Revolutionary Spaces to Relight Historic Corner Lantern at Old South Meeting House
Funded by the George B. Henderson Foundation, restoration revives a piece of Boston’s 19th-century streetscape
BOSTON, MA (November 21, 2025) — A distinctive feature of Boston’s historic downtown will soon shine again. Revolutionary Spaces is restoring the corner lantern at Old South Meeting House, a fixture that has illuminated the intersection of Washington and Milk Streets since 1872. The project is made possible by a generous grant from the George B. Henderson Foundation.
Installed in the aftermath of Boston’s Great Fire, the lantern began as a gas fixture before being converted to electricity in the early 20th century as the city modernized its public lighting. For more than a century, it lit one of Boston’s busiest crossroads, its wrought iron arm bolted to the Meeting House’s brick façade. After being badly damaged by a passing truck in recent years, the lantern was removed, leaving a noticeable absence in the building’s architecture and the character of the streetscape.
“The Old South Meeting House corner lantern is more than an architectural detail—it’s a light that has guided Bostonians for generations,” said Nathaniel Sheidley, President and CEO of Revolutionary Spaces. “Its story reminds us that Boston is a place of change and innovation, even as its restoration reconnects today’s city with its nineteenth-century past. We are deeply grateful to the George B. Henderson Foundation for making this work possible.”
Revolutionary Spaces has partnered with Pudsey Diamond, a UK-based workshop of lighting manufacturers, to fabricate replica of the lantern. O’Mahoney & Sons Electrical will carry out wiring and installation, combining modern safety standards with historical accuracy.
Boston’s long history of public lighting began in 1828 with its first coal gas lamp in Haymarket Square. By the 1890s, many lamps had been converted to electric light, and by 1913 nearly all gas lamps in Boston proper had been replaced. The Old South Meeting House corner lantern reflects this broader history, relocated and reconfigured several times as the building adapted to the changing city around it.
The restoration is part of Revolutionary Spaces’ ongoing stewardship of Boston’s most historic buildings, the Old South Meeting House and the Old State House, where centuries of civic and cultural history are preserved and shared with the public.
In addition to the corner lantern, with the support of the George B. Henderson Foundation, Revolutionary Spaces hopes to expand the restoration to include historically appropriate replacements for three interior entrance fixtures. Thanks to the foundation’s generous support, Revolutionary Spaces will also be working to replace lighting fixtures atop the Old State House to illuminate the revolutionary era building after sunset.
With the recent addition of protected bike lanes along Washington Street, Revolutionary Spaces is confident the restored lantern can once again hang safely above the corner, illuminating the city’s history for generations to come.
For more information about Revolutionary Spaces and its stewardship of Boston’s historic Old South Meeting House and Old State House, please visit revolutionaryspaces.org.
About Revolutionary Spaces
Revolutionary Spaces stewards the historic Old South Meeting House and Old State House as landmarks, museums, and active civic spaces. Its mission is to bring people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society—using history as a powerful tool for civic engagement and public dialogue. For more information, go to RevolutionarySpaces.org or follow on social media at @RevSpaces.
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