"A full skeleton," Old North Church restoration project offers rare look inside tombs built in 1732
BOSTON - The tomb doors below the Old North Church in Boston are being replaced for the first time since the 1800s, giving archaeologists and historians a rare look inside.
"In one of the tombs there was a full skeleton that you could see holding a cross with its arms across its chest and in one of the other tombs we could also see some remains wearing a set stockings that must've been knit back in the 1800s," project manager Lauren Knollmeyer told WBZ-TV Wednesday.
The doors were removed as part of a restoration project, a careful process that took about nine months.
"We had to treat everything with the utmost care. The doors were so fragile when we were taking them out," said Knollmeyer. "We just filled holes, repaired any minor cracks and we put a sealant on the doors."
The crypt below the famous Old North Church was built in 1732. About 1,100 people are buried down there, including some notable figures in Boston's history.
"Major John Pitcairn, who was the commander of the British Marines at the Battle of Bunker Hill, who was wounded during the battle and brought back to the church, which was serving as a field hospital," said Nikki Stewart, the executive director of Old North Illuminated. "Also, Samuel Nicholson who was first captain of the U.S.S. Constitution."
Stewart says this project revealed new information about the crypt's history.
"In 1850, the city of Boston banned indoor burials. They didn't really have the germ theory of disease then, but they knew it wasn't good," said Stewart. "During this process we saw a coffin plate that was dated 1872 so we know that disobeyance of the ordinance went on for quite some time."
Now back in place, these tomb doors should remain shut for centuries to come.
"At least 200 more years," said Knollmeyer.
There are daily tours of the crypt, but from October 26-31 there will be special after hour tours.