Old North Church - North End of Boston

  Today we went to the North End of Boston to see the Old North Church made famous in the poem Paul Revere's Ride. "One if by land and two if by sea", goes the poem.  Revere, himself, came up with this plan.  But he was not the one in the window with the lantern.  He was already heading across the Charles River to begin his part of the ride.  The other rider was William Dawes.  The two in the church had already locked themselves in because they were breaking British curfew by being out after dark.  The British saw the lights as well, and by the time these two, whose names I can't recall, came down, the British were banging on the church door.  The two lantern men managed to escape out a window, which is still part of the church.

   The church has interesting blocks of family pews.  Each family got an enclosed space, and furnished the insides to their liking, chairs, rugs, a loveseat, wallpaper, anything to make it warm and comfortable.  Like their own little condo!  Today, the pews are whitewashed and plain.  This is still a working church, and has a steady Anglican congregation.

  We then walked up the hill to Copp's Hill Burial Ground, the second oldest cemetery in Boston.  The guide we came across told us that back then, you were buried, and your family did not come back to visit the grave.  Cemeteries were not well cared for.  She also told us about the various symbols on the headstones:

    Skull - angel of Death
    Angel - Heaven
    Urn with Weeping Willow - death and mourning

Cotton Mather, the famous puritan minister, is buried here with his father and son.