Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Display marks 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous ride

History came to life on the square Friday evening as members of the Old Three Notch Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hosted a special display in honor of the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s legendary midnight ride.

The commemorative event, titled “Two Lanterns for Tomorrow,” paid tribute to Revere’s historic warning of the British advance in April of 1775 — an iconic moment symbolized by two lanterns hung in the Old North Church to signal that British troops were approaching “by sea.”

The chapter’s display featured colonial-era attire, and symbolic lanterns lit to echo the famed phrase, “One if by land, two if by sea.” Visitors were invited to learn about Revere’s ride with the reading of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”, the broader role of messengers in the Revolutionary War, and the enduring importance of vigilance and patriotism.

Portion of Paul Revere’s Ride poem By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-Listen, my children, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere, On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five; Hardly a man is now alive Who remembers that famous day and year. He said to his friend, “If the British march By land or sea from the town to-night, Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light, One, if by land, and two, if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, Ready to ride and spread the alarm Through every Middlesex village and farm, For the country folk to be up and to arm.

“This is about more than just remembering Paul Revere,” said Carol Ann Mullins, regent of the Old Three Notch Chapter. “It’s about connecting our community to the legacy of liberty and the courage it took to secure it. We’re proud to be part of marking this milestone in American history.”

The event is part of a larger series of nationwide observances recognizing the 250th anniversary of key moments leading up to the American Revolution. The Daughters of the American Revolution, a lineage-based service organization dedicated to historic preservation and education, is taking an active role in highlighting these events throughout the country.

As the sun set and lanterns glowed on the square, attendees were reminded not just of one midnight ride, but of the light of freedom that continues to shine, 250 years later.