If you are a person who is interested in history, you don’t have to head to foreign countries to discover notable places from the past. In fact, the U.S. is a place where you can come across numerous ancient sites that predate its birth along with spots that had a crucial role in the country’s past. Many people make the mistake of believing that they can find these only in some distant, rural parts of the US.
However, we can see that even some big cities are home to a plethora of places of this sort. If you’re looking to make a move somewhere that’s jam-packed with historic landmarks and other ways to get a glimpse of a time go by, you’ve got some great options, with these picks the very best places to live for U.S. history buffs.
St. Augustine, Florida
We are talking about North America’s oldest uninterruptedly occupied European-founded city. It was founded in the middle of the 16th century by Spaniards. In 1565, a famous Spanish explorer Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed along the shore. Since that moment, we have had people living in this part of the continent.
Many centuries-old buildings still stand from their early days, including the ancient city gate, Castillo de San Marcos, and Plaza de la Constitución. You’ll even be able to follow the tracks of Aviles where he first stepped ashore near the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Without a doubt, you can relive some of the first moments in the long history of the United States.
Seneca Falls, New York
Seneca Falls is a small town. Nevertheless, it is filled with history. For example, it is the place of the first women’s rights convention. As a result of that fact, there are a lot of museums that have preserved a lot of documents from this period. Also, you can take a look at some items, like tables and chairs that have been preserved in the best possible manner, so we have them today.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond attracts many history enthusiasts due to its connections with the Civil War, making it a must to check out the Richmond apartments while you’re here. Although the controversial Robert E. Lee statue is no longer standing on Monument Avenue, it is home to many magnificent examples of fine architecture, including grand mansions from the end of the gilded age. For more information, you can visit rent.com.
At Richmond National Battlefield Park, you can visit multiple battlefields and miles of original fortifications, while the Virginia State Capitol is the oldest uninterruptedly operating legislature in the Western part of the world, completed in 1788. Tourists can take a tour and watch a short interactive film about the state’s role in the long history of our great nation.
Plus, living in Richmond you’ll be close to Virginia’s “History Triangle.” We are talking about Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown, the site of the America’s first permanent settlement, founded in 1607.
Williamsburg, Virginia
We have another city from the state of Virginia. This time, we are talking about Williamsburg. Many don’t know that this place was the capital of this state for almost a century, between 1699 and 1780. As you can presume, Williamsburg is a city filled with history. For instance, you can come across a lot of museums like the American Museum at Yorktown and James Fort.
We can even see that there are a lot of modern companies that have utilized this approach in their modus operandi. For instance, a beer company has decided to design its offices and restaurants in this manner. So, you can see that there is some sort of retro design that has become a part of every day for people in Williamsburg, along with the modern approach.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ben Franklin, one of the most important personas in our history, influenced creating pretty much everything we can see in the history of Pennsylvania. For instance, Independence Hall where he wrote the Constitution and Declaration of Independence with other leaders of the movement that had led to what we now have in front of us.
Then there’s the famously cracked Liberty Bell, the President’s House, a recreation of the one-time residence of the first couple of people who have been in this position, back when the city was the nation’s capital. The Franklin Museum is a must, and you can get a fascinating, in-depth look at Freedom Hall by taking the Freedom After Hours tour which features an arrival by Thomas Jefferson and dinner at the 18th-century City Tavern.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is home to more than fifty historical sites and museums. We all know that Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, but you can see that finding these places is quite a common thing to do. So, not paying a visit to places like these would definitely be a mistake. Even the city itself is quite old.
Thankfully, the local government has decided to use all these items relevant to history by preserving them in the best possible way. For instance, you should visit John Brown House Museum and Governor Stephen Hopkins House, just to name a couple of them. At the same, this house is the oldest building within Providence, it was built back in the early 18th century.
Boston, Massachusetts
A place of many American firsts, Boston is the “Birthplace of the American Revolution.” Boston Common was the country’s first community park, and the city also boasts the first school, library, and underpass system.
The 2.5-mile Freedom Trail links many iconic landmarks including Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, and the Old North Church. You can pop into the Green Dragon Tavern where Paul Revere and John Hancock were regulars. Plus, the town of Plymouth is less than 40 miles away, home to the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, a living history museum that replicates the original settlement of English colonists who became known as Pilgrims.
A recreation of the Mayflower is nearby, and of course, there’s Plymouth Rock, the traditional site of disembarkation for William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims in 1620.
Summary
Now that you know that this country of ours has a plethora of great historical sites, you don’t need to go overseas. Here, you can find a couple of them where you can encounter a lot of places.
