The Old North Church received a third lantern during the 1975 lead-up to the United States Bicentennial.
On April 18, 1975, President Gerald Ford traveled to Boston and lit a third lantern at the church. The gesture symbolized the beginning of America’s third century and connected the Bicentennial observance with Boston’s Revolutionary-era history.
The Old North Church is famous for the signal associated with Paul Revere’s midnight ride. In 1775, two lanterns were displayed in the church tower to indicate that British troops were moving by sea. The traditional phrase “one if by land, two if by sea” refers to that warning system.
The third lantern was not part of the original 1775 military signal. It was a later commemorative symbol created for the 1975–1976 anniversary period. That distinction matters because visitors sometimes treat all three lanterns as part of the original Revolutionary event.