While house museums can only be judged individually
regarding the historical significance of the property being preserved, and the
educational components of the house museum in question, Paul Revere’s House in
the heart of Boston, Massachusetts’s North End is a house museum, which
although quite small, has captured the fascination of an endless influx of
museums guests. As stated in the mission statement of The Paul Revere Memorial
Association, the mission of this organization is to, “share the legacy of Paul
Revere, his life, home, and neighborhood by preserving two of Boston’s oldest
homes [the Paul Revere House and the Pierce/Hichborn House] and by providing a
local, national, and international audience with remarkable educational
experiences.”[1] While the 17th and 18th
history of Boston’s North End is long as it is rich, the Paul Revere’s House
and the adjacent Pierce/Hichborn House, are of vital significance regarding
their relationship to Paul Revere, but also are of great value as examples of
17th and 18th century architecture which annually
attracts a quarter of a million visitors.
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| Photo Courtesy of Lorenzo Deagle |
Built in 1680 as the dwelling of Robert Howard, a
prominent Bostonian merchant, this two-story/three room structure located at 19
North Square in Boston’s North End would evolve in its first ninety years of
existence. From an upper class
urban dwelling representative of late 17th century style and
culture, this structure would be changed and altered to met the needs of owners
and tenants, and once purchased by Paul Revere in 1770 the home would have a
more humble working-class appearance as Revere pursued his trade as both a
metalworker and dentist. From an
interpretational standpoint, the Paul Revere Memorial Association has taken
great care to provide exhibits representational of the building as a 17th
and 18th century dwelling.
Consisting of the Kitchen, Dining Room, and Best Room, the house itself
is organized into a self-guided tour divided into a multidimensional tour in
which each room is its own exhibit consisting of labels artifacts from the
Association’s collection of nearly 2,500 items.[2] Museums guest enter through the
kitchen, through which the guests then pass through the dining room that
represents the 17th century foodways and luxuries which the building’s original
owner, Robert Howard would have been accustom to. While the remaining room, the “Best Room,” presents average
wares set in an 18th century living space which represents Revere’s
humble upbringing as well as his aspirations as a metalworker catering to both
a lower class and upper class clienteles.
There is also a second building, the Pierce/Hichborn House, owned by
Moses Pierce and built in 1711 and eventually Revere’s first cousins Nathaniel Hichborn. This building further compliments
the Paul Revere House as it is a prime example of 18th century
Georgian architectural style consisting of a lower hipped roof, shallow arches
over the windows and doors.[3]
Today, the Paul Revere Memorial Association is under
a state of reorganization and development as the Association has embarked on a
series of renovations in an effort to accommodate a growing number of guests to
the museum, while also realizing the goal to make the second floor of Paul
Revere’s House “wheelchair accessible,” which it currently is not.[4]
As part of the Association’s
$4,000,000 Revere Call to Action Capital Campaign, the House Museum is
currently under a state of construction as the Association is overseeing the
creation of a Visitor and Education Center which the Association concludes that
when finished, will increase “our dedicated program space by almost 400%.”[5]
It is clear that this addition
will solve a problem often faced by any house museums similar to the Paul
Revere House, in solving the logistic of accommodating the visitation of
thousands of annual visitors to this building, which was constructed strictly
for use as a private dwelling.
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| Photo Courtesy of Lorenzo Deagle |
However, it is clear the use and significance of this
building complex has since evolved following the purchase of the structure in
1907 by Paul revere’s great-grandson, John P. Reynolds, Jr. Following its opening to the public in
1908, and its accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums in 1985, The
Paul Revere House has continued to evolve not just as a building which was the dwelling
of a significance historical figure such as Paul Revere, but also as a symbol
of a multi-dimensional history which continues to evolve as it caters to the
public at larger in the name of historic education.[6]
[1] The Paul
Revere Memorial Association. National Endowment
for the Humanities Challenge Grant. (Boston: North End), .
[2] Ibid.
[3] The Paul
Revere Memorial Association. “The Paul Revere House” (Tour of the Historic
Site, Boston: North End, MA, October 19, 2015).
[4] The Paul
Revere Memorial Association. Historic Preservation
Grant. (Boston: North End, February 1, 2010), #.
[5] The Paul
Revere Memorial Association, NEH Challenge Grant, 4.
[6] The Paul
Revere Memorial Association. “The Paul Revere House” (Brochure of the Historic
Site, Boston: North End, MA, October 19, 2015).
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