The Traveling Wheelchair

24 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02133
Phone: 617-722-2000
State House Tours: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/trs/trsidx.htm
 
My last tour of the Massachusetts State House was on June 17, the Bunker Hill holiday. I wrote a complete wheelchair accessibility review of the State House. You can read it by clicking on Massachusetts State House. The only room that I wasn’t able to access at that time was Doric Hall because it had steps leading to it and was not accessible for the handicap chair lift was broken. My mom called the building management office at that time to ask when the chair lift would be repaired. Carl Richardson, the ADA coordinator kindly called her back to let her know that the part was on order and told her that he would call her as soon as it was repaired so that I could come back and tour Doric Hall which is the most historic part of Our State House
 
Yesterday Carl Richardson called my mom to let her know the handicap chair lift to the Doric Hall had been repaired and was working. He told her that he would love for me to come back and tour the Doric Hall and he would meet us there. We happened to be in Boston at the time for I had a doctor’s appointment at BIDMC so we headed to the State House after my appointment.
 
We met Carl Richardson and Kinley, his beautiful black lab who is his seeing eye dog. Carl is very nice and apologized that the chair lift was broken when I was last there. Carl is also disabled and truly understands the importance of accessibility for all. He is very kind and helpful.  Carl told us that he is working on getting a better and more reliable permanent ramp for Doric Hall  but he needs approval first from the Historical Society and then from our Massachusetts State Legislators.
 
Carl told us that this ramp would be built right into the stairs and it would turn from stairs to ramp when needed.  Carl explained that the chair lift that is in place now often breaks after persons in power chairs use them. The reason is due to the heavy weight of power chairs like mine. They are not able to put in a heavy duty chair lift for it would put too much pressure on the wall of Doric Hall. I do hope Carl gets this approved soon so that persons in wheelchairs can always get to see Doric Hall and do not have to rely on a mechanical chair lift that often breaks down.
 
I went on this mechanical chair lift today and found it is kind of small for my heavy electric wheelchair. It was hard to maneuver my wheelchair off and on it and my friends helped me but found it difficult too. Yet once I got into Doric Hall I found it to be very wheelchair accessible so much of this review will be about the history of our State House that I learned on my tour.
 
Carl then introduced us to our tour guide Russell. Russell knows much of the history of the State House and is very kind. He proceeded to take us on a tour of the Historic Doric Hall.
 
Russell first showed us the replica of the State House that is in a glass case in the hall just outside of Doric Hall. It reminded me and my friend Ric of a big doll house. We thought it was well done. Russell told us it was done in the1930′s. It is an exact replica of the State House but is missing the chimneys that heated the state house and the side entrances. The only working chimney now at the State House is the one in Governor Deval Patrick’s office. He also told us that the dome was originally copper but was gilded in gold leaf later. Recently it was just re gilded. He also pointed out the pine cone on top of the dome. We had never noticed this pine cone before. Russell explained that it represents the importance of the lumber industry to New England.
 
Next we proceeded to Doric Hall which is two floors beneath the gold dome. Doric Hall was the original State House for Massachusetts. The other rooms of the State House were added later. Doric Hall is still the main reception room for many special events. Russell told us that it’s called Doric Hall because of the architecture of columns in the middle of the room. The columns were originally pine tree trunks but have been duplicated. Doric Hall has many great artifacts from important historical parts of our state’s history.
 
Russell then showed us the original doors to the front door of the State House.  The doors are blocked by a souvenir cart but my friend Tony took this picture so you can see the doors behind the cart. These doors have been restored but are the originals. These doors are only opened up on three occasions: if a sitting President visits the State House, if a retired flag from a war is brought into the State House and when the Governor leaves office for the last time.
 
He told us that President Taft was the last sitting President who visited our state house. President Clinton has visited our State House but the doors were not open on his visit due to restorations being done in Doric Hall. President Kennedy also visited ten days before he was sworn in but because he was not a sitting president the doors were not opened for President Kennedy on that visit.
 
Russell then showed us a large painting of President Abraham Lincoln that hangs on a wall in Doric Hall. It a rare painting as President Lincoln didn’t like to have pictures/paintings done while standing for he was so tall. He usually sits for them as he did for the Lincoln Memorial.  The picture of his face in this painting is on our $5 bills.
 
There is also a bronze bust of John Hancock in Doric Hall.  He was one of the original signers of Declaration of Independence! The land that the state house sits on was once owned by John Hancock who donated it to the state.  We also saw a beautiful marble statue of George Washington, our first President  and of John Andrew, our first Governor of Massachusetts.
 
There are also cannons that were captured during our fight against the British army.  We also learned of an Army General who is a distant relative to President Lincoln (who’s name I can’t remember right now that looks towards Lincoln painting).  This General was one of the first to answer the call to arms when President Lincoln needed him.
 
I was really glad to have had the chance to come visit Doric Hall today as there is a lot of History here in his part of the original State House that I didn’t get to see on my first visit. I am very thankful to Carl Richardson who took the time to call me and to let me know the wheelchair lift that was broken on my first visit had been fixed.
 
We left Doric Hall and went to visit my great State Senator Marc Pacheco and his very nice assistant Charles Basler. Senator Pacheco has always been a great advocate for the disabled and I am very grateful he is my State Senator. Plus we always have a few laughs!
 
We introduced Carl Richardson to Senator Pacheco and explained to Senator Pacheco that Carl has recommended replacing the wheelchair lift in Doric Hall with a permanent ramp that would be built into the steps. We explained this will need approval from both the historical society and from our legislators. I’m sure Senator Pacheco will support this if it comes to the floor of the Senate for he truly cares that disabled have equal and full access. I didn’t get to see my State Representative Stephen Canessa today but I think we will support this if it comes to the floor of the House for he also truly cares about the disabled.
 
I give the Massachusetts State House (Doric Hall) FOUR STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the Fifth Star, they would need to replace the mechanical wheelchair lift with the permanent ramp built into the stairs that Carl Richardson has recommended.
 
I give Carl Richardson FIVE STARS for being such a wonderful and kind ADA coordinator at the Massachusetts State Houseand a great advocate for the disabled. I also give Senator Marc Pacheco and Representative Stephen Canessa FIVE STARS for being wonderful legislators who look out for the rights of the disabled.