and grey steeple-crowned hats,} inter-mixed {with women,} 

some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled

{in front} {of a wooden edifice,} the door {of which} was 

heavily timbered {with oak,} and studded {with iron spikes.} 

     The founders {of a new colony,} whatever Utopia {of 

human virtue and happiness} they might originally project,

have invariably recognised it {among their earliest practical

necessities} to allot a portion {of the virgin soil} {as a

cemetery,} and another portion {as the site} {of a prison.} 

{In accordance} {with this rule} it may safely be assumed

that the forefathers {of Boston} had built the first prison-house 

somewhere {in the Vicinity} {of Cornhill,} almost as 

seasonably as ^{[Note #1]} they marked out the first burial-ground,

{on Isaac Johnson's ^[Note] lot,} and {round about his grave,} 

which subsequently became the nucleus {of all the congregated

sepulchres} {in the old churchyard} {of King's ^[Note] Chapel.}

Certain it is that, some ^{[Note #2]} fifteen or twenty years {after the

settlement} {of the town,} the wooden jail was already

marked {with weather-stains and other indications} {of age,} 

which gave a yet darker aspect {to its beetle-browed and

gloomy front.} The rust {on the ponderous iron-work} {of 

its oaken door}  looked more antique {than anything else} 

{in the New World.} {Like all} that pertains {to crime,} 

it seemed never to have known a youthful era. {Before this

ugly edifice,} and {between it and the wheel-track} {of the

street,} was a grass-plot, much overgrown {with burdock, 

pig-weed, apple-pern, and such unsightly vegetation,} which 

evidently found something congenial {in the soil} that had

so early borne the black flower {of civilised society,} a prison. 

But {on one side} {of the portal,} and rooted almost ^{[Note #3]}

{at the threshold,} was a wild rose-hush, covered, {in this

month} {of June,} {with its delicate gems,} which might be

imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty {to the 

prisoner} as he went in, and {to the condemned criminal} 

as he came forth {to his doom,} {in token} that the deep

heart {of Nature}  could pity and be kind {to him.}

1. The "as ... as" construction is used for comparisons. The first "as" usually functions as an adverb to an adjective or another adverb (in this case, "seasonably"). The second "as" usually functions as a subordinate conjunction. Oh, oh. Subordinate conjunctions. Let's ignore this until we get to them. If you missed it, don't count it.

2. "Some" here means approximately and thus functions as an adverb to the adjectives "fifteen or twenty."

3. "Almost" modifies the entire prepositional phrase "at the threshold." Because the phrase functions as an adverb, "almost," which chunks to it, functions as an adverb.