Old North Church - Two Lanterns in the Steeple

Photo: LEvalyn, CC BY 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Boston Freedom Trail, a free self-guided tour.

Christ Church, better known as Old North, opened in 1723 and is the oldest standing church building in Boston. Its tall steeple could be seen across the river in Charlestown, and that made it perfect for a signal.

On the night of April 18, 1775, the church sexton, Robert Newman, and vestryman John Pulling climbed into the steeple and briefly showed two lanterns. The signal told patriots across the river that British troops were leaving Boston by water rather than by land. It was a backup message in case Paul Revere could not get out of town.

The steeple you see is not the original. Storms knocked the steeple down in 1804 and again in 1954, and it was rebuilt each time.

Inside hang eight bells installed in 1745, the oldest set of change-ringing bells in North America. A teenage Paul Revere was one of the young men who signed up to ring them.

Getting here: Follow the red line up Hanover Street, then turn left through the Paul Revere Mall, the brick plaza with Revere's statue, to the back of the church.

Did you know?: The eight bells were cast in England in 1744 and carry an inscription saying they were the first ring of bells for the British Empire in North America.

Photo op: From the Paul Revere Mall, frame the equestrian Revere statue in front with the white steeple rising behind it.

More on Wikipedia: Old North Church · Robert Newman · Paul Revere

Stops on this tour

1. Boston Common - Where Cows Grazed and Redcoats Camped
2. Massachusetts State House - The Golden Dome
3. Park Street Church - Brimstone Corner
4. Granary Burying Ground - Patriots at Rest
5. King's Chapel - The Church That Ran Out of Money
6. Boston Latin School Site - America's First Public School
7. Old Corner Bookstore - Where Books Changed America
8. Old South Meeting House - The Tea Party Starts Here
9. Old State House and Massacre Site - Shots on State Street
10. Faneuil Hall - The Cradle of Liberty
11. Paul Revere House - Home of a Busy Silversmith
12. Old North Church - Two Lanterns in the Steeple
13. Copp's Hill Burying Ground - A View Across the River
14. USS Constitution - Old Ironsides Still Afloat
15. Bunker Hill Monument - The Battle on Breed's Hill