The Paul Revere House

Many of our 2010 events will help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the writing of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." Please visit http://www.paulreveresride.org/ for a comprehensive list of commemorative events occurring around New England.

February

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 10:30 - 12:00
Fun and Games in the 1700s
In colonial Boston did men, women and children work from sunrise to sunset? The answer is a resounding NO! During a tour of the Revere House, children search for beans, a thimble, bed wrench and other examples of household items the Reveres likely used for both work and play. Then, participants will try their hands at popular colonial games such as Snail, Ninepins, Jackstraws, and Beast-Fish-Fowl. Families will leave with inspiration for how to turn everyday objects into toys and games and with rules for how to play these games and more! Each presentation is limited to 20 people. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the Revere House at 617-523-2338.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 10:30 - 12:00
Fun and Games in the 1700s
In colonial Boston did men, women and children work from sunrise to sunset? The answer is a resounding NO! During a tour of the Revere House, children search for beans, a thimble, bed wrench and other examples of household items the Reveres likely used for both work and play. Then, participants will try their hands at popular colonial games such as Snail, Ninepins, Jackstraws, and Beast-Fish-Fowl. Families will leave with inspiration for how to turn everyday objects into toys and games and with rules for how to play these games and more! Each presentation is limited to 20 people. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the Revere House at 617-523-2338.

April

SATURDAY, APRIL 17; 1:00-3:00
Patriot Fife and Drum
Enjoy a lively concert of music that accompanied colonists as they marched, danced, wooed their beloveds, and waged war. David Vose and Jim Snarski provide fascinating insight into each selection they perform.

SUNDAY, APRIL 18; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
A Visit with Paul Revere
On the 235th anniversary of Revere's famous ride, Michael Lepage brings Boston's favorite patriot vividly to life in the museum courtyard. Ask him about the details of his midnight ride, inquire about his 16 children, or engage him in conversation about his work as a gold and sliversmith.

TUESDAY, APRIL 20; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
Rachel Revere: A Revolutionary Woman
Paul has left on his ride, now what? Professional storyteller Joan Gatturna takes on the role of Paul Revere's second wife. Listen to her dramatic account of a woman's struggle to hold home and family together in a time of war, blockades, and shortages.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21; 1:00-4:00
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Visits the North End
Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the famous poet, Rob Velella brings to life the thoughts, words, and talent of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow while teaching young and old the basics of poetic rhyme, meter, and verse. Velella will bookend his drop-in poetry workshop with recitations and discussions of the poem “Paul Revere's Ride” at 1:00 and 3:30.

THURSDAY, APRIL 22; 10:00-11:30
Midnight Ride Storytelling Program
Find out what really happened on Paul Revere's ride! Watch a short slide program that separates the facts from the myths, then retrace Revere's route from his home to the banks of the Charles River. Participants don hats and carry props as they go, taking on the roles of Paul and Rachel Revere, their children, British soldiers, rowers, John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 617-523-2338. $4.50 for children ages 6 to 10 and for accompanying adults.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23; 10:00-11:30
Midnight Ride Storytelling Program
Find out what really happened on Paul Revere's ride! Watch a short slide program that separates the facts from the myths, then retrace Revere's route from his home to the banks of the Charles River. Participants don hats and carry props as they go, taking on the roles of Paul and Rachel Revere, their children, British soldiers, rowers, John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 617-523-2338. $4.50 for children ages 6 to 10 and for accompanying adults.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
A Loyalist Perspective on the Revolution
Hear a first-hand account of the abuses loyalists suffered at the hands of emboldened “patriots.” Michael Lepage takes on the role of Chief Justice Peter Oliver, brother of Andrew Oliver, a stamp collector.

May

SATURDAY, MAY 1; 1:00-4:00
Gilding Demonstration
Watch professional gilder Nancy Dick Atkinson apply gossamer thin sheets of gold leaf to wooden ornaments just as craftsmen did in Revere's era.

SATURDAY, MAY 8; 1:00-4:00
Revolutionary War Medicine
Medical historian Ed Page takes on the role of regimental surgeon Elisha Skinner. Find out how he treated bullet wounds and disease on the battlefield during the war.

SATURDAY, MAY 15; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
Deborah Sampson: Petticoat Patriot
A female soldier who served in the American Revolution would like to tell you about her extraordinary adventure! Storyteller Joan Gatturna portrays Sampson.

SATURDAY, MAY 22; 1:00-4:00
Boston Massacre: Copper Plate Printing Demonstration
Discover the techniques Paul Revere used to engrave and print incendiary broadsides and political cartoons, as well as currency to pay soldiers soon after the Revolutionary War began. Gary Gregory demonstrates the process.

