"One if by land, two if by sea" lanterns at Old North Church

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem 'Paul Revere's Ride' popularized the phrase 'one if by land, two if by sea' and the image of lanterns hung in the Old North Church to signal the British approach on April 18, 1775. The Old North Church (Christ Church in the City of Boston) preserves the tradition of displaying lanterns, but historians continue to debate aspects of who placed the lanterns and exactly how the signal was arranged. The church interprets both the documented evidence and the poem's role in shaping the popular story for visitors.