Image of the North End, Boston neighborhood. The Old North Church is at center, a Big Dig vent building is near the bottom, and the green Tobin Bridge over the Mystic River is at the top.

Interior of the Old North Church

The Old North Church, officially called Christ Church, is located at 193 Salem Street in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts and is the location of the famed "one if by land, and two if by sea" phrase. This related to Paul Revere's midnight ride on April 18, 1775 that preceded the Battles of Lexington and Concord during the American Revolution. Download high resolution version (1024x494, 139 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (1024x494, 139 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Categories: Stub | Boston neighborhoods ... Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), a megaproject to reroute the Central Artery (Interstate 93), the chief controlled-access highway through the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, into a 3. ... Bostons North End and the Tobin Bridge The Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge, operated by the Massachusetts Port Authority, carries U.S. Highway 1 over the Mystic River in Massachusetts between Charlestown and Chelsea. ... A quiet afternoon on the Mystic River, as seen from very close to Grandfathers House, Medford, Massachusetts. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1289 KB) Photograph of the interior of the Old North Church, Boston, MA. Photo taken by me with a Sony Cybershot digital camera, in July 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1289 KB) Photograph of the interior of the Old North Church, Boston, MA. Photo taken by me with a Sony Cybershot digital camera, in July 2006. ... Categories: Stub | Boston neighborhoods ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub of the Universe (The State House, according to Oliver Wendell Holmes, is the hub of the Solar System), Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Militia of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (Minutemen) British Army Royal Marines Commanders John Parker James Barrett William Heath Francis Smith, John Pitcairn, Walter Laurie, Lord Hugh Percy Strength 75 at Lexington Green (Parker). ... The American Revolution was a political movement that in 1776 created a new nation, the United States of America, ending British control. ...

The church is a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. The Old North Church is the oldest active church building in Boston and is a National Historic Landmark. Inside the church is a bust of George Washington, which the Marquis de Lafayette reportedly remarked was the best likeness of him he had ever seen. A Christian mission has been widely defined, since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, as that which is designed to form a viable indigenous church-planting movement. ... The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Washington DC is the National Cathedral of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. ... The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original Dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. ... USS Constitution. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first President of the United States. ... Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (September 6, 1757 – May 20, 1834), was a French aristocrat most famous for his participation in the American Revolutionary War and early French Revolution. ...

The Old North Church was built in 1723, and was inspired by the works of Christopher Wren, a British architect who was responsible for rebuilding London after the Great Fire. Events February 16 - Louis XV of France attains his majority Births February 24 - John Burgoyne, British general (d. ... Sir Christopher Wren, (20 October 1632–25 February 1723) was a 17th century English designer, astronomer, geometrician, and the greatest English architect of his time. ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Detail of painting from 1666 of the Great Fire of London by an unknown artist, depicting the fire as it would have appeared on the evening of Tuesday 4th September from a boat in the vicinity of Tower Wharf. ...

The Lanterns

Paul Revere's lantern at the Concord Museum

On April 18, 1775, probably a little after 10 P.M., the 191 ft (58 m) steeple of the Church served a military purpose. Image File history File links Paul Reveres lantern at the Concord Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. ... Image File history File links Paul Reveres lantern at the Concord Museum in Concord, Massachusetts. ... April 18 is the 108th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (109th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... -1...

Paul Revere told three Boston Patriots to hang two lanterns in the steeple. These men were the church sexton Robert Newman, who probably displayed the lanterns, Captain John Pulling, who probably helped him carry them up the steeple, and Thomas Bernard, who stood watch for British troops outside the church. The lanterns were displayed to send a warning to Charlestown Patriots across the Charles River about the movements of the British Army. Revere and William Dawes would later deliver the same message to Lexington themselves, but this lantern method was faster, and it was a good back-up plan for communication in case they were captured. Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... Patriots (also known as Partisans, or Rebels) were British North American colonists who rebelled against the British monarchy during the American Revolution and established the independent states that became the United States of America. ... Birdseye view of Boston, Charlestown, and Bunker Hill between 1890 and 1910. ... The Charles River from the Boston side, facing Cambridge and the main campus of Harvard University. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... William Dawes William Dawes, Jr. ... Settled: 1642 â€“ Incorporated: 1713 Zip Code(s): 02420 / 02421 â€“ Area Code(s): 339 / 781 Official website: http://ci. ...

