Our History
History of the Old North Church
Old North Church is world-famous for the extraordinary events of April 18, 1775. That night, the church’s sexton, Robert Newman, and a vestryman, Captain John Pulling, Jr., broke Boston’s military curfew and secretly climbed Old North’s steeple to display two lanterns. The lanterns were a coded signal, devised by Paul Revere, that British troops were traveling across the Charles River (“by sea” and not “by land”) to seize military supplies stockpiled by colonists. The signal launched a network of riders who spread the message far and wide. The next morning, the first shots of war broke out with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Old North had lit the way for the American Revolution. Almost a century later, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “Paul Revere’s Ride” with its unforgettable line, “One if by land and two if by sea.”
Old North Church tells a story of Patriots who risked everything for a cause they believed in. But it goes further. Old North is a microcosm of America as an unfinished work: an icon of liberty funded in part by slavery, a symbol of democracy where people worshiped according to social hierarchy, a 300-year-old community set in a neighborhood where successive waves of immigrants have come to pursue the American dream. Step inside to get a taste of our nation’s complicated and inspiring history — and future.
About Old North
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 Old North Church & Historic Site also includes:
- The 1715 Clough House, one of Boston’s oldest surviving brick residences, which houses Heritage Goods + Gifts and the exhibit “Unearthing Childhood” .
- A chapel built in 1918 for Italian immigrants, which now serves as the Old North Gift Shop.
- Three large courtyards, two formal gardens, and a war memorial to soldiers fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- Two adjoining townhouses converted into use for administrative, educational, social, civic, and parish programs.
The People in the Pews
Over the course of over 300 years, many fascinating people have come through the doors of Old North Church and sat in its unique box pews. Read about some of them in our continuing series, The People in the Pews.
Note: The Old North Church & Historic Site is managed by Old North Illuminated, a 501(c)3 secular nonprofit. Christ Church in the City of Boston is an active Episcopal Church and partners with Old North Illuminated to support the church and campus.