SATURDAY, MAY 29; 1:00-4:00
Silversmithing in the Tradition of Paul Revere
Geoffrey Blake, a master silversmith from Old Newbury Crafters, produces hand-wrought sterling silver flatware just as Paul Revere did in his North End shop.

June

SATURDAY, JUNE 5; 1:00-4:00
The Tailor's Craft
Clothing historian Henry Cooke takes on the role of an early Boston tailor. Watch as he "takes the measure" of visitors, recording the data with coded cuts on parchment tape, then sits cross-legged, fashioning waistcoats from luxurious fabrics and "slops" from course weaves.

SATURDAY, JUNE 12; 1:00-4:00
Colonial Weaving Demonstration
Talented craftsman Fred Lawson demonstrates the art of creating cloth by hand and simple machines. Visitors encouraged to practice weaving on small looms provided by the presenter.

SATURDAY, JUNE 19; 1:00, 1:45, and 2:30
Meet Dr. Joseph Warren
Chat with one of the best-loved and most articulate members of the Sons of Liberty - and the head of an elaborate intelligence network - as portrayed by Michael Lepage.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26; 1:00, 1:45, and 2:30
Petticoats at Sea: A Clipper Ship Girl
Storyteller Joan Gatturna tells the tale of a teenage girl who saves her father’s ship after pirates attack it. The story is based on real life adventures.

July

THURSDAY, JULY 1; FRIDAY, JULY 2; MONDAY, JULY 5; 2:30-3:30
HARBORFEST ACTIVITY
Paul Revere’s Boston North End Walking Tours
Adults $5, seniors and college students $4.50, children 5-17 $1.50. Fee includes admission to the Revere House.
Step off the Freedom Trail and through the twisting streets and alleyways of Boston’s North End with an experienced guide. Explore sites often overlooked by casual visitors like North Square and the locations of Paul Revere’s silversmith shop and foundry. See Old North Church's steeple, where signal lanterns were shown on the night of Revere’s midnight ride and discover the spot where Revere embarked in a rowboat to begin his expedition. Find out about the North End’s most crowded period when thousands of Irish, Jewish, and Italian immigrants settled there. Your tour concludes with a visit to the site of Boston’s disastrous molasses flood.

THURSDAY, JULY 1; 1:00-3:00
HARBORFEST CHIDLREN’S DAY ACTIVITY
Paul Revere Pottery Hands on Activity
In the early 1900s, immigrant girls decorated tiles, plates, and bowls in a pottery named for Paul Revere. Clay artist Anne Bowen, who makes and sells reproductions of these pieces, invites visitors of all ages to try their hands at copying the chicks, rabbits, and Revere-related motifs for which the pottery was famous. Many of the dishes produced by the pottery were intended for use by children and 21st century kids will be delighted to color-in and take home copies of these whimsical designs.

FRIDAY, JULY 2; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
HARBORFEST ACTIVITY
A Visit with Paul Revere
Enjoy a visit with the famous patriot at his own home! Fascinating insights into Paul Revere’s story are revealed, as Mike Lepage brings to life the talented silversmith, midnight rider, and loving patriarch throughout his lively performance in the Revere House courtyard.

SATURDAY, JULY 3; 1:00-3:00
HARBORFEST ACTIVITY
Colonial Dance Tunes and Love Songs
In the guise of an itinerant musician, Al Petty performs popular 18th-century tunes such as “Mr. Isaac’s Maggot” and “Jack’s Health” on the penny whistle, flute and fife.

SATURDAY, JULY 10; 1:00-4:00
Captain Amasa Soper’s Company
Costumed members of this Revolutionary War reenactment group take on the roles of farmers, printers, and tailors who defended Boston harbor after the siege of the city ended in March 1776.

SATURDAY, JULY 17; 1:00-4:00
Glass Harmonica Concert
Vera Meyer plays early American melodies on the intriguing instrument that Ben Franklin invented. The ethereal, haunting tones Meyer creates will mesmerize all who listen!

SATURDAY, JULY 24; 1:00-3:00
Patriot Fife and Drum
David Vose and Jim Snarski offer a lively concert of music that accompanied colonists as they marched, danced, wooed, and waged war.

SATURDAY, JULY 31; 1:00-4:00
Boston Massacre: Copper Plate Printing Demonstration
Gary Gregory demonstrates the techniques Paul Revere used to engrave and print incendiary broadsides and political cartoons, as well as currency to pay soldiers.

