Old North Church in Boston

This photo shows Hull Street looking southeast toward the Old North Church (officially Christ Church in the City of Boston) at 193 Salem Street in Boston's North End. Built in 1723, it is the oldest surviving church building in Boston. It remains an active Episcopal congregation holding weekly Sunday services and serves as one of the most prominent historic stops along Boston's Freedom Trail.

Perspective & Location: The photographer is standing on Hull Street looking down the narrow, sloped street toward its intersection with Salem Street. On the far left edge of the frame, the brick structure sits directly adjacent to Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

The Historic Steeple (1806–1954): The spire visible in this 1930s photograph was designed by renowned architect Charles Bulfinch and erected in 1806. This specific steeple was destroyed 22 years after this photo was taken when Hurricane Carol struck Boston on August 31, 1954, toppling the spire into the street below. The current steeple standing today is a 1955 replacement built to replicate the original 1723 design.

The Memorial Plaque: The prominent stone plaque mounted halfway up the brick tower commemorates the event of April 18, 1775, when two signal lanterns were hung from the church steeple to alert Paul Revere and local Patriots across the Charles River that British troops were moving by sea toward Lexington and Concord. The plaque mounted on the tower of Old North Church reads:

THE SIGNAL LANTERNS OF
PAUL REVERE
DISPLAYED IN THE STEEPLE OF THIS CHURCH
APRIL 18 1775
WARNED THE COUNTRY OF THE MARCH
OF THE BRITISH TROOPS TO
LEXINGTON AND CONCORD