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When Paul, Sarah, Rachel, or any Revere found a tear in their clothing, what did they do next? Today’s guest, Emily Whitted, is examining early American textile repair for her dissertation. Her research touches on cultural, economic, and military history and has brought her into the collections of a wide range of museums. To finish out Season 5 of Revere House Radio, interpreters Derek and Greg discuss some of the details that help them and our visitors see Paul Revere as a real person.  Some information on our Facebook page about the sampler made by Revere’s great-granddaughter Book: The Needle’s Eye: Women and Work in the Age of Revolution, by Marla Miller (2006) Explore the University of Rhode Island’s textile collection online A brief summary of different ways the Revere House has been used over the yearshttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

“He was a fan!” today’s guest says about Paul Revere’s relationship to Freemasonry. Hilary Anderson Stelling is the Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library in Lexington, MA. We discuss Freemasonry in Revere’s life and in the Revolution, silver and paper objects Revere made for a number of lodges, and how Revere shows up in all kinds of other objects. Additionally, interpreters Derek and Kathryn talk about the novel Johnny Tremain, which was written by a biographer of Paul Revere and was the inspiration for a Disney movie and part of the inspiration for Liberty Square in the Disney parks.  Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library An example of the jewels we discuss A second example The Masonic summons we discuss The can of tomatoes The matchbox There are a number of editions of Johnny Tremain and Forbes’s biography of Revere on the Internet Archive, and we also sell them in our gift shop.https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

The North End is geographically one of the smallest neighborhoods in Boston, but it has a big personality. Dr. Jessica Dello Russo is a native North Ender and therefore a neighbor of the Paul Revere House. In today’s episode, she discusses her experiences seeing the neighborhood change over the decades, her background as an archaeologist, and history shared by the North End Historical Society. To close out the show, high school interns Erin and Elena talk about the perspectives they gained by spending a week learning about the Paul Revere House.  The North End neighborhood on Google maps St. Leonard’s Church virtual tour. Created by the church, this tour has information about the religious meaning of visual elements in the space, but it is also a good visual resource for people who have not been inside a church like this one. North End Historical Society Streaming film “Boston’s North End: An Italian American Story” Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson on The Internet Archive https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

Genna Kane, a former Paul Revere House interpreter, shares stories and analysis from her dissertation research on the history of Boston’s waterfront. We are only a few blocks from the harbor at the Paul Revere House, and many people describe the North End and Waterfront neighborhoods as one. In the interview, we get into changing commercial and industrial functions, sea level rise, the creation of waterfront parks, and more. At the close of the show, high school interns Keyana and Maddie share a bit about their internship project and what they learned about museums. Map of Boston in 1722 by John Bonner in the Massachusetts Historical SocietyBoston Green Ribbon Commission North End / Waterfront Climate Alliance 1876 lithograph of a ship leaving Cunard Wharf in 1844 using the canal cut in the ice. India Wharf Bulfinch warehouse as photographed in 1903 c. 1927 photo of bathers at North End Beach Virtual exhibit created by our 2025 high school interns https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

Happy 251st anniversary of Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride! Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson is the guest in this episode, and we talk about the role of poetry in society and about Paul Revere's life. He shares his poem “Dear Paul Revere, or Forge, Shape, Shine” and we discuss his process for creating this piece that explores what Revere’s legacy means today. To round out the show, high school interns Arabella and Veronica share a bit about what they learned about history. Regie's websitePhillis Wheatley postage stamp Just the recording and text of "Dear Paul Revere" by Regie Gibson Text of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride”  A digitized recording of “Paul Revere (Won’t You Ride for Us Again)” Regie’s recommendations: Walt Whitman – Link to online edition of Leaves of Grass       Doris Kearns Goodwin David McCullough  What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner      https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

We're starting season five with an interview with R.P. Hale, an educator, craftsman and musician who has worked with the Revere House on special events for several decades. We'll talk instrument making, paper marbling, and printing, and how these and other crafts were interwoven with daily life in the 18th century. In our interpreter segment, Derek and Natalie talk about international trade and religious perspectives in Boston. Paul Revere’s engraving showing the obelisk for the Stamp Act repeal celebration Internet Archive copy of Paul Revere’s Engravings by Clarence BrighamVideo presentation commemorating Paul Revere’s Massacre memorial illuminations https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

We're releasing a new season of Revere House Radio starting in mid-April. Season Five will include six interviews with historians, colleagues from related museums, and more, with discussions ranging from Masonry to Boston's waterfront, textile repair, to harpsichords. https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

For the last episode of Season Four, recent Paul Revere House Research Fellow Ryan Bachman discusses his research into Black residents in the North End, in the decade that legal slavery ended in Massachusetts and the decades that followed. He highlights some of his favorite stories and discusses the challenges and opportunities of tracing people’s lives through government documents such as census data and tax records. In Our Favorite Questions, interpreters Derek and Colton talk about the power of physical places and objects in connecting with history. We’ll be back with more Revere House Radio next spring! The map, presented on our blogShort biography of Salem Poor from American Battlefield TrustBook: Black Boston: African American Life and Culture in Urban America, 1750-1860 by George LevesqueBook: Black Bostonians: Family Life and Community Struggle in the Antebellum North, by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. HortonArticle: The Forgotten Legacy of Boston’s Historic Black Graveyard by Dart AdamsBook: Disowning Slavery: Gradual Emancipation and "Race" in New England, 1780–1860 by Joanne Pope MelishBook: Memoir of Mrs. Chloe Spear, a native of Africa, who was enslaved in childhood, and died in Boston, January 3, 1815https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

