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city in Massachusetts, United States
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Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Downtown Boston, Revere is the terminus of the MBTA Blue Line, with three stations located within the city: Wonderland, Revere Beach, and Beachmont. The city borders Massachusetts Bay, and was the site of the Battle of Chelsea Creek. Revere Beach, a three mile (4.8 km) stretch of beach on the city's eastern coast, is the oldest public beach in the United States.
Revere is one of the oldest communities in the United States. Originally known as Rumney Marsh, in reference to the 600-acre salt marsh located within the Saugus and Pines River Inlet, present-day Revere was part of Boston from 1632 until 1739, when it became part of Chelsea. Revere and neighboring, present-day Winthrop separated from Chelsea and were established as the town of North Chelsea in 1846. In 1852, part of North Chelsea was established as the town of Winthrop. What remained of North Chelsea was renamed in 1871 for Paul Revere, a Revolutionary War patriot and the eponymous subject of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1861 poem, "Paul Revere's Ride". In 1914, the Town of Revere voted to become a city. It was incorporated as the City of Revere with the inauguration of its first mayor on January 4, 1915. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 62,186 inhabitants.
The area's earliest known inhabitants were Native Americans belonging to the Pawtucket tribe and were known to colonists as the "Rumney Marsh Indians." This group was said to reside on the edges of the Rumney Marsh marshland. However, the origin of the name that is used for the marshland even to this day, is unclear. Nanepashemet, known to colonists as "Sagamore George," was the leader, or Great Sachem of the Pawtucket Confederation of Abenaki People of Lynn (which at that time included present day Revere). One branch of Nanepashemet's family is thought to have taken "Rumney Marsh" as their surname.
In 1616, an epidemic, probably smallpox, swept the region, killing thousands in its wake. Nanepashemet retired to the Mystic River, in what is now Medford, but was found murdered in 1619 at his fort on the brow of Rock Hill overlooking the river. Three sons succeeded him in his reign. One of them, Wonohaquaham, also called "Sagamore John," had jurisdiction over the Native Americans at Winnisemmit (later Chelsea) and Rumney Marsh.
In 1624, Samuel Maverick became the first colonist to settle in the area. He built his house at the site of the former Chelsea Naval Hospital (or Admiral's Hill). On June 17, 1630, John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Company in New England joined him there for dinner.
On September 25, 1634, Rumney Marsh was annexed to Boston, which had received its name only four years earlier. Winnisemmet (current Chelsea) and Pullen Point (current Winthrop) were also annexed to Boston.
Rumney Marsh was originally divided and allotted to twenty-one of Boston's most prominent citizens. By 1639, the original allotments had been consolidated into seven great farms. Farming was the principal industry of Winnisemmet, and Rumney Marsh in particular.
The first county road in North America stretched across Rumney Marsh from the Winnisemmet Ferry to Olde Salem in 1641.
During King Philip's War (also known as Metacomet's War), which lasted from 1675 to 1678, the local Native Americans were forcibly removed to what is now Deer Island, where half of those imprisoned died of starvation or exposure. Some were enlisted to help the colonists defeat other native tribes.
In 1739, Rumney Marsh, Winnisemmet and Pullen Point were set off from Boston and established as the Town of Chelsea. The largest of the three settlements, Rumney Marsh (later to become North Chelsea) was selected as the Town Center.
In 1775, the area played a small role in the American Revolution during the Battle of Chelsea Creek, one of the first naval battles of the revolution.
In 1846, the town of North Chelsea was established. In 1852, Pullen Point seceded from North Chelsea and was established as the town of Winthrop. That same year, Chelsea became its own city. On March 24, 1871, a petition went into effect, changing the name of North Chelsea to the Town of Revere in honor of Paul Revere (1735–1818), the son of an immigrant who took part in the American Revolutionary War. Paul Revere had gained popularity after the publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1860 poem "Paul Revere's Ride".
Later in 1871, Revere was the site of The Great Revere Train Wreck of 1871, the deadliest railroad incident in Massachusetts history up to that point, when the Eastern Railroad's "Portland Express" slammed into the back of a stopped local commuter train at Revere Station.
Revere may be most well known for its beach. In 1896, Revere Beach became the first public beach in the United States.
On November 2, 1914, the Town of Revere held its final town meeting, as voters had chosen to become the City of Revere. Revere became a city with the inauguration of its first mayor, Arthur B. Curtis, on January 4, 1915. A detailed account of the occasion is given in The History of the Town of Revere as Compiled by Benjamin Shurtleff, 1937:
"Selections were rendered by the Shubert Male Quartet. Mr. Theodore W. Gillette read an historical essay. Miss Anna George, a Beachmont school teacher, sang "The Sword of Bunker Hill," and George Arthur Sackett recited "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere." This poem was previously recited when North Chelsea changed her name to Revere and then again, in 1899, at the dedication of the town hall. In the evening from 8.30 to 9, a reception to the Mayor was held, and then followed a grand ball and banquet. The grand march, headed by the Mayor, started at nine o'clock; and it was long toward two on Tuesday morning before the party broke up."
On the morning of July 28, 2014, an EF2 tornado touched down in nearby Chelsea and intensified as it entered the city of Revere, causing major damage to many buildings, including the Revere City Hall. It was the first tornado to hit Suffolk County since the National Weather Service began keeping records in 1950.
