2019 National Congress - Boston, Massachusetts

22 – 27 October 2019

The Naval Order’s 2019 Congress was held from Tuesday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 27th at the Constitution Inn in Boston, Massachusetts, the birthplace of the Naval Order and homeport of our honorary flagship, USS Constitution.

The Constitution Inn is located at the head of the Freedom Trail adjacent to the Charleston Navy Yard in the heart of Boston and close proximity to many local attractions. It was the perfect base from which to enjoy Boston’s rich history, culture, museums and nightlife. Click here to view Hotel information.

The preferred airport for the Constitution Inn is Boston, MA (BOS-Logan Intl.) located about 5.1 miles away.  

If you would like a copy of any image, please contact Vice Commander General - Communications: MCCS Bob Hansen, USN (Ret.), jocsusnr@aol.com

Click Links to view the 2019 CONGRESS Presentations on Facebook:

Devil in Paradise - presented by Mr. James L. Haley

Battle of Leyte Gulf - presented by RADM Thomas L. Andrews, III, SC, USN (Ret)

North Korea Threat - presented by CAPT Marc Liebman, USN (Ret)

Lessons from the American Revolution - presented by CAPT Marc Liebman, USN (Ret)

PLUS - Related posts from CAPT Liebman’s Blog

BONUS MATERIAL: Read the 2018 Congress Summary from San Antonio, Texas!

On July 4th, 1890 Charles C. Philbrook, Charles F. Bacon Philbrook, and Franklin S. Frisbie, descendants of New Hampshire families identified as mariners since 1636, sharing a common interest in naval and maritime history met in Boston. By formal resolution they established a temporary organization that they titled the “Naval Commandery of the United States of America.” A permanent organization was established on November 10th, 1890, the 115th anniversary of the organization of the United States Marine Corps.

USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy. The Navy operates the ship as a historic site in cooperation with the National Park Service.

In 1794, Congress authorized the construction of the first six warships to comprise the new United States Navy. Each of the six were built at different seaports along the eastern coast. Constitution was built at Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston. Construction began in 1794 and Constitution launched on October 21, 1797. She went on her first cruise the next year as the Quasi-War with France emerged. Later she served in engagements with pirates off the Barbary coast in the Mediterranean.

The greatest glory for Constitution, however, came during the War of 1812. Constitution's crew defeated four British frigates during three separate engagements. She earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" because the cannon fire from enemy ships seemed as if they couldn't penetrate her strong oak hull.

Before and after these voyages, Constitution had to undergo constant repairs and refits. Most of that work throughout her service was here in Boston at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Established in 1800, the yard was one of six commissioned for the purpose of keeping the Navy afloat. After over 200 years in the Navy, Constitution still calls Charlestown home and relies on the same facilities for maintenance and repair.

USS Constitution Museum was incorporated in 1972 as an interpretive complement to USS Constitution, which allowed the Navy to clear Constitution’s decks of display cases so that visitors could see the ship as a sailing vessel, rather than as a floating museum, and for the artifacts to be cared for in proper environmental conditions. As the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, the USS Constitution Museum continues to collect, preserve, display, and interpret artifacts and archival material related to the ship and her crew. Located adjacent to Dry Dock 1 across from USS Constitution, the non-profit, non-government funded museum hosts interactive exhibits, outreach initiatives and educational programming, including history and interpretation training for the active-duty crew on board USS Constitution.

Congress attendees have the opportunity for a private visit at 1700 on 24 October followed by a reception at the Commandant’s House. Visits to the Museum or other sites of interest would be individually arranged by those attendees not involved in the committee meetings or general sessions. More information is available at their website, www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org

The Old North Church is Boston’s oldest surviving church building and one of the Freedom Trail’s most visited historical sites, known for “One if by land, and two if by sea,” and the midnight ride of Paul Revere. The enduring fame of the Old North began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when the church sexton Robert Newman and Vestryman Capt. John Pulling, Jr. climbed the steeple and held high two lanterns as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea across the Charles River and not by land. This fateful event ignited the American Revolution. Each year, half a million people from all over the country and all over the world visit this unique and stirring monument to liberty.

