Freedom Trail - Part 2

Paul Revere's House

Paul Revere lived in this house for 30 years. He married once to Sarah and had 8 children and when Sarah died, he married again and had 8 more children (of the 16, 5 of the children died in infancy).

It was a typical middle class house in the 1700's and had 3 floors originally.
Just a short walk down the Freedom Trail is the Old North Church. Still open and having Sunday services.
The Old North Church is historical because it is where the signal from Paul Revere was sent to the Patriots that the British were coming. One lantern by land and two if by sea. Two lanterns were held up for less than 1 minute. During that time, the Patriots saw the signal, but so did the British. At that time, the land was under Marshall Law and no one was to be out after dark. The British soldiers marched to the church and by the time they were at the front door, the signalman who was the church sexton, Robert Newman, was just reaching the ground floor. As the soldiers banged on the door, the signalman escaped out a back window. Read the full story here.
Back in the day, there was no heating in the church, so they built these boxed pews to help keep the warmth in. You had to buy these pews and the closer to the front you were, the more your pew costs. In the 1700's the front pew cost 70 english pounds, the equivalent today of $25,000. Yikes!!! I usually try to dodge the front and sit somewhere in the middle, I guess I should appreciate those free front seats!
The pews came empty. You had to build your own seats and you could fix it up any way you chose. The owners used to put wallpaper up and pictures, bring chairs and foot warmers.