In this episode we welcome Sarah McDonough of the Lexington History Museums. We discuss what happened when Paul Revere reached Lexington, some individuals’ stories from that revolutionary moment and that era, and the magic that happens in both costumed interpretation and large reenactments like the ones coming up. In the Our Favorite Questions segment, Revere House interpreter Jay shares some details of 18th-century daily life. Please note that the episode includes discussion of some of the violent realities of both war and slavery.  Lexington History Museums1825 book that includes William Munroe’s accountA History of the Fight at Concord, by Ezra Ripley (Google Books link)Dolly Hancock’s account“Mark Hung in Chains:” Slavery & Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride” from our Revere Express blogLiberty and Servitude at the Hancock-Clarke HousePatriots’ Day events in LexingtonApril 18th events in Boston and Charlestownhttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

This episode’s guest is Nikki Stewart, Executive Director of Old North Illuminated. She says that Old North Church is famous for just one minute, when Paul Revere’s signal lanterns shone, but there’s a lot more to the church’s long history. Nikki shares information that research has uncovered in the past five years and how it has reshaped their interpretation of the historic site. In the Our Favorite Things segment, interpreters Corbin and Derek talk about historical legends and how people in different eras could have markedly different ways of viewing the world.  Old North IlluminatedHub history podcastPlay: Revolution’s EdgeLanterns and Luminaries event honoring Ken Burns250th events at Old North and beyondUpcoming events at the Paul Revere House, including April 18 eventsDr. Jaimie Crumley on Beulah Speen: “The Social Construction of Race in Early Massachusetts History”Dr. Jaimie Crumley’s PRMA lecture "Old England in New England: Contradictions in the History of Boston's Old North Church"https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

In the kickoff to season 4, we are re-airing excerpts from a five-part series that previous host Robert released in 2020, all about the Midnight Ride. The 250th anniversary of the Midnight Ride is this April 18, so more Ride content is coming soon! In addition, Paul Revere House interpreters Derek and Hann kick off this season’s Our Favorite Questions segment, discussing disease and death in the colonial era, Rachel Revere, and more. Revere Express blog post, “Paul Revere’s ‘Other Rides’”Midnight Ride information on our new website for students and teachers, including primary sourcesRevere’s report to Jeremy BelknapUpcoming events at the Paul Revere HouseBook: Spies, Soldiers, and Saboteurs: Women of the American Revolution, by K.M. Waldvogelhttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

3.6: If not “The Black Paul Revere,” Who was Wentworth Cheswill?: interview with John Herman NH patriot Wentworth Cheswill is sometimes termed “The Black Paul Revere,” but he’s a fascinating historical figure in his own right. John Herman is an English teacher who got hooked on researching and sharing Cheswill’s story. To wrap up season 3, former podcast co-host Robert is the guest on the segment Our Favorite Questions. Book: Wentworth Cheswill’s Ride: Chasing a Would-Be American Folk Hero by John HermanJohn’s websiteThe Lakewood (Ohio) Historical Societyhttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

In 1954, during a legal battle over her right to perform in Boston, actress and singer Christine Jorgensen visited the Paul Revere House. This episode’s guest, Mehitabel Glenhaber, wrote a Revere House Gazette article about these events. Interpreter Cal shares how her training as a historical archaeologist informs how she answers her favorite visitor questions. Photo: Christine Jorgenson walking into Paul Revere's homePhoto: Christine Jorgenson outside Boston Information centerPhoto: Christine Jorgenson inside Paul Revere's house, kneeling beside a rocking cradleBook: Christine Jorgensen, a Personal Autobiography by Christine JorgensenInformation on Paul Revere House membership and Gazette subscriptionInformation on archeological work done at the Paul Revere House, 1980s-2010sBook: Purchasing Identity in the Atlantic World: Massachusetts Merchants, 1670-1780 by Phyllis Whitman Hunterhttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

On select Saturdays, visitors get to interact with Paul Revere himself, as portrayed by Mike LePage. In this episode, Mike shares his experiences in the world of historical reenacting. Interpreter Adam is the guest on Our Favorite Questions. Upcoming Paul Revere House events, including visits with Paul Revere Book: Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett FischerBook: A True Republican: The Life of Paul Revere by Jayne E. TriberBook: Johnny Tremain: a story of Boston in Revolt by Esther ForbesWinslow House MuseumAdams National Historic ParkBook: Midnight Ride, Industrial Dawn: Paul Revere and the Growth of American Enterprise by Robert Martellohttps://www.paulreverehouse.org/

On September 16, 1774, Paul Revere delivered the Suffolk Resolves to the delegates at the First Continental Congress, held at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia. This episode’s guest is Michael Norris, Executive Director of Carpenters’ Hall, which is now a historic site. We’ll also hear a second excerpt from the Suffolk Resolves and hear from interpreter Cadee in Our Favorite Questions. Carpenters’ HallThe Suffolk Resolves full text, from the Massachusetts Historical SocietyJohn Adams’s “Sinful Feast” journal entry (about ⅓ down the page, Septr. 8.)https://www.paulreverehouse.org/