The Paul Revere House

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The Paul Revere House in tiny North Square was built circa 1680 and was occupied by Revere's family intermittently from 1770 to 1800.

The timber house was built on the former location of the Second Church of Boston's parsonage.  This was home to the famous Puritan Pastor Increase Mather and his reverend son, Cotton Mather.  That building was lost to the Great Fire of 1676.

The 1680 house underwent many renovations.  A rear kitchen area was added during the 17th century.  During the 18th century the roofline was substantially raised, and a lean-to was added between the main house and the original addition.

Paul Revere purchased the house in 1770 for a sum of 373 pounds 6 shillings and 8 pence.  The Revere’s lived here throughout the 1770s, and periodically until 1800.

After 1800, the upper floors of the building were employed as tenement housing, while the ground floor was let for commercial purposes including: a bank, a cigar factory, a candy store, and a green grocer.

In 1902, the house was purchased by John P. Reynolds, Jr., Revere's great-grandson, so that the house might be preserved.  In the following years it was restored to what is believed to be its 17th century appearance.

In 1908 the house was opened to the public as a museum.