paul revere house tour

The Paul Revere House

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Paul Revere House

19th North Square Boston , MA 02113 United States

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Home to the Revolutionary War figure, Paul Revere lived here from 1770 to 1800. The night Revere declared "the British are coming" he embarked on his famous journey from this historic home. The Revere House offers tours, demonstrations of era-specific tools and techniques, and reenactors.

Paul Revere House: What's Nearby

Rev War   |   Historic Site Paul Revere House Boston, MA

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Historic Site Faneuil Hall Marketplace Boston, MA

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Civil War   |   Historic Site Boston African American National Historic Site Boston, MA

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Paul Revere

The life of a patriot.

Paul Revere by Copley, 1768

Paul Revere was born in the North End of Boston on December 21, 1734. He was educated at the North Writing School and at the age of 13 began working as an apprentice at his father’s gold and silversmith shop. The elder Revere was also named Paul Revere (originally Apollos Rivoire) and his shop was located on Fish Street at the head of Clark’s Wharf. In 1750, when Paul was 15, he and 6 friends were paid to ring the bells at Christ Church, known today at the Old North Church. In 1754, a 19-year-old Revere was in the midst of a seven-year apprenticeship as a silversmith when his father died. At that time, Paul’s widowed mother Deborah Revere may have become proprietor of the family business and supervised the financial end of the operation where Paul, his brother Thomas, and others worked. When Paul reached the age of 21, he was old enough to take over the business himself.

Revere’s North Battery Certificate

As a copper plate engraver, one of Paul Revere’s first efforts was the North Battery certificate produced about 1762. Shown above is a restrike made in 1882 from his original plate. Later copper plate prints include the well-known engraving of the Boston Massacre; the Landing of the Troops—an engraving showing the British troops landing at Long Wharf in 1768; and engraving work for Massachusetts currency, books, and magazines. After nearly 16 years of marriage, Paul’s wife Sarah died in May of 1773. In October of that year, Revere married Rachel Walker. Together, they also had eight children. Paul Revere was the father of 16!

Revere also did lead metal engravings for newspapers including the mastheads of both the Boston Gazette and the Massachusetts Spy shown below. The events of his midnight ride are covered in the “April 18-19, 1775” section. When the Revolutionary War broke out, Paul Revere learned how to manufacture gunpowder from the owner of a powder factory in Philadelphia. He returned to Boston and oversaw the construction of a powder mill in Canton that would supply gunpowder for the newly formed Continental Army.

Massachusetts Spy masthead

Revere spent most of the American Revolution as lieutenant colonel in the Massachusetts State Train of Artillery and commander of Castle Island in Boston Harbor. Newspaper ads placed by Paul Revere after the Revolution tell us that he moved his silversmith shop multiple times; operated a hardware store as early as 1783; and housed both businesses together in 1787 as the original ad shown below from the June 13, 1787 issue of the Massachusetts Centinel notes. Beneath that ad is a photo of a plaque you can see today marking the location of Revere’s shop in 1787—No. 50 Cornhill at the time. The final ad from the March 10, 1790 issue of the Massachusetts Centinel tells us that Revere had moved his gold and silversmith shop to No. 8 Union Street by that time and was again relocating to No. 16 Ann Street.

Revere ad from June 13, 1787

Site of Revere’s shop in 1787

Revere ad from March 10, 1790

By 1788, while still operating his silversmith shop (run on a day-to-day basis by his son Paul Jr.) and hardware store, Revere opened a foundry and produced bolts, spikes, and nails for local shipyards. After 1792, he began to cast bells at his foundry in the North End of Boston, and was assisted by his sons Paul Revere Jr. and Joseph Warren Revere. Today some 148 bells made at the Revere Foundry still survive. Most are located in New England. In 1794, Revere began casting cannon (naval and field pieces) for the federal government and various state governments.

Revere died on May 10, 1818 at the age of 83. The notice of his death in the Columbian Centinel included these words: “During his protracted life, his activity in business and benevolence, the vigor of his mind, and strength of his constitution were unabated.” He is buried in Boston’s Granary Burying Ground. Paul Revere was not born to wealth—he was an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. Revere was a patriot, a businessman, an involved citizen, and a popular and well-respected member of his community.

Paying tribute to Paul Revere

Revere’s marker in Granary

The Paul Revere House in Boston

Visit the Paul Revere House website

Read the Revere Express blog

Listen to the Revere House Radio podcast

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Paul Revere House

Built in 1680, the unimposing wooden house at 19 North Square is the oldest house in downtown Boston . The 3-story building was the home of silversmith and Boston Patriot Paul Revere from 1770-1800, previously housing the parsonage of the Second Church of Boston. Revere sold the house in 1800 and it became a tenement with the ground floor used for shops and various businesses over the years. In 1902, Revere’s great-grandson purchased the property and restored it so that it could be opened to the public. In 1908, after restoration by architects and preservationists, the Paul Revere House opened to the public as one of the earliest historic house museums in Boston and the U.S.

During the American Revolution, Revere acted as a messenger for the battles of Lexington and Concord. On the evening of April 18, 1775, Revere left his house in the North End and traveled to the Old North Church , beginning his famous “midnight ride.” After informing patriots at the church of the movements of the British army, he rode to Lexington with William Dawes to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were wanted by the British army.

After the war, Revere opened a hardware and home goods store and then an iron and brass foundry in the North End . Though he lived in other homes in Boston, Revere spent most of his adult life in this North End home with his family. The two upstairs rooms of the Paul Revere House contain furniture believed to have belonged to the Revere family. In addition, 90% of the building’s structure is original.

Boston Old Town Trolley Tour

Old Town Trolley is a convenient way to explore the Paul Revere House while maximizing your vacation time. The oldest house in downtown Boston, this 3-story building was the home of silversmith and Boston Patriot Paul Revere. Today it stands as one of the first historic homes to be be converted to a museum open to the public. Find the lowest price and money-saving packages by purchasing tickets direct through our website.

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Paul Revere House

Built around 1680, the Paul Revere House is a rare example of 17th-century urban architecture. One room is furnished with artifacts from the time of the first owner, while three other rooms contain artifacts from Revere’s era, including Revere family furniture and silver made in the Revere shop.

Paul Revere purchased this former merchant’s dwelling in 1770, when he was 35 years old and he lived here with his family when he made his famous messenger ride on the night of April 18-19, 1775. For most of the 19th century the home served as a rooming house and a tenement for some of the thousands of Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants who lived in the neighborhood.

Restored in the early 20th century and opened to the public in 1908, the Paul Revere House today is a an ideal place for visitors to experience what everyday life was like in 17th and 18th century Boston.

Additional Information

Visit the website here: www.paulreverehouse.org

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Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum

This page was developed with the help of one of our great cast members here at the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum®.

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To request a reservation for your group of 10 or more people please use our page on Explorable Places . The calendar for the 2023-2024 school year will open on September 5, 2023. Our Education Department is available via phone (617-523-2338) and email ( [email protected] ) as well. Thank you!

What we offer.

The Paul Revere House is an educational resource for learners of all ages. We offer onsite field trips, outreach programs at your school, lectures and programs for adults, and tours for all kinds of groups. We welcome visits from homeschoolers, scouts, family reunions, corporate groups, after-school groups, and summer camp programs. We would be delighted to help you find the program that best suits your needs.

To ensure access and to get the best pricing and service, all school groups as well as any group of over 10 people should make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance. During our busiest field trip season (April, May, and June) and adult group season (September and October) we recommend that you book as soon as you can. We begin accepting school group bookings for the academic year on the day after Labor Day.

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