Reflection on the Paul Revere House

Last year, I had the opportunity to intern at the Paul Revere House in Boston, one of the nation’s oldest and most iconic historic house museums. Since the Revolutionary War, Americans have been deeply invested in preserving historically significant homes and transforming them into museums. These spaces are unique because they bring together three diverse fields of inquiry: historic preservation, architectural history, and museum studies.

Over its three centuries of existence, the Revere House has been home to people from a range of social and economic backgrounds, both before and after Paul Revere’s residency. Yet Revere remains its most celebrated occupant. As an intern, I had the chance to share the house’s layered history with visitors and respond to their questions about its architecture, furnishings, and occupants. A recurring theme in these conversations was the idea of “authenticity”: Which objects truly belonged to Revere’s household, and which were later additions meant to reconstruct what his home may have looked like?

My time there was further enriched by the support I received from my co-workers — from Edith, the curator who has devoted over fifty years to the site, to younger colleagues like Katie and Mehitabel, who brought fresh perspectives as more recent hires. Learning from their experience and enthusiasm gave me invaluable insight into the collaborative effort required to keep a historic house museum vibrant and relevant.

The Paul Revere Memorial Association, which oversaw the house’s restoration, has worked hard to create a space that is both historically grounded and educational for diverse audiences. Being part of this effort gave me a first-hand look at the challenges and responsibilities of interpreting history for the public.

This experience not only enriched my understanding of the intersections between architecture, history, and preservation, but also sharpened my awareness of how museums shape the way we connect with the past.

Photos of museum’s interior are by Patrick Leehey