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Old North Church & Campus

Architect
William Lightfoot Price
Year
1723
Style
Georgian
City
Boston, MA
Collection
colonial & revolutionary
Old North Church & Campus
Photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 2.0
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Built in 1723 on Salem Street in the North End, Old North Church (officially Christ Church in the City of Boston) is the oldest standing church building in the city. Its congregation, Boston's second Anglican parish, held its first service on December 29, 1723, though the building wasn't fully finished until 1726, when its organ and steeple were still being added. It earned lasting fame on April 18, 1775, when two lanterns lit in its steeple signaled that British troops were moving by sea, launching Paul Revere's midnight ride at the start of the Revolutionary War.

the building

The signal lanterns. On the night of April 18, 1775, two lanterns were briefly hung in the steeple, a prearranged signal that British troops were crossing the Charles River by boat rather than marching out by land, alerting Patriots including Paul Revere before his ride.

A church that went dark. Old North closed between 1775 and 1778 during the Revolutionary War. Its steeple and pews were rebuilt in the 19th century as the congregation carried on afterward.

the style

Old North was built in the Georgian style typical of colonial New England's Anglican churches, the same architectural language used at sister parishes founded under the Church of England before the Revolution.

More on Georgian

significance

Old North Church is a National Historic Landmark, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in April 2025 was individually approved as Boston Landmark #158. It is a stop on Boston's Freedom Trail and part of Boston National Historical Park; the congregation still holds services while the nonprofit Old North Illuminated manages preservation and tourism.

nearby

All 282 buildings in Boston