The Cult of Paul Revere

Paul Revere - Pride of the North End in Boston, a link they will never forget. The plaque on the left is located on the front of the Old North Church in the heart of the North End of Boston, it reads, "The signal lanterns of Paul Revere displayed in the steeple of this church warned the country of the march of the British troops to Lexington and Concord". The story, made famous by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poem, Paul Revere's Ride in 1860 has become arguably one of American stories most shrouded in myth. On the axis between the Old North Church and St. Stephen's Church is the Paul Revere Mall complete with the famous Paul Revere statue.  The plaque below on the right dedicates the space - it reads: "Paul Revere Mall established 1933 from the income of the George Robert White Fund bequeathed to the City of Boston for creating works of public utility and beauty. Dedicated to the enjoyment of the Community and to the memory of those men and women of the North End who helped to make Boston the pride of later generations." From this plaque, it seems that the mall was created as a public works project during the Great Depression - it was not a memorial created on whim because people felt that Paul Revere deserved a mall, rather it was created as a functional place for the community that just so happened to be related in name to a famous man from the area.

                   

As time has passed, the mall has become an impromptu memorial for all those of the West End. The dedication plaque foreshadows this change in meaning perhaps. Paul Revere becomes the example to which all the people of the neighborhood aspire and those who are deemed worthy gain attention. Seeing all of these names might also inspire the people who see it to something noteworthy themselves. 

Memorial for Patrolman Andrew B. Cuneo

Memorial for citizens of the North End who have died in War

One interesting thing to note in the two pictures above is that there are places around the plaques that are meant to hold things. It suggests that the neighborhood chooses to have items like those above around the plaques continuously to honor the memories of those mentioned.

In addition to all of this, Paul Revere's house has been maintained and still stands today not far from the location of the mall.