Angels of Boston’s Old North Church Revealed after a Century

Boston’s Old North Church, in the heart of the city and standing for three centuries, is among Boston’s most famous landmarks and a true piece of history. Build in 1723, it is the oldest standing church building in Boston and is a National Historic Landmark.

The church is perhaps most famous for its association with Paul Revere’s midnight ride on 18 April 1775 to warn the Massachusetts militia, known as the minutemen, that the British Army was approaching. Paul Revere was alerted of the approach of the British by lanterns hung in the Old North Church, and sped to warn the patriots that “the redcoats are coming.”

But now the church is about to enter a new period of its existence. As reported in The Sentinel, conservators are stripping away the austere white paint of the interior to reveal angels in the high ceiling.

These decorative images are almost as old as the church itself, having been painted by John Gibbs, a member of the congregation in 1730. Designed to resemble stonework, the eight angels were painted over in 1912 with thick layers of plain white paint and have remained hidden for more than a century.

The conservators, Gianfranco Pocobene and Corrine Long, have removed seven individual layers of paint from the interior, painstakingly and carefully scraping back the top layers to avoid damaging the angels underneath. Each has their own personality and individuality, and it is believed that in total 20 angels adorn the building, waiting to be uncovered.

“When we first looked at the project six months ago, we had no idea what was here,” Pocobene said. “It’s really been quite a revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that nobody has seen in our lifetime.”

Conservation work continues, and it is hoped that a further eight angels will be uncovered in spring 2025. The angels are said to form a patter around the interior of the church, each being different and each contributing to the whole.

Original Article: https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/national-news-apwire/2024/12/centuries-old-angels-painting-uncovered-at-boston-church/.

Header Image: One of the angels is revealed in the interior of Boston’s Old North Church. Source: AP Photo/Steven Senne/Sentinel.