Old North’s Greatest Hits: Our 2024 Highlights
By Nikki Stewart, Executive Director of Old North Illuminated
Time flies when you’re making history! From managing major historic restoration projects to developing new tours and online programs, we are immensely proud of everything Old North Illuminated has accomplished this year. As we prepare to say goodbye to 2024, we are excited to share some highlights from a banner year:
For more than 200 years, the Old North Church has displayed a bust of George Washington in our sanctuary. In January, the talented team at Manzi Appraisers & Restoration came to Old North to perform some much-needed cleaning and restoration work on the statue. President Washington is looking better than he has in decades! The restoration was made possible through the sponsorship of the Paul Revere Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
In February, we introduced a new way for visitors to explore Old North Church. With our new $10 bundle deal, guests can enjoy the award-winning Sparking Revolutions exhibit in Old North’s sanctuary, an audio guide with up to 35 minutes of secrets and stories, and a self-guided tour of our historic crypt. Our youngest explorers also enjoy Prince’s Pew Pursuit, a fun scavenger hunt. Visitors have loved having the ability to choose their own adventure on their own schedule!
In April, we hosted Lanterns & Luminaries, our annual celebration of the “two if by sea” lantern signal. Our honoree, Cmdr. Billie J. Farrell, the first woman to command USS Constitution, delivered an inspiring keynote about the power and relevance of historic sites. As two lanterns lit up the sky from our steeple, Paul Revere and William Dawes galloped by on horseback. We ate, we drank, and we sang more than a few sea shanties with our incomparable musical guests, Tripp and Toddy.
The critically acclaimed play Revolution’s Edge returned to the Old North Church over the summer, running four nights a week from June 7 – August 10. Written especially for Old North by Patrick Gabridge, directed by Alexandra Smith, and produced by Plays in Place, this gripping historical drama was a smash hit with audiences.
How do you restore a nearly 300-year-old clock case? You bring in an antique clock expert! The case of our Avery-Bennett Clock, built in 1726, was restored by Richard Hills of Hills Antique Clocks in Holliston, MA. Built by Richard Avery, a clock maker in colonial Boston, and Thomas Bennett, a carpenter and a member of Old North’s congregation, the Avery-Bennett Clock is the oldest public clock in the city.
Two ornate brass chandeliers hang in the center aisle of Old North Church’s sanctuary. In early 2024, an arm broke off one of the chandeliers during a routine cleaning. With the support of an Americana Corner Preserving America Grant, both chandeliers were inspected, the damage was repaired with the insertion of a pin and some subtle soldering, and a coat of lacquer was applied to help mask two previous repairs.
In September, members of our team went to Mobile, AL for the American Association for State and Local History Conference. We were presented with a 2024 Leadership in History Award of Excellence!
This honor recognizes the quality and impact of new programming at Old North Church that shines a light on the overlooked stories of the church’s early Black and Indigenous congregants. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 79th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
Our award-winning project, “Expanding History at Old North Church,” encompasses our new exhibit, audio guide, and YouTube series.
This fall, we launched a new Illuminating the Unseen Teacher Guide, a curricular unit for high school classrooms. Designed to accompany the award-winning Illuminating the Unseen video series starring former Old North Research Fellow Dr. Jaimie Crumley, this guide helps teachers adapt each episode to the classroom and foster discussions around topics of race, gender, and colonialism.
In October, an ambitious mural restoration project kicked off in our sanctuary’s balcony arches. Expert conservators have been delicately peeling away layers of white overpaint to uncover a series of angels painted in the late 1720s and 1730s. So far, six angels have been uncovered and two more will be revealed before the scaffolding comes down for Christmas. In January, the project will resume and 8 more angels will make their debut!
As this year comes to a close, we’re already looking forward to 2025, the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride and the start of the American Revolution. On April 16, we cannot wait to welcome the celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns to Old North as our Lanterns & Luminaries honoree! Ken will accept the Third Lantern Award and present a short clip of his upcoming PBS documentary, The American Revolution. Sponsorship opportunities are available now! Feel free to email nstewart@oldnorth.com with any questions.
Thank you for following along with us for all the twists and turns of the year. We are so grateful to everyone who reads our newsletter, tunes into our speaker series talks, and generously supports our programming. As we turn the page and enter 2025, let history light the way!