"In 1637 the Massachusetts General Court adopted an order that no person or town should receive or entertain a newcomer for more than three weeks without permission. In addition to the desire to keep their colony Puritan, they were also concerned with the immigration of paupers. In subsequent years a law was passed that restricted the immigration of 'lame, impotent, or infirmed persons.' Hardly any immigrants came to Massachusetts during the second half of the 17th century."
English immigration came to a near-complete stop in 1642 as a result of the English Civil War, but was replaced with immigration from other European countries.
In 1687, only 31 people lived in the settlements of Winnisimmit, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point. In 1739, when these settlements were separated from Boston and formed the Town of Chelsea, there were 10 homes in Winnisimmit (Chelsea), 26 in Rumney Marsh (Revere), and 4 homes in Pullen Point (Winthrop), with 267 inhabitants in total. This number quadrupled by 1837, at which time 1,201 people resided on the land.
Rumney Marsh Burying Ground in Revere contains the graves of 16 formerly enslaved Black people; a plaque there lists their names, dates of death, and approximate ages.
Between 1837 and 1840, the population nearly doubled due to the second major wave of immigration into the area.
"During this period of time more than 750,000 Irish, British and German immigrants arrived in America; and another 4.3 million immigrants came from these countries during the next 20 years. Of the total number of immigrants to America during the second wave, 40 percent were from Ireland, escaping poverty and famine in their native country."
"By 1905 the Italian population in Revere had grown large enough that the first Italian Catholic Parish of Saint Anthony of Padua was founded in a three-family dwelling on Revere Street. It was clear in 1905 that the Italian population of Revere was rapidly becoming the fastest growing ethnic group in the town."
At this time, "only 19 percent of the immigrants entering the U.S. were from northern Europe, while 81 percent were from southern, eastern, and central Europe," and "nearly 60 percent of the births in the Town of Revere were to foreign born parents."
The first Jewish residents of Revere were Russian and Polish immigrants, of whom there were 137 in 1885 and 1,646 by 1915.
Revere's first Jewish congregation was established in 1906, when the Temple B’Nai Israel was founded. The second was established ten years later when "Congregation Tiffereth Israel purchased the Methodist Episcopal Society's church at the corner of Shirley and Nahant Avenue."
In 1940, Jewish residents accounted for about 25% of the City of Revere's population.
"Most of the Jews in Revere were concentrated around Shirley Avenue, which was the center of activity at that time. With Jewish businesses, synagogues and kosher markets, it represented the vibrancy of Jewish life, faith and culture in Revere. On Saturday night, all of the Jewish-owned businesses on Shirley Ave. would reopen after Shabbat and the streets would once again be filled with the vibrancy of Jewish life at that time."
As of 2000, the city had the 19th highest percentage of Brazilians in the U.S. (tied with Sea Ranch Lakes, Florida, and Malden, Massachusetts) at 1.7% of the population.
As of 2010, 27% of the residents of Revere were born outside of the United States. Many of them originate from North Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The 2010 percentage of foreign born residents is twice that of 1990.
In May 2017, the city was host to its first Moroccan Cultural Day celebration, which took place on Shirley Avenue. The city's Moroccan community was estimated to account for at least 10% of the population, as of May 2019. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the community organization, "Moroccan American Connections in Revere" (MACIR) supplied the city with hand-made protective masks.
Revere borders the towns of Winthrop to the southeast, the city of Chelsea to the southwest, the Boston neighborhood of East Boston to the south, Everett and Malden to the west, Saugus and Lynn to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10 square miles (26 km2), of which 5.9 square miles (15 km2) is land and 4.1 square miles (11 km2) (40.98%) is water.
The completion in 1838 of the Eastern Railroad (later the Boston & Maine), and in 1875 of the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad, signaled the beginning of rapid population growth for the town and the development of the beach as a summer resort.
The MBTA Blue Line terminates in Revere, with stops at Wonderland, Revere Beach, and Beachmont.
U.S. Route 1 and state highways 1A, 16, 60, 107, and 145 run through Revere.
Throughout the year in Revere, temperatures generally range from 23 °F to 82 °F, rarely dipping below 9 °F or exceeding 91 °F.
Rainfall is consistent year-round in Revere, with October typically being the wettest month, averaging 3.9 inches, and January being the driest, with an average of 2.3 inches. Snowfall spans about 5.0 months, from November 12 to April 10, with at least 1.0 inch of snow over a 31-day period. January tends to see the most snow, averaging 8.3 inches.
The perceived humidity in Revere varies significantly by season. Muggy conditions persist for about 3.3 months, from June 11 to September 21, where comfort level is considered muggy, oppressive, or miserable at least 10% of the time. July sees the most muggy days, with around 10.2 days fitting this description.
As of the 2020 census, Revere had a population of 62,186. The median age was 37.3 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.9 males age 18 and over.
100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 23,050 households in Revere, of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 39.2% were married-couple households, 22.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 30.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 24,539 housing units, of which 6.1% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%.
Following the 2020 United States census, Revere became the fastest growing city in Massachusetts.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Revere, Massachusetts”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.