Historic Site Events

A paint restoration project is currently underway at Old North to remove layers of white overpaint and reveal some of the church’s colonial-era artwork! Expert craftspeople are uncovering 16 angels in the balcony arches that were painted in the late 1720s and 1730s by congregation member John Gibbs. Visitors to Old North will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the conservation team in action and see long-hidden history being revealed.

Uncovering Our Angels: Paint Restoration at Old North Church
Live on Zoom
December 11, 2024
7:00 – 8:30pm 

A once-in-a-lifetime paint restoration project is currently underway at the Old North Church in Boston! Expert conservators are painstakingly removing layers of white overpaint to reveal some of the church’s colonial-era artwork. By the spring of 2025, the team will uncover 16 angels in the balcony arches that were painted in the late 1720s and 1730s by congregation member John Gibbs. Thousands of visitors are flocking to Old North this fall and winter for a glimpse of the church as Paul Revere saw it.

In this online talk, we are excited to welcome Gianfranco Pocobene, the lead conservator of the historic paint restoration project at Old North. Gianfranco will discuss the techniques, tools, and technology that have allowed his team to penetrate layers of white overpaint to reveal the beautiful artwork hidden underneath. He will share photos of the newly revealed angels, discuss theories as to how the angels were painted in the 1700s and why they were painted over, and answer your questions about the project.