"One if by land and two if by sea..." is a famous line from "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This depicted the signal lanterns that were to be hung from the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston regarding British troop movements prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Located in the north end of Boston, the church's steeple could be seen by the Colonial Militia across the river in Charlestown. The lanterns would be lit for just under one minute so as to minimize being seen by the British. Officially known as "Christ Church in the City of Boston", it was built in 1723 and is the oldest standing church building in the city.
Inside the church is a bust of George Washington, which the Marquis de Lafayette supposedly stated was the best likeness of the first U.S. President he'd ever seen. Having been inspired by the works of the famous architect Christopher Wren, the original steeple was destroyed in an 1804 storm. It was later rebuilt by another famous architect, Charles Bullfinch. This one was subsequently toppled by Hurricaine Carol on August 25, 1954, and then rebuilt (architect unknown). Between its construction in 1723 and 1860, 1100 people were buried in 37 tombs in the basement of the church, including the founding rector Timothy Cutler and several British soldiers who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Each of the tombs were sealed with either a wooden or slate door and many later plastered over in the 1850's by order of the City Council. While touring the historic sites of Boston during America's bicentennial celebrations, our children had the joyful experience of ringing the bells of the Old North Church. It was delightful to see them being practically lifted off of the ground while holding on to the bell ropes.
For further information, you can Google "The Old North Church" and" Paul Revere's Ride."
In the basement crypt are 37 tombs containing the remains of 1100 folks buried here between 1723 and 1860. Many of the tomb slate doors were plastered over in the 1850's
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