant money for restoration fell to the incoming Mayor White and his BRA Director,  Hale Champion.  Tad and I made an appointment with the new Mayor White to present our plan for this  historic restoration of the emptying and much altered wholesale Faneuil Hall Markets,  next to Boston's nearly completed Government Center.   Mayor White would have a spectacular office in the New City Hall with windows overlooking  the restored Faneuil Hall Markets and the Harbor.

At this meeting we were accompanied by Walter Whitehill, the renowned Boston Historian, and the esteemed Director of the Boston Athenaeum, and board member of my non profit Architectural Heritage Foundation.  Walter was an early proponent of turning the New Boston towards the Harbor by establishing a Walk to The Harbor--  to start from the gold domed Bulfinch state capital on top of Beacon Hill,  down through the new government center and the soon to be empty wholesale food markets and to a revitalized and attractive new waterfront of residential and commercial neighborhoods.

The three of us met at the Mayor's office in Old City Hall on School Street.  Mayor White's forever cigar smoking Chief of Staff, Barney Frank,  greeted us.  He guided us into the Mayor's  offices on the second floor.  Our presentation to Mayor White was met with interest --  but not with enthusiasm.  Instead,  Mayor White challenged us with these questions --

"You want me to find you millions of dollars to restore YOUR Faneuil Hall Markets  ---  when my architectural advisors tell me to tear down MY City Hall  -- that many of us love? "

Mayor White continued his questioning.....

"This old building that we sit in --  is now,  and has been occupied by my people and my wife's people.   Our parents, grand parents, and families worked for generations right here in this building on School Street.  Some served as city council members.  Now,  I serve as Boston's mayor! "  Shouldn't we be concerned and working to save this building?  --  This one hundred year old landmark?"

We did not expect this response from the Mayor.  We were unprepared.

"So"-- continued Mayor White, "let's save this City Hall!"

We were surprised.  He added more information.  Mayor White's Blue Ribbon Committee that he assembled to advise him how to save the Old City Hall was chaired by the eminent Boston architect Nelson Aldrich.  They had concluded it was not feasible.  This panel alleged the cost to rehabilitate this 1865 Victorian structure was fifty dollars a square foot -- twice the cost of new construction!

The mayor looked at us.   He waited.  We were tongue tied.

"I'll make you an offer" proposed Mayor White.  

"If you come up with a feasible plan to save this city hall  -- the building loved by my family and many Boston's Irish -- I will try to get the funding to restore your Faneuil Hall Markets."

" That's reasonable ",  commented Walter Whitehill.

I contacted Nelson Aldrich and arranged a luncheon meeting to discuss the feasibility of saving Old City Hall and to request the use of his files.  At that luncheon Nelson Aldrich noted that neither he or any of the Blue Ribbon panelist were paid for their service, and their study had been more of a discussion over several lunches.  There was no file with their calculations he could give me to assist our investigation of the feasibility to save Boston's City Hall.   Instead, Nelson Aldrich presented three ideas why he believed Old City Hall could not be saved by the City of Boston.  

First, he asserted, the existing 19th century landmark building had only one open grand stairway, and that did not meet fire code that required two closed stairways.  

Secondly, the 1865 structure was over one hundred years old.  Nelson Aldrich assured me old buildings have many surprise problems that double their restoration costs.  

Thirdly,  architect Nelson Aldrich shared his opinion that the Victorian City Hall was "ugly",  and had unsavory associations -- such as James Michael Curley and "that crowd".  He wanted to know if I agreed with his feeling this building was "ugly".

At our next meeting with Mayor White we told him we saw nothing to prohibit the reuse of this historic structure.    However, Mayor White said his hands were tied and he could not disregard Nelson Aldrich's Blue Ribbon Committee determination of "not feasible" for city reuse.

"If you believe what you say.... " suggested Mayor White,  "Why doesn't Architectural Heritage Foundation make a proposal to save and reuse this wonderful landmark building?"

My role as preservation consultant changed that moment to preservation developer,  later joined by Graham Gund as co-developer.

Shortly after this meeting I was contacted by Hale Champion the newly appointed Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA).  Hale informed me Mayor White's suggestion that the Architectural Heritage Foundation (AHF) save and reuse City Hall for its private use -- could only be accomplished by the City of Boston making the same offer to the entire development community.  By issuing a Request For Proposal (RFP), Hale Champion was about  to begin this process.  Tad and I immediately began work to submit our proposal in response to the soon to come RFP.

With in the month the city produced an attractive brochure and widely circulated it among the major developers in Boston and beyond.   However, when the  RFP submission date arrived there were only two proposals and none from the traditional development community which had 

rejected Mayor White's offer to save Boston's City Hall.  Of the two proposals received, one was from Architectural Heritage Foundation and the other proposal from four Harvard Business School (HBS) students who were completing a course requirement.  As required the city took these two proposals under review.  Within a matter of days the HBS student proposal improved somewhat with the addition of a young lawyer, Michael Dukakis, an experienced real estate development advisor.  Nevertheless, Hale Champion advised us AHF would be designated developer at the next BRA board meeting on Thursday afternoon.

We were ready but surprised at that meeting when Michael Dukikis challenged the BRA's decision.  Dukakis stated two of AHF's team members, Tad Stahl and Walter Whitehill, were in conflict of interest and could not be part of AHF's team. The BRA board postponed their decision until the following Thursday while this charge was investigated. 

The next day Mayor White' Corporation Council,  Herbert Gleason, met with me.  Herb upheld Michael Dukakis' charge.  Tad Stahl and Walter Whitehill served on many review boards and as advisors to the city on matters of historic preservation, and Tad would become the City Architect to supervise the exterior restoration of the Faneuil Hall Markets.  However, Herb noted, if these persons resigned from the AHF team -- then AHF's conflict of interest charge would be solved.  Tad and Walter willingly withdrew from our AHF team.  Tad was replaced by Tim Anderson and George Notter as architects and Walter resigned from AHF's board.

