The Paul Revere House

Boston's Oldest Wooden House Built in 1677!

The Paul Revere House in the Boston North End, the city's most historic neighborhood, is the oldest home still in existence in all of downtown Boston. Visiting this legendary colonial house is one of the most interesting things to do in Massachusetts.

The entire family, both young and old alike, will appreciate the great history behind the American Revolution's most notable residence.

Photo courtesy of jbcurio

Built more than 300 years ago in 1680 on a site formerly occupied by the Second Church of Boston, which was destroyed in The Great Fire of 1676, the Revere family did not live in the house until nearly 100 years later from 1770 to 1800.

The life of Paul Revere was a rather fascinating one and he is best known for his famous horseback ride from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts.

The ride, which took place on the night of April 18, 1775, was to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that they were in danger of being arrested is remembered mostly by Revere's infamous line, "The British are coming!"

Paul Revere House - Over the Years

The old wooden house has seen a number of renovations and transitions throughout the centuries beginning during the mid 1700s when the roof line was raised and a two storied lean-to was added, which was actually later removed in the early 1900s.

During the three decades the Reveres occupied the house it was home to many people including Paul, his mother, one of his two wives, and somewhere between five and nine of his 16 children.

Revere's first wife died during childbirth after bearing his eighth child and his second wife gave him another eight children whom he supported working as a silversmith.

After the Revere family moved, the house was home to literally thousands of immigrants of Irish, Italian, and Jewish descent throughout the nineteenth century who came to American looking for a better life.

The Paul Revere House Today

Located at 19 North Square along the Boston Freedom Trail, today the house is home to a nonprofit museum and continues to be one of the most fascinating places to visit in the state of Massachusetts.

The two and a half story Paul Revere House still contains neatly preserved artifacts and antiques from that historic time period including the family's collection of fine silver.

When you go, plan on spending anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to fully explore the house, and keep in mind there are no public telephones or restrooms available to visitors.

If you are planning on adding the Paul Revere House to your list of things to do in Massachusetts, it is open daily from April 15 through October 31 from 9:30am to 5:15pm and from November 1 through April 14 from 9:30am to 4:15pm.

The house, which is a part of the two and a half mile long Boston Freedom Trail and one of 16 different historic sites, is closed on Mondays in the months of January, February, and March and also on the holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Admission to the house, which is owned and operated today by The Paul Revere Memorial Association along with the adjacent Pierce-Hichborn House, is $3.50 for adults, $3.00 for senior citizens and college students, and $1.00 for children ages five to 17.

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