Readers say renaming Faneuil Hall would ‘whitewash history’
"The current name is actually a wonderful stimulus for a discussion about Boston's history in the slave trade."
Faneuil Hall, the tourist destination and historical landmark in downtown Boston has been the center of controversy for years because of its ties to Boston’s history with slavery. The marketplace is named for Peter Faneuil, an 18th-century slave trader who gifted the building to the city.
Local advocates have called for a name change by lobby since at least 2018 by lobbying politicians, leading sit-ins, and even chaining themselves to the front of the building. Their efforts led to the creation city’s Reparations Task Force and last week, the Boston City Council passed a resolution asking the city to rename Faneuil Hall.
The resolution is a symbolic gesture aimed at starting a public conversation about the building’s history and how Boston can reckon with its history.
We asked Boston.com readers if they thought Faneuil Hall should be renamed and the majority, or 80%, of the 1,365 readers who responded to our poll said the name should be left as is. Many argued that the current name provides an opportunity for residents and tourists to learn about the city’s history with slavery.
“I am fully in favor of providing the full history of who Peter Faneuil was and how he made the money that ultimately resulted in his gift to the City and its residents. If you change the name you lose a valuable teachable moment. Once changed that opportunity will be quickly lost,” Walter H. from Boston said. “Boston’s history, indeed our nation’s history, is complex and filled with lessons that need to be learned. We are strong enough to learn them without burying the former reality that led us to where we are today.”
The power to rename Faneuil Hall belongs to the Public Facilities Commission, which hasn’t considered renaming a building since the city gave the board renaming powers in 2013, according to The Boston Globe.
The city has made other name changes in the past. In 2018, the Public Improvement Commission approved the changing of Yawkey Way to its original name, Jersey Street. The Commission also approved the renaming of Dudley Square in Roxbury to Nubian Square in 2019.
In June of this year, the city unveiled a slavery exhibit at Faneuil Hall to educate visitors about its full history. The exhibit was met with protestors who felt a name change would be a more appropriate move by the city. At the time, Mayor Michelle Wu said that the building’s history shouldn’t be erased.
“This building is on many, many national historic lists. The simple conversation about changing the name, we can have that conversation in the context of the larger work we have to do as a community,” Wu said.
For many of the readers who do want to see a name change, Faneuil Hall represents an ugly part of Boston’s past that shouldn’t be honored. Readers suggested the city consider Crispus Attucks Hall, Embrace Hall, Freedom Hall, and Independence Hall as alternatives for the centuries-old building.
“Boston needs to acknowledge the role that the enslavement of human beings has played in our economy and our society. We should not have buildings in our city named after people whose wealth derived from such an evil practice. Instead, we should honor those whose contributions to our city and culture, and to the cause of freedom, have been so unjustly overlooked,” said Michael L. from Watertown.
The majority of readers told Boston.com that they were against changing Faneuil Hall’s name, with responses ranging from fears about erased history to frustration with symbolic gestures from lawmakers. Below you’ll find a sampling of readers sharing their thoughts about Faneuil Hall.
Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity.
Do you think Faneuil Hall should be renamed?
‘Enough already with trying to change history’
“I still support an accurate telling of history. I think much more immediate issues in the city need addressing. Such as quality of life, housing, economics the T. If people want to have a discussion about slavery then say that directly and open a discussion about that topic instead of wrapping it around another topic.” — Allen, South End
“Peter Faneuil built some of Boston’s iconic buildings of the time and is an important person in Boston history. His actions involving slavery and the slave trade at large are deplorable and should be spoken and learned about. Changing the name of the building feels more like avoiding these truths more than trying to understand them.” — Adam, Webster
“I give historic tours of Boston as part of a volunteer organization. When I take a group to Faneuil Hall, I mention that the building is named after Peter Faneuil, giving me the opportunity to note that Faneuil owned slaves and became wealthy on the backs of enslaved people. The current name is actually a wonderful stimulus for a discussion about Boston’s history in the slave trade. I also think that taking these symbolic steps deludes us into thinking we are doing something about racism when we are not really addressing the problem at all.” — Joe W., South End
“Leave it be and let it become a teachable moment by the National Park Service. If and when the name is scrubbed, it’ll only be a matter of time before his name becomes a footnote saying he built the hall with with his own money despite some opposition to having an actual market building in Boston. Did you know that some early slave auctions in Boston took place very near to where the hall stands? I have been to Faneuil Hall quite a few times over the last 40 years. Had no idea slave auctions even took place in Boston. Faneuil used his own money gained from the slave trade to finance its construction. Shameful. We owe it to the descendants of former slaves to remember this part of Boston’s history.” — John S., South End
“History is full of ugly truths. To whitewash history’s bigots robs us of understanding and can inhibit honest, constructive conversation about our world today.” — Bram, Brookline
“Erasing history today does nothing to change what happened in the past. Let’s see how many of our leaders and heroes of today will be erased in the future because they do not conform to present-day norms.” — Ray M., West Roxbury
“The building has been Faneuil Hall for almost 300 years! It is part of Boston and when you say Faneuil Hall everyone knows what you are talking about. Enough already with trying to change history and this ‘cancel culture’ society. Next thing you know these same people are going to want to remove our Founding Father’s from the dollar bills and change the name of Washington D.C. to some other name because George Washington owned slaves.” — Casey, Foxborough
‘When an opportunity appears to right a wrong, you take it’
“I agree that the name should be changed. History cannot be erased but we can evolve toward more respectful language that reflects the desire to live in a more equitable society.” — Liza D., Dorchester
“Generally speaking, I think that time gives us perspective on history and when an opportunity appears to right a wrong, you take it. I propose Mel King Hall because of his long legacy of service not only to the African American community but to Boston at large.” — Nick B., Haverhill
“Why should we celebrate an owner and transporter of enslaved Africans? The Germans wasted no time renaming streets and edifices associated with Nazi ideology. Should they have left those names to avoid being part of cancel culture?” — F. Smith, Newton
“We should honor the values that we care for. It’s okay for us to change, especially when doing so would highlight history that is often not taught in schools.” — Scott P., Bay Village
“The present building is named after a slaveholder. Our current understanding of our history requires us to hold ourselves accountable for past transgressions and honor those who are instead a credit to our worthy aspirations.” — Ainsley D., Melrose
“The stain of slavery needs to be consistently present in our collective consciousness, and its beneficiaries and proponents shouldn’t be rewarded by having iconic gathering places named after them. I’d support having a prominent memorial on site for the victims of the slave trade, explaining Peter Faneuil’s role in it and how Bostonians were so ashamed of this grotesque past that they decided to change the name.” — Alex P., Jamaica Plain
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
Be civil. Be kind.
Read our full community guidelines.To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address