August

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7; 1:00, 1:45, and 2:30
Fife and Drum Concert by Boston Alarm Company
Alarm company members play marches and beat out cadences used to warn citizens of impending attack.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14; 1:00-4:00
Hammered Dulcimer Concert
Award-winning musician Dave Neiman plays jigs, reels, and Baroque and Renaissance tunes that Paul Revere and his family may have enjoyed.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21; 1:00-4:00
Colonial Basket Weaving
Fred Lawson weaves and sells reproductions of period baskets used to store items like cheese, candles, and even chickens!

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28; 1:00-4:00
Quill Pen Writing and Drawing
Dressed in colonial garb, R. P. Hale uses early American teaching techniques to instruct museum visitors in the art of writing and drawing with quills.

September

SATURDAY, September 4; 1:00, 1:45, 2:30
A Visit with Paul Revere
Michael Lepage brings Boston’s favorite patriot vividly to life. Learn about the details of his ride, his family, and his many jobs.

WEDNESDAY, September 8; 6:30-7:30
Fall Lecture Series at Old South Meeting House: One Hundred and Fifty Years of ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’: Facts, Fables and Fiction
Charles Bahne, Listen, My Children: Paul Revere's Ride in Poetry and Legend.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem about “the midnight ride” of Paul Revere. Using new research, historian and author Charles Bahne will examine how Longfellow created one of America’s most enduring legends—a tale which, like all legends, often strays from the truth.

SATURDAY, September 11; 1:00-4:00
Silversmithing in the Tradition of Paul Revere
With hammers, iron shears, and jeweler’s saws, master silversmith Steve Smithers reveals the techniques Revere used to transform ingots of silver into creamers, porringers and beakers.

WEDNESDAY, September 15; 6:30-7:30
Fall Lecture Series at Old South Meeting House: One Hundred and Fifty Years of ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’: Facts, Fables and Fiction
John L. Bell, The Lost and Legendary Riders of April 19th.
Beyond Paul Revere and his companions, Americans have passed along stories of other notable riders on April 19, 1775. Historian John L. Bell investigates the facts and fiction behind such figures as Hezekiah Wyman, the dreaded “White Horseman”; Abel Benson and Abigail Smith, children said to have helped raise the alarm in Middlesex County; and Israel Bissell, the post rider credited with carrying news of the fight all the way to Philadelphia.

SATURDAY, September 18; 1:00-4:00
Paper Marbling
See how colonial craftsmen created eye-catching marbled papers to decorate book covers and instrument boxes. Watch as R. P. Hale floats pigments in water, swirls the colors, then transfers the designs to paper.

WEDNESDAY, September 22; 6:30-7:30
Fall Lecture Series at Old South Meeting House: One Hundred and Fifty Years of ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’: Facts, Fables and Fiction
Bob Damon, ‘A friend’ of Paul Revere: The Role of Family Histories in the Ongoing Mystery of Who Hung the Lanterns in Old North Steeple, April 18, 1775.
Old North Foundation historian and educator Bob Damon evaluates competing narratives from the Newman and Pulling families and explores the important role that family histories play in our understanding of the history of the Old North Church and the beginnings of the American Revolution.

SATURDAY, September 25; 1:00-4:00
Hammered Dulcimer Concert
Award-winning musician Dave Neiman plays jigs, reels, and Renaissance tunes that Paul Revere and his family may have enjoyed.

WEDNESDAY, September 29; 6:30-7:30
Fall Lecture Series at Old South Meeting House: One Hundred and Fifty Years of ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’: Facts, Fables and Fiction
Jill Lepore, Revering America: The Politics of Remembering the Revolution.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was not the first, nor by any means the last, to make use of Revolutionary War history for other purposes. Just this past spring, George Pataki launched an anti-health care petition drive called RevereAmerica, from Boston’s Paul Revere Mall. Americans have always put the past to political ends. Jill Lepore, Kemper Professor of History at Harvard University and New Yorker staff writer, will discuss the fraught relationship between reverence and revolution.
*Book signing to follow the lecture

October

SATURDAY, October 2; 1:00-4:00
Colonial Leather Working
Find out how leather workers fashioned scabbards, sword belts, and harnesses to outfit the Continental Army. Fred Lawson demonstrates these methods and invites visitors to try their hands at punching holes and sewing leather.

SATURDAY, October 9; 1:00-4:00
Printing Demonstration
Not only did Revere serve as a courier for the Sons of Liberty, he also contributed to the independence movement by engraving inflammatory political cartoons. R.P. Hale produces copies of an engraving on a hand-cranked press.

SATURDAY, October 16; 1:00-4:00
Tinsmithing Demonstration
Who made the ubiquitous lanterns, sconces, and other tin wares of the 18th century? A tinker! Larry Leonard produces and sells examples of his craft while describing the techniques, tools, and materials used since the Reveres’ era.