Category: Restoration & Preservation
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#Dignorth – the Bifurcated Cistern in Washington Garden
For the second summer in a row, archaeologists armed with trowels and screens have descended upon the Washington Garden in search of clues of what life was like for the inhabitants of 2 and 3 Unity Court, tenement buildings that were only one of many that made up the North End in the nineteenth century. Last…
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Door Hinges & a Blacksmith on Speed Dial
Replacing hinges on six pew doors is a much bigger feat than it sounds! This is just one of the many different types of maintenance our church building needs—but when your building is 293 years old, it’s never as simple as running to the hardware store. Actually, it might sometimes be that easy if we didn’t care…
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#Dignorth – the First Few Weeks: It’s Not a Cistern?
Phase two of the Washington Memorial Garden Archaeological Dig is well under way under the auspice of City Archaeologist Joseph Bagley. Joe and his crew have been hard at work excavating what was originally thought to be a “cistern” but now the feature’s identity is less certain. Instead the archaeologists have unearthed more questions and…
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#Dignorth in Pictures
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Excavating the Past
In preparation for the upcoming Washington Memorial Garden renovation project, city archaeologists are conducting a survey in areas that will be disturbed by new landscaping work. The North End of Boston is a heavily built-up area, and opportunities to explore the city’s past are rare, so this is an exciting opportunity to peer into the…
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$30,000 Award Will Support Garden Project at Old North
The Garden Club of America Announces 2016 Founders Fund Winner$30,000 Award will support Beacon Hill Garden Club’s project at the Old North Church Minneapolis (May 21, 2016) — Beacon Hill Garden Club, Boston has been named 2016 recipient of The Garden Club of America (GCA) Founders Fund Award. The $30,000 award was announced during the GCA’s annual meeting…
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A Photo from 1905 Reveals a Very Different Old North
Have you ever had the chance to examine your familiar surroundings in a new light? Several Old North educators recently had this opportunity. Parish Administrator Priscilla Burns received an envelope containing two faded, worn photographs and a note indicating the photos were taken at Old North Church in August 1905. The church in the photograph,…
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The People in the Pews: Theodore Roosevelt
On December 29, 1912, the date that happened to be the 189th anniversary of its first service, a newly restored and refurbished Old North Church opened for the first time since the spring of that year. Over 1,000 people filled the pews, aisles, stairways, and entryways to hear the words of Bishop William Lawrence, the rector…
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A Tale of Three Steeples
On this day (August 31) in 1954, the steeple of the Old North Church blew down—for the SECOND time! In 1954, the culprit was Hurricane Carol. On this day in 1954, the steeple of the Old North Church blew down — for the SECOND time! In 1954, the culprit was Hurricane Carol. During that storm,…