New FieldsSocial & Religious InstitutionsWar An eighteenth century drawn map, showing streets, pastures, and a church at the corner of Cambridge and Lynde streets.

Boston’s Original West Church: A Revolutionary Meetinghouse

The original West Church, a wood-framed structure erected in 1737 at the corner of Cambridge and Lynde Streets, played a significant role in Revolutionary-era Boston. At this site, minister Jonathan Mayhew preached for civil liberties and resistance to tyranny, influencing prominent patriots such as John Adams and Paul Revere. The church was used as barracks by British troops during their occupation of the city and its steeple was destroyed by British forces in 1775. Severely damaged during the Revolutionary War, the original West Church was taken down and the current Old West Church was built in 1806.

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New FieldsSocial & Religious Institutions Eighteenth-century engraving of a man in his 40s, wearing a minister's uniform.

Jonathan Mayhew

Jonathan Mayhew (1720-1766) was a minister and influential theologian who was a foundational figure in the philosophy that spurred revolutionary sentiment in the colonies. He preached at Old West Church from 1747 to 1766, where he would deliver sermons on politics and share his unorthodox theology.

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