Conservationists uncover 8 angels painted over in 1912, revealing a vibrant history of the church
Straddling the scaffolding high up in a historic Boston church, murals conservator Gianfranco Pocobene is working to uncover eight angels that were hidden under layers of paint for more than a century. The painted angels — with round childlike faces and wings — once were among the defining features of the Old North Church when they were painted around 1730.
But officials at the church, a seminal location of the Revolutionary War, painted over the angels in 1912 with thick coats of white paint, part of an austere renovation that restorationists are trying to reverse. “When we first looked at the project six months ago, we had no idea what was here,” Pocobene said as the church, the oldest church building in Boston, was preparing to remove the scaffolding earlier this month to reveal eight of the 20 painted-over angels. “It's really been quite a revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that nobody has seen in our lifetime,' he continued. ”Just to be part of a project where we are revealing something from colonial America is really extraordinary.' A popular stop for tourists visiting Boston's North End, the Old North Church is best known for the two lanterns hung from its steeple on the night of Paul Revere’s 1775 ride to warn of the British army’s approach. Revere was also a teenage bell ringer in the congregation. In 1860, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “Paul Revere’s Ride,” mentioning the church and introducing the phrase, “one if by land, and two if by sea.” But as the 250th anniversary of Revere's ride approaches in April, church officials also want to draw attention to its beginnings in 1723 and its identity, both as a beacon of liberty but also its connections to the slave trade — many of its first congregants profited off slavery. The church was built to house Boston's growing colonial Anglican community and its interior was much more colorful and dynamic than what visitors see toda
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