The Old State House is a historic building at the intersection of Washington and State Streets. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the Massachusetts General Court until 1798, and is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. One of the landmarks on Boston's Freedom Trail, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, and now serves as a history museum operated by the Bostonian Society. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1994.

Faneuil Hall, located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1743. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain. Now it is part of Boston National Historical Park and a well-known stop on the Freedom Trail. It is sometimes referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty". 

Over 70 retailers and 40 office tenants occupy the 200,000 square feet of retail and 160,000 square feet of space on Boston’s iconic mixed use festival marketplace. Customers enjoy unique, locally loved, and nationally recognized shops while indulging in the worldwide cuisine at our restaurants, pubs, and in the world-famous Quincy Market Colonnade. The cobblestone promenades are filled with the music and jaw-dropping routines of world-renowned street performers and musicians. 

Quincy Market is a historic market complex near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed in 1824–26 and named in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt. The market is a designated National Historic Landmark and Boston Landmark, significant as one of the largest market complexes built in the United States in the first half of the 19th century.

Boston Common is a central public park in downtown Boston. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as the Boston Commons. It consists of 50 acres of land bounded by Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street. The Common is part of the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways that extend from the Common south to Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester. A visitors' center for all of Boston is located on the Tremont Street side of the park.

The Paul Revere House was the colonial home of American patriot Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution. A National Historic Landmark, it is located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massachusetts, in the city's North End, and is now operated as a nonprofit museum by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. An admission fee is charged.

On the night of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left his small wooden home and set out on a journey that would ultimately make him a legend. Today that home is still standing and has become a national historic landmark. It is downtown Boston’s oldest building and one of the few remaining 17th-century dwellings in a large urban area in the United States.

The home was built about 1680 on the site of the former parsonage of the Second Church of Boston. Increase Mather, the Minister of the Second Church, and his family (including his son, Cotton Mather) occupied this parsonage from 1670 until it was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1676. A large and fashionable new home was built at the same location about four years later.

Paul Revere owned the home from 1770 to 1800, although he and his family may not have lived here for most, if not all, of the 1780s. After Revere sold the home in 1800, it soon became a sailor’s boarding house. By the second half of the 19th century, the house had become an immigrant tenement and the ground floor was remodeled for use as shops. At various times a candy store, cigar factory, Italian bank, and vegetable and fruit business could be found in the house. In 1902, Paul Revere’s great-grandson, John P. Reynolds Jr. purchased the building to ensure that it would not be demolished. Over the next few years, money was raised, and the Paul Revere Memorial Association formed to preserve and renovate the building. In April 1908, the Paul Revere House opened its doors to the public as one of the earliest historic house museums in the nation.

The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is the fifth largest museum in the United States. It contains more than 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas. With more than one million visitors a year, it is the 60th most-visited art museum in the world as of 2017.

And finally… Fenway Park is located near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home for the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Baseball franchise. It is the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Because of its age and constrained location in Boston's dense Fenway–Kenmore neighborhood, the park has been renovated or expanded many times, resulting in quirky heterogeneous features including "The Triangle", Pesky's Pole, and the Green Monster in left field. It is the fourth-smallest among MLB ballparks by seating capacity, second-smallest by total capacity, and one of eight that cannot accommodate at least 40,000 spectators.  Possibly… just possibly, the Sox could be playing when we’re in town – but sorry, we may have just jinx’d them!

The Naval Order’s 2019 Congress was held from Tuesday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 27th at the Constitution Inn in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here to view Hotel information.

Join us in Buffalo Oct 13-17 for the 2020 CONGRESS

Home • Leadership Lessons • Who We Are • Donate • Contact