Honoring the states we serve · Massachusetts

Old North Church: "One if by Land, Two if by Sea"

Above the narrow streets of Boston's North End rises a tall white steeple. On the night of April 18, 1775, two lanterns glowed briefly in that steeple, a secret signal that British troops were on the move. Old North Church, officially Christ Church in the City of Boston, is the oldest standing church in the city and one of the most famous places in the story of American independence.

The white steeple of Old North Church rising behind the bronze statue of Paul Revere on horseback, framed by tall trees and old street lamps in Boston's North End — Old North Church · Boston, Massachusetts, seen behind the Paul Revere statue. Photo: Jesse James, CC BY 2.0

Boston's oldest standing church

Christ Church was built in 1723 and completed in 1726. Its brick walls and graceful steeple have watched over the North End for three centuries. Its bells, cast in England in 1744, are the oldest change-ringing bells in North America, and as a teenager Paul Revere was one of the young men who rang them.

Two lanterns in the steeple

In April 1775, Boston's patriots knew British troops would soon march into the countryside, but not which way they would go. Paul Revere arranged a signal: lanterns hung in the steeple of Christ Church would warn patriots across the Charles River in Charlestown. One lantern meant the troops were coming by land; two meant by sea, across the river.

On the night of April 18, 1775, the church's sexton, Robert Newman, and sea captain John Pulling climbed the steeple and held up two lanterns. Revere set out on his famous ride, and the next morning the first shots of the Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later made the signal immortal in his poem: "One if by land, and two if by sea."

Storms and steeples

The steeple you see today is not the original. A hurricane brought down the first steeple in 1804, and it was replaced in 1806. In 1954, Hurricane Carol toppled the steeple again, and a new one was raised in 1955. The church was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and it remains an active Episcopal church as well as one of the most visited stops on Boston's Freedom Trail.

Planning your visit

Address: 193 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113, in the North End.
Hours, tours and tickets: check oldnorth.com before you go. As an active church, it may close for services and special events.
Nearby: the Paul Revere statue on the Paul Revere Mall, the Paul Revere House, Copp's Hill Burying Ground, and Hanover Street's cafés and bakeries.

Making a home in Greater Boston

From the North End and Beacon Hill to the North Shore, MetroWest and the South Shore, Greater Boston offers neighborhoods full of history and character. Beyond Financing, Inc. is based in Saugus, Massachusetts, and licensed in Massachusetts as a mortgage broker. Whether you are buying your first home, are self-employed, or file taxes with an ITIN, our team will compare programs from several lenders and explain every step in English, Português or Español.

Talk with our team Estimate a monthly payment

Sources

Old North Illuminated, oldnorth.com
Wikipedia, "Old North Church"

Part of our series honoring the communities in the nine states where Beyond Financing, Inc. is licensed. Beyond Financing, Inc., NMLS #2394496. Equal Housing Opportunity. This is not a commitment to lend; all loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not affiliated with Old North Church, Old North Illuminated, or Beyond Finance, LLC.