Paul Revere House

The Reveres house is located at 19 North Square in Boston’s historic North End district. If you follow the Freedom Trail you will not miss it since it is the only wood house in the area where other homes are made of mostly red brick. It is currently the oldest house in downtown Boston and one of the very few buildings remaining from Colonial times. It makes a really fine example of what colonial houses looked like in Boston at that time. It has the diamond-paned windows and the upper story overhang.

The house was built almost hundred years before the famous Midnight Ride occurred. Prior to the fire of 1676 it was a residence of the minister of Boston’s Second Church. Revere’s house as it is seen today was built in approximately 1680 and Revere owned it from 1770 until 1800. Because of the preservation efforts, the building probably looks better today than ever before, but 90% of the framing is original.

The house was the starting location of the Midnight Ride. Revere sold the house in 1800 and it subsequent history is pretty ordinary, including cigar factory, grocery store, rented house and even a bank. Gradually the building became ran down and most likely would have been demolished if not for Paul Revere’s great-grandson John Reynolds Jr. how bought it in 1902 and helped to create a memorial association that raised money for the restoration. The Paul Revere Memorial Association is still the current owner of the house, which is now a museum

Inside the museum displays the colonial furniture and artifacts, document and exhibits of Revere’s silver work. Throughout the year the house hosts many activities that remind of Revere’s life at the time when he lived there, various reenactments, demonstrations of silversmith craft, preparation of typical food severed at the time.

The place is really authentic and when it is not very crowded, walking through the rooms will almost transfer you back in time - the experience that is definitely worth the $3 admission.