Paul Revere's Bell On the USS Constitution-- Part 2

Best-known for his "Midnight Ride" and his gold and silversmithing, Paul Revere, in his later life, got into manufacturing other metal products. He built an iron and brass foundry in 1787 at the corner of Lynn and Foster streets in Boston's North End. He produced iron products such as fire buckets and window weights. Then he branched out into bolts and spikes for shipbuilding and later cannons and bells.

In 1800, at the age of 65, Revere bought a copper rolling mill and became the first American to successfully roll copper into sheets commercially. The federal government used it on its warships and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts used his copper for the dome of its new statehouse. Robert Fulton used Revere's product on the boilers of his steamships.

In 1788, Revere had built a furnace to make copper spikes, bolts and other ship fittings.

Later, Paul Revere cast copper alloy bells. Before this, the U.S. imported its bells from England. Revere cast his first bell in 1792 and made a total of 398 in his North Boston foundry. Many of these bells are still in use in Boston today, including the one at King's Chapel which weighs 2437 pounds.

The bell of the USS Constitution was also one of his until it was shot away in the battle with the HMS Guerriere.

A "Listen My Children and You Shall Hear" of Revere's Midnight Bell. --Brock-Perry