The signal only lasted for a few brief moments to avoid catching the eyes of the British troops occupying Boston, but this was long enough for the message to be received in Charlestown. They had kept someone looking at the steeple all night.

The land and water routes out of Boston are shown in this detail from a map drawn later that year to depict the Siege of Boston.

The meaning of two lanterns has been memorized by countless American schoolchildren for generations. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (797x776, 249 KB)Detail from A plan of the town and harbour of Boston and the country adjacent with the road from Boston to Concord, shewing the place of the late engagement between the Kings troops & the provincials, together with... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (797x776, 249 KB)Detail from A plan of the town and harbour of Boston and the country adjacent with the road from Boston to Concord, shewing the place of the late engagement between the Kings troops & the provincials, together with... The Siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 - March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the active American Revolutionary War. ...

One if by land, and two if by sea.

is from Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." One lantern was to notify Charlestown that the British Army would march over Boston Neck and the Great Bridge, and two were to notify them that the troops were taking boats across the Charles to land near Phips farm. After receiving the signal, the Charlestown Patriots sent out a rider to Lexington, but this rider did not reach his destination and his identity has disappeared from history. He was the one who might have been captured by a British patrol. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet who wrote many works that are still famous today, including The Song of Hiawatha, Paul Reveres Ride, A Psalm of Life and Evangeline. ... This Paul Revere Statue in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, was made by Cyrus Dallin and unveiled on September 22, 1940. ... The Great Bridge over the Charles River connected Cambridge, Massachusetts to Little Cambridge, which was the name for Allston-Brighton before it separated from Cambridge in 1807, first becoming the town of Brighton and finally joining the city of Boston in 1874. ...

But the warning was delivered miles away to dozens of towns, first by Revere and Dawes on horses, and then by other men on horses and men who rang church bells and town bells, beat drums, and shot off warning guns. Revere didn't really say "The British are coming!" because most of the people in Massachusetts still thought of themselves as British. But he did say "The Regulars are coming out!" (or something similar) to almost every house along the way to Lexington after he felt safe from that British patrol. See the Battle of Lexington and Concord for more information and Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fischer ISBN 0-19-508847-6. Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... William Dawes William Dawes, Jr. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... In ordinary English, regular is an adjective or noun used to mean in accordance with the usual customs, conventions, or rules, or frequent, periodic, or symmetric. ... Settled: 1642 â€“ Incorporated: 1713 Zip Code(s): 02420 / 02421 â€“ Area Code(s): 339 / 781 Official website: http://ci. ... The Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and was described as the shot heard round the world in Emersons Concord Hymn. ...

U.S. Bicentennial celebration

This statue of Paul Revere outside the Old North Church commemorates his memorable ride.

President Gerald Ford visited Old North Church on April 18, 1975. In his nationally televised speech, the President said, in part, Image File history File linksMetadata PaulRevereStatue. ... Image File history File linksMetadata PaulRevereStatue. ... Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...

"Let us pray here in the Old North Church tonight that those who follow 100 years or 200 years from now may look back at us and say: We were a society which combined reason with liberty and hope with freedom. May it be said above all: We kept the faith, freedom flourished, liberty lived. These are the abiding principles of our past and the greatest promise of our future."

Following President Ford's remarks, two lanterns were lit by Robert Newman Ruggles and Robert Newman Sheet, descendants of Robert Newman, who, as sexton of the Old North Church in 1775, lit the two lanterns which signaled the movement of British troops. The President then lit a third lantern, which hangs in a window of the church today.

On July 11, 1976, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited Boston and made reference to that event. She said, Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of 16 sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally, though she is more directly involved with the United Kingdom, where the Royal Family resides, and the Monarchy is historically indigenous. ...

"At the Old North Church last year, your President lit a third lantern dedicated to America's third century of freedom and to renewed faith in the American ideals. May its light never be dimmed."

