"Cursed" brick provides new mystery for Old North Church
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A chunk of brick that was stolen from the Old North Church — then mysteriously returned — has visitors wondering if it might be cursed.
Why it matters: The old red brick is now the newest display in the historic site's crypt, just in time for spooky season.
Catch up quick: In March, Old North Church staff received an anonymous package from San Jose, California, containing only a brick and a cryptic note:
- "My husband took this from the crypt. We have had a string of bad luck and we want to return the brick."
- Church staff suspect the brick was taken around the time of a restoration project in 2023, when construction debris was easier to pick up and make off with.
- There were no names or return address on the package, but someone cared enough to ship it across the country.
The intrigue: Two weeks after the brick's return, the crypt's lights went out despite no tripped breakers, according to Old North Illuminated executive director Nikki Stewart.
What they're saying: "If you're blaming a singular thing for bad luck in your life, [returning it] seems like the right thing to do, yeah?" Dawn Palfrey, a tourist from Ohio, told Axios after examining the brick in its glass case in the crypt.
- "I'm a superstitious person, so I would think that maybe returning it, even if it's like the placebo effect, would give you some sort of peace," Palfrey said.
The big picture: The "cursed brick" anchors Old North Church's after-hours crypt tours, which run Thursday through Saturday nights until Nov. 1 for $20. They'll be offered nightly starting Oct. 16.
- 45-minute guided tours explore the burial site of over 1,100 people, including Revolutionary War figures and Boston colonists.
The bottom line: Whether visitors believe in curses or not, there's an added layer of intrigue on top of the already fascinating history on display at Old North Church.