Centuries-old angels have been uncovered under layers of paint in a Boston church made famous by Paul Revere

Mural conservators are working to uncover 20 angels hidden under layers of paint for more than a century in a Boston church made famous by Paul Revere.

Gianfranco Pocobene was working upstairs in the Old North Church, to reveal eight of the 20 angels that were hidden.

Angels painted with childlike faces and wings were once among the most important features of the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest church building, when they were painted around 1730. But the angels in 1912 were painted with thick coats of white paint. repair restoration repairers want to reverse it.

“When we started looking at this project six months ago, we didn’t know what was here,” said Pocobene when the church was preparing to unveil eight of the 20 angels.

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“It was a real revelation to find these really interesting and historic works of art on the walls of the church that no one has seen in our lifetime,” he continued. “To be part of a project where we uncover something from colonial America is an amazing experience.”

The Old North Church is best known for the two lanterns that hung from its spire on the night of Paul Revere’s ride in April 1775 to warn that the British army was coming. Revere also played the church bell as a child.

“For most of the church’s history, people would come here to see those angels, see the colorful interior,” said Old North Illuminated director of education Emily Spence. Old North Illuminated uses the church as a historical site.

“The color system was an important part of the recognition of the people who worship here as members of the Church of England,” he said.

A nearly 300-year-old painted angel is seen on the wall of the Old North Church, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in Boston. (AP)

Spence said efforts began in September to restore the yellow angels, eight of which have been completed this month and another eight are expected to be completed in the spring.

Researchers knew based on historical accounts that the angels were on the walls, and they still have a copy of the agreement signed by John Gibbs, the church member who painted them. A paint study conducted in 2017 confirmed that they are still on the walls.

Corrine Long, a painting conservator who works with Pocobene, said one of the challenges in restoring the angels is removing the seven layers of paint without damaging the angels. Conservators first used a solvent gel to soften the layers of paint before removing it manually with a plastic scraper. They then clean the angels with cotton swabs and touch again to remove any signs of injury.

“They all have their own characters – they’re not copies,” Pocobene said. “The artist John Gibbs painted them individually and they are all in a different position, which gives them a beautiful kind of rhythmic pattern throughout the church.”

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Recently restored, nearly 300-year-old painted angels, top right, adorn the arch at the Old North Church in the North End, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP)

Long said that one of the most satisfying parts of the program is restoring parts of the church to what the founders intended.

“Every time I enter a historic building I am surprised to be surrounded by paintings or decorations that were there before,” he said. “When it’s repainted white, it takes away that majesty and some of that history.”

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One day recently, the church was empty except for conservationists. But a couple of tourists, Sean Dixon and Sarah Jardine from California, were also there and walking along the paths they saw scaffolding blocking the view.

“I was shocked when I first saw it,” Dixon said. “It looks really cool, and I’m really excited to see the full picture when the scaffolding comes down.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.