Revere House Radio

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 di...

“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....

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...

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...

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 s...

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 tr...

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...

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 deta...

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 Favor...

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 c...

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...

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 i...

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 Fischer Book:  A True Republican: The L...

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’...

On September 11, 1774, Paul Revere set out from Milton, MA to Philadelphia with a document that left the royal government “thunderstruck,” the Suffolk Resolves. In this episode, Diann Ralph will describe the impact this now-obscure document had on the Revolution. We’ll also hear an excerpt from the opening of the document, and Tegan will introduce Derek, who will be hosting the segment Our Favorit...

Revere House Radio is back! In this episode, podcast founder Adrienne introduces the new host, Tegan, and we talk about the podcast and Adrienne’s favorite questions from visitors.  Book:  A Midwife’s Tale  by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Our new education website "Paul Revere's Life: Learning Resources" https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

What was the weather like in the Colonial period? This episode outlines a handful of extreme weather events Revere experienced, as well as what the weather was like on the day of recording! Read Jeremiah Newland's poem about the Cape Ann Earthquake here https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

This week, we explore what Paul Revere was doing during and just after the Siege of Boston, which took place between April 1775 and March 1776. Where was Paul Revere Jr. during the Siege of Boston? Boston1775's various blog posts about the Siege of Boston Massachusetts Historical Society online resources about the Siege of Boston https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

This week, we're talking privies, drains, and sewers! We're discussing various digs done our site in recent years, and what archeology can teach us about the past, and help us preserve it for the future. Massachusett website Interactive map to learn more about the first nations in your area Nina Rodwin's blog post about Paul Revere and the board of health Joe Bagley showcasing some...

This week, we're taking listener and visitor questions all about Paul Revere's Midnight Ride in 1775. We talk horse names, mystery trunks, and family drama in this episode. Did we miss something you're curious about? Shoot us an email at preverehouse@gmail.com and maybe we'll answer it on a future episode! Some links to things mentioned in the show: What was Paul Revere Jr. the...

How do we know what Paul and Rachel looked like, and how has the Midnight Ride been depicted over the years? Tune in to find out! Copley's Paul Revere: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/32401 Dunkerley's Rachel Revere: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/32537 Saint-Mémin's Paul Revere: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/252379 Stuart's Paul Revere: https://collections.mfa.o...

In this episode we explore what pregnancy and birth may have looked like for Paul's two wives, Sarah Orne and Rachel Walker. While we don't sources directly from them describing their experiences, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's book A Midwife's Tale is an immensely helpful resource, along with other articles. For more information about the sixteen children, see our Revere Express pos...

Paul Revere's Illuminations on March 5, 1771 did not occur in a vacuum. What was going on in Boston and with the Revere family at the time, and what impact might they have had on the Sons of Liberty? Listen in to this episode, which comes as part of our 250th anniversary remembrances of Revere's actions, to find out!  https://www.paulreverehouse.org/

This episode contains a description of death of a child. On February 22, 1770, an 11 year old boy was shot and killed in the North End of Boston. What was the source of this violence, and what were its consequences? And, one year later, how did Paul Revere deploy imagery of this boy to further a political cause? Listen to find out more. This episode relied heavily on two sources, the Adams Papers...