Overview

Still an active Episcopalian Church, Old North Church, the oldest religious structure in Boston, dates back to 1723 and occupies a special place in American history. On a fateful night in 1775, Paul Revere watched for the signal, "One if by land and two if by sea." After the church sexton hung two lanterns from the steeple he began his famous midnight ride to wake and warn the countryside of the British troops' arrival. Every April, members of the colonial militia begin a lantern service commemorating the event.