Historic Resources: A New Mission for the Old North Church—An Engaging Discussion and Special Tour

For our June HRC program, Old North Foundation Executive Director Nikki Stewart will host an ONSITE discussion of the foundation's recent strategic planning process and new mission, as well as current and upcoming preservation projects at the church such as the crypt restoration, historic paint restoration, and campus-wide accessibility. Following the discussion, foundation staff will provide tours of the crypt, church, and bell ringing chamber.
Of course, the enduring fame of the Old North Church began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when two patriots climbed the steeple and held high two lanterns as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord “by sea” across the Charles River. With this signal, Revere and a network of riders embarked on their perilous journeys, and this fateful event ignited the battles at Concord and Lexington and launched the American Revolution.

The Old North Foundation, a secular 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991, inspires active citizenship and courageous, compassionate leadership by interpreting and preserving the Old North Church & Historic Site. The work of the Old North Foundation falls into three interwoven program areas:
1. Centering our history in contemporary relevance – and hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually -- INTERPRETATION weaves together the seminal story of Revere's midnight ride with themes of active citizenship and the church’s paradoxical ties to 18th-century enslavement.
2. HISTORY EDUCATION requires a critical lens and honest dialogue about the nation’s founding ideals and the ongoing struggle to realize those ideals. The foundation supports educators across the country by developing curricula and enrichment materials that take a fresh look at the past and encourage learners to identify themselves as active citizens who are gaining the wisdom, confidence, and motivation to participate in their communities.
3. PRESERVATION of the Old North Church and its accompanying historic buildings: the 1715 Clough House, a 1918 chapel that now houses the Old North Gift Shop, and a Parish House dating to the North End’s tenement era.