Old North Church
Old North Church (officially, Christ Church in the City of Boston) is a church in Boston, Massachusetts at 193 Salem Street. It was built in 1723. Its design was inspired by the works of Christopher Wren. The church is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. It is the oldest standing church building in Boston. Inside the church is a bust of George Washington that the Marquis de Lafayette thought the best likeness of Washington he had ever seen.
Old North Church | |
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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. | |
| Location: | Boston |
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| Coordinates: | 42°21′58.78″N 71°3′16.04″W / 42.3663278°N 71.0544556°WCoordinates: 42°21′58.78″N 71°3′16.04″W / 42.3663278°N 71.0544556°W |
| Built: | 1723 |
| Architect: | Price, William |
| Architectural style: | Georgian |
| Governing body: | Episcopal church |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000776 [1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL: | January 20, 1961 |
The church is known to most Americans because it was here that a lantern signal was sent by sexton Robert Newman from the church steeple on the evening of April 18, 1775 to warn American patriots that British soldiers were approaching Lexington and Concord by sea and not by land.[2] "Paul Revere's Ride", a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, remembers this event.
The church steeple was damaged by storms in 1804 and 1954. It was rebuilt. It is now 175 feet (53 m) tall. The original weathervane is on top. There are 1100 bodies buried in the basement. Many of these are patriots who were killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Old North Church is a National Historic Landmark. Queen Elizabeth II visited the church in 1976 and was given a silver chalice (a cup) modelled on one made by Paul Revere.
Gallery
Old North Church in 1882
Statue of Paul Revere outside the Old North Church
Steeple of the Old North Church
Bust of Washington
Old North Church Media
Interior of the Old North Church
A plaque on the side of Old North Church describing actions of Paul Revere in 1775
The Old North Church steeple
Cyrus E. Dallin's equestrian statue of Paul Revere near the Old North Church commemorates Revere's memorable ride.
References
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ↑ "ONC History". Archived from the original on 2013-05-05. Retrieved 2013-05-08.
Other websites
- Old North Church
- Mayo family history Archived 2006-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Boston National Historical Park Official Website
- Listing and photographs at the Historic American Buildings Survey
- Old North Church (Christ Church) at Find a Grave