The Great Gale of Boston

In October of 1804, a very violent gale struck Boston and blew the wooden spire from Old North's tower, destroying a house below, and it could not be salvaged. Church leaders again appealed to members of the congregation and to community members throughout Boston and neighboring towns, and by 1806 enough money had been raised to build a second wooden spire. The new spire was fifteen feet shorter than the original, and although it had similar windows and was topped by the original weathervane, other decorative elements were altered. In the same year, Old North also underwent an interior redesign that changed the location of the pulpit and the layout and design of the pews.

Cambridge, Massachusetts · United States