At the next BRA board meeting AHF was designated developer.  AHF secured a 99 year lease from the City of Boston for Old City Hall.  Mayor White soon vacated Old City Hall and AHF hosted a memorable LAST HURRAH party at Old City Hall.  The Old City Hall was filled with former employees,  and Irish music.  Walter Whitehill danced Irish jigs with Mayor White and stamped out musical rhythms with an old Irish cane.  By 1971, our first tenant opened their restaurant, Maison Robert, on the ground floors of Old City Hall to celebrate Bastille Day, a party that became a tradition for over thirty years.

  In that year 1971 the American Institute of Architects (AIA) made a major shift in their attitude towards the conversion of historic buildings and adaptive reuse.  The traditional attitude was "old is bad (ugly) and new is better" was evidenced by the generation of architects like Nelson Aldrich.  They were replaced by the next generation of architects like Tad Stahl, Tim Anderson and George Notter,  who went on to become the national President of the AIA.  The national AIA showed Boston's Old City Hall as their prime example of the new direction and the "most promising trend" of the AIA  in 1971 -- in hundreds of ads appearing in a number of leading national publications -- such as:

"You're looking at the most promising trend in modern architecture.  This magnificent City Hall came dangerously close to becoming a magnificent rubble.  Just five years ago the common way to handle an obsolete masterpiece was to bulldoze it down and truck it away.  Now it's a  brand new challenge that architects relish -- how to make a silk purse out of a silk purse."          So stated the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in their many national advertisements in 1971.  Mayor White set the example that spread across the nation,  and it was widely promoted by the  American Institute of Architects (AIA).

We were riding a new wave of architectural taste --  a new trend.   Boston's Old City Hall became a pioneer of    "SAVE the............"    movement.    Five years later in 1976  the already  restored to Alexander Parris' 1826 historic design  under the direction of Tad Stahl, FAIA,  the Faneuil Hall Markets followed Old City Hall.   Now under the direction of James Rouse and Ben Thompson  using many of the techniques we devised for Old City Hall  --  such as the long term 99 year lease with rent based upon the level of occupancy --  this new development team devised the adaptive reuse technique of the "festival marketplace".

The Federal government commissioned AHF to advise and consult on many buildings such as the Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. , utilizing  our experience developing Old City Hall. Many government buildings across the nation such as schools, firehouses and other city halls were no longer "bulldozed down and trucked away".  Architects strove to make "silk purses out of silk purses".

Traveling in Italy I fell in love with a donkey.  Almost every Italian city has outdoor statues -- historical, religious and sometimes beloved animals.  These statues receive pats of affection from persons passing by and this leaves on the statue a shiny-reflective surface, evidence of their continuing strokes of connection.

Florence of all Italian cities perhaps has the most outdoor statuary and is blessed with several ateliers that produce these statues in all sizes and shapes.  I happened upon one of these shops in Florence years ago and wandered through their collections.  My eye fell upon a life size donkey hidden behind a large statue of a hog and Michelangelo's David with a saintly woman kneeling in prayer.  The donkey looked at me and we fell in love.  I pictured this little donkey in Boston on The Freedom Trail -- perhaps in front of Old City Hall.  I have always wanted a statue that would be particularly pleasing to children.

Purchasing the donkey and arranging its shipment to Boston was quickly negotiated.  Upon my return I contacted the city authorities to notify them of my intended gift.  Their response was cold.  I was denied permission to proceed.

"You can't just add an Italian donkey to The Freedom Trail..............  It just doesn't belong."

"But the donkey is so lovable.   The kids will be thrilled!   Give me a week and we can work this out.  You will love this donkey, too.   Come see it."

Within a week I returned to this city authority with good news of the historical justification for the donkey and its intended location.  Boston's Old City Hall sits on School Street and upon the site of the first public school in North America.  One of its graduates was Ben Franklin. His statue stands in the courtyard.  I surmised that Ben and other students rode their donkeys to school  and tethered them in the school yard that is now the Old City Hall courtyard.  Therefore, I argued a donkey statue in that location was historically appropriate. The request was denied -- again.

However,   months later I remembered yet another significant historical fact.  I returned to the city with my third request to place the donkey on The Freedom Trail in front of Old City Hall.  Now I argued the donkey is the symbol of the Democratic Party and Boston's politics was dominated for over a century by Democrat mayors. They predominantly occupied Old City Hall on School Street from its construction in 1865 and until 1970 when they moved to the new Boston City Hall to govern Boston into the twenty-first century.  After taking this into consideration the authorities  determined our Italian donkey could become the "Democratic Donkey" in Boston and stand in front of Old City Hall,  the bastion of Democrats for a century.  I was given permission to proceed.  

Years later in 2004 the Democratic Party gathered in Boston to select a candidate for the president of the United States.  Many of their meetings and banquets occurred in Old City Hall's  nationally famous restaurant Maison Robert. The delegates soon became friends with our donkey and the delegates officially designated our donkey their "Democratic Donkey".  The donkey appears in many of their official photographs and literature.

Today our "Democratic Donkey" stands beloved by all on The Freedom Trail in front of Old City Hall.  Almost every walker of The Freedom Trail stops for a picture and stands next to or sits on our donkey.  Most children and even some grandparents climb up upon our donkey in a display of affection.  My love for this little donkey has only increased.  

Now, our Italian immigrant donkey awaits YOUR visit to Old City Hall on School Street -- standing  in the shadows of Ben Franklin and Josiah Quincy -- Boston's "Democratic Donkey"