The Queen and Prince Philip attended a Sunday morning service at the Old North Church, sitting in a pew at the right front. The Rev. Robert W. Golledge led the service and later presented The Queen with a replica of a silver chalice made by Paul Revere. The Queen was shown the iconic statue of Paul Revere by Cyrus E. Dallin near the church before departing in a motorcade to attend a function at the Old State House. The Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) (born 10 June 1921, Greece) is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. ... Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c. ... Old State House is the name of more than one building formerly used as a seat of government: Old State House (Boston), in the U.S. state of Massachusetts Old State House (Little Rock), in the U.S. state of Arkansas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid...

The Bells

Steeple of the Old North Church

Eight change ringing bells at Old North Church were cast in Gloucester in 1744 and hung in 1745. One bell has the inscription: We are the first ring of bells cast for the British Empire in North America, A.R. 1744. The bells were restored in 1894 and in 1975. They are maintained and rung regularly by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Guild of Bellringers. Image File history File links OldNorthChurchSteeple. ... Image File history File links OldNorthChurchSteeple. ... Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called changes, without attempting to ring a conventional tune. ... Gloucester (pronounced ) is a city and district in south-west England, close to the Welsh border. ... // Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia The First Saudi State founded by Mohammed Ibn Saud Prague occupied by Prussian armies Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births January 10 - Thomas Mifflin, fifth President... // Events May 11 - War of Austrian Succession: Battle of Fontenoy - At Fontenoy, French forces defeat an Anglo-Dutch-Hanoverian army including the Black Watch June 4 – Frederick the Great destroys Austrian army at Hohenfriedberg August 19 - Beginning of the 45 Jacobite Rising at Glenfinnan September 12 - Francis I is elected... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. MIT is organized into five schools and one college, containing 34 academic departments and 53 interdisciplinary laboratories, centers and programs. ...

Steeple Damage

The original steeple of the Old North Church was destroyed by the Storm of October 1804. A replacement steeple, designed by the architect of Faneuil Hall, Charles Bulfinch, was toppled by Hurricane Carol on August 31, 1954. The current steeple that was rebuilt after Hurricane Carol uses design elements from the original and the Bulfinch version. The church is now 175 feet (53 m) tall. At its tip is the original weathervane. Lowest pressure unknown Damages $100,000+ (1804 USD) $1. ... Faneuil Hall in 1776 Faneuil Hall today, east side Faneuil Hall, located near the waterfront and todays Government Center in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. ... The Massachusetts State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch and completed in 1798. ... Hurricane Carol was a Category 2 hurricane that battered New England during the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind. ...

The OTHER Old North Church

Prior to the construction of what is now commonly referred to as the Old North Church (Christ Church in the City of Boston), there was another church in Boston called the Old North. This Congregationalist meeting house was founded in North Square, across the street from what is now known as Paul Revere's house. John Mayo was installed as the first minister in 1655 and continued until 1673 when due to old age he was replaced by his close associate Increase Mather. This church was dismantled and burned for firewood by British soldiers during the occupation.

The fact that there have been two churches in Boston referred to as Old North leads to considerable confusion as to which physical church location is being referenced in both historical and modern documents. There are two key differences:

The Old North Meeting house's religious affiliation, Congregationalism, derived from Puritanism, was the dominant religion of the American Colonists in Boston at the time of the Revolution. Most of the early Patriots who rebelled against the Crown were likely to be Congregationalists. This affiliation, as well as the wooden construction of the meeting house made it possible for British Soldiers to dismantle it for firewood.

The Old North Church (Christ Church in the City of Boston) of Paul Revere fame, located on Salem Street, has always been a part of the Anglican/Episocopal Church since its establishment in 1723. As the Anglican Church was the official church of the British Crown and the Old North is constructed of brick, British soldiers would not have been likely or able to burn down the church for firewood.

In short, the two Old Norths have always been separate entities with different religious affiliations, locations, and physical construction.

External links

• Old North Church
• MIT Guild of Bellringers
• Mayo family history
• Boston National Historical Park Official Website