Old North
@oldnorth1723
300 Years of History. 2 Lanterns. 1 Revolution. Visit us along Boston's Freedom Trail. oldnorth.com
In 1736, Minister Charles Wesley, the co-founder of Methodism, visited Old North Church and preached there for four consecutive Sundays. Old North has the distinction today of being the only church still standing in the United States where Charles Wesley once preached.
On this day in 1978, there was a 5-alarm fire at an apartment building next to Old North Church. Firefighters acted quickly to protect the church, and fortunately, our historic landmark was spared.
William Robinson Leigh's famous 1917 painting "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" is now on display in our gift shop! The painting was recently restored by our friends at Gianfranco Pocobene Studio.
Exciting update: the Boston Cone has reached Old North Church! We took Andrew Dobbie up to the top of the steeple with two cones (for "two if by sea"). May the love affair between Boston and Scotland never end! 🏴 🇺🇸
Madison, one of our wonderful Old North Educators, found the Boston Cone! The cone celebrates Glasgow and Boston becoming sister cities and traveled from Scotland to MA strapped to a first-class Delta seat. Upon arrival at Logan Airport, the Boston Cone was greeted by the mayor and governor!
The Tall Ships are in town! 50 tall ships from 20 countries are currently docked in Boston Harbor through July 16. To celebrate, we've added a special America250 Tall Ship Decanter to our gift shop. We love the design! oldnorthgiftshop.online/products/ame...
Join us on Zoom on 7/21 for a conversation with the authors of "On Courage: How to Be a Dissident in an Age of Fear." @juliaangwin.com and @fieldsmeyer.com interviewed 100+ dissidents on 5 continents to develop 16 lessons for defying authoritarianism. RSVP: www.eventbrite.com/e/on-courage...
"At Old North Church last year, your President lit a third lantern dedicated to America’s third century of freedom and to renew faith in the American ideals. May its light never be dimmed.”
"But perhaps they would have been pleased. Pleased to know that eventually we came together again as free peoples and friends and defended together the very ideals for which the American Revolution was fought."
"...and be greeted by the mayor and others in such kind and generous words, well I think they would be extremely surprised."
“If Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and other patriots could've known that one day a British monarch would stand behind the balcony of the Old State House from which the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Boston..."
On this day in 1976, Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Old North Church in celebration of the Bicentennial. In a speech at the Old State House during her visit to Boston, the Queen said:
Did you see Old North Church on TV? Jay O'Brien, a correspondent for ABC News, climbed our steeple while sharing some of Boston's revolutionary history.
This Sunday at 7:30pm, the Maryland State Boychoir will perform a free concert at the Old North Church! The acclaimed touring choir will sing a variety of choral works, from classical to barbershop tunes. Don't miss it! oldnorth.com/event/maryla...
Last week, our friends from Northeast Lantern brought replacement lanterns for our steeple! To celebrate the 250th, Northeast Lantern chose to create a new set of period-appropriate lanterns — similar to the ones that could have been used in 1775 for the "two if by sea" signal.
Today, America turns 250 years old. Let this incredible milestone be a reminder that "liberty and justice for all" is not a relic of the past, but an obligation of the present. We hope you have a wonderful Independence Day!
Celebrate July 4th at Old North! We’ll have dramatic readings of the Declaration of Independence, period music from costumed musicians, a giant Declaration that visitors can sign, and tours of our historic crypt and bell chamber. See the full schedule: oldnorth.com/event/july-4th-at-old-north/
Today was the grand opening of the Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry! Located on Old North Church's campus in a brick building constructed in 1715, this new shop stocks sweets from America's oldest candy company (established in Salem, MA in 1806). 🍬🍫😋
On this day in 1813, Rachel Walker Revere, the second wife of Paul Revere, passed away. Paul met Rachel soon after the death of his first wife, Sarah, and the two were married for 41 years. Rachel cared for the six surviving children from Paul’s first marriage and gave birth to eight more children.
Our friend Jules sent us these photos she took last week, and we can't stop smiling! 📸Hiddenjulesofbos on Instagram
Tonight (6/23) at 7pm! Join us on Zoom for a special talk with Greg Jackson, host of @htdspodcast.bsky.social. Prof. Jackson will discuss his new book, "Been There, Done That," which argues that today's political climate isn't as unprecedented as we may think. www.eventbrite.com/e/been-there...
The British are coming! The British are coming! Thousands of English soccer fans are coming to Boston to cheer on England in the World Cup tomorrow...and they're threatening to outdrink the Scottish fans who just left. Let these two lanterns be a warning to Boston's bartenders!
Happy Juneteenth! We're offering guided tours of the balcony, where free and enslaved Black people once sat, throughout the day. These tours are free with admission. We're also screening episodes of our award-winning Black history video series, Illuminating the Unseen, in our courtyard!
Tomorrow (6/19), in honor of the World Cup, we're celebrating Free Kilt Friday! Anyone wearing a kilt gets free admission to the Old North Church. Old North's ties to Scotland go back centuries. In this video, Rev. Matthew explains why we have a Scottish flag in our sanctuary.
Major John Pitcairn, a British military officer, was shot four times in the battle and died hours later. He was buried in the crypt of the Old North Church.
Today is the 251st anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. The battle was a tactical victory for the British, but it proved to be a sobering experience for them. They incurred many more casualties than the Americans had sustained, including many officers.
This room is Old North's bell ringing chamber! The bells themselves are above and are rung with these ropes. It takes skill and teamwork to ring these bells, which are still rung every week by the Old North bellringers, also known as the MIT Guild of Bellringers.
In honor of the World Cup in Boston, our gift shop has added these beautiful Freedom Trail Soccer Scarves. As some of the Scottish soccer fans visiting Boston might say, "They can take our lives, but they'll never take our Freedom (Trail Scarves)!" Please don't fact-check this.
We are excited to share that we have received a grant from @masscultural.bsky.social to complete the design of 6 box pews at Old North that will be accessible for wheelchair users! Thank you to @massgovernor.bsky.social for supporting the #CulturalFacilities Fund and making this project possible!