Old North Church, Boston (must see)

Few places in Boston manage to look this modest and still carry this much historical weight. Old North Church rises above the surrounding red-brick buildings with quiet confidence, as if it knows exactly what happened here and has no need to overact. Built in 1723, it is Boston’s oldest church, instantly recognized by its 191-foot steeple. The weather vane at the top is the original colonial one, which deserves applause, since the steeple itself has had a rougher life. The first one was destroyed by a hurricane in 1804, and its replacement met the same windy fate in 1954. Boston weather, clearly, has opinions...

But Old North did not enter history because of its steeple. It became famous because of two lanterns, one tense night, and a very sensible backup plan... On April 18, 1775, church sexton Robert Newman reportedly hung two lanterns inside the church, thus signaling to the colonial militia in Charlestown that British forces were moving by water from Boston. The message later became legendary: “One if by land, two if by sea.”

Paul Revere had already learned of the British movement and was heading toward Lexington when the lanterns were lit. The signal was meant as insurance, in case his mission failed. And history, being history, made things complicated: Revere and fellow rider William Dawes were both stopped by British patrols. The man who actually reached Concord was Dr. Samuel Prescott, the lesser-known third rider who quietly finished the job.

Inside, Old North Church is bright, white, and elegant, with Palladian windows behind the pulpit bringing plenty of light into the space. In the vestibule wall, look for twelve bricks taken from a prison cell in Boston, England, where early Pilgrims were once held. Near the organ are four 17th-century cherubim from a French ship, because apparently even church decoration can arrive with a dramatic backstory... At the rear stands a clock dated to 1726, considered the oldest working clock in an American public building.

Above, the belfry holds eight bells, the first cast for the British Empire in North America, which have since tolled the death of every U.S. president. Outside, the church softens its Revolutionary drama with gardens, including the Washington Memorial Garden and the 18th-Century Garden, where lilies, roses, and umbrella-shaped flowers fittingly known as archangels offer a peaceful ending after all those lanterns, hurricanes, and midnight riders...