The mystery of the ‘Curséd Brick’ that was returned to Boston’s Old North Church

BOSTON — This should really go without saying. But do not steal bricks from places of worship. You might get cursed.

That appears to be the case for one couple who claim to have stolen (and returned) a brick from the crypts under Boston’s Old North Church.

The church, which dates back to 1723, is famous for its role in the famous Midnight Ride of Paul Revere during the American Revolution. But over 300 years later, a new legend has emerged.

Earlier this year, the church’s retail and operations director received an odd package with no return address. It was a small, unmarked cardboard box postmarked from San Jose, California. Inside was a brick and a short note.

“My husband took this from the crypt. We have had a string of bad luck and we want to return the brick,” the note read.

The staff at the church thought it was funny. So they put the brick and note behind glass and turned it into an attraction.

The Curséd Brick is located in the crypts under the main church and is open to the public. Visitors can check out the crypts by purchasing a “Crypt Combo Package” ticket, which includes admission to the main church and the crypt.

The church is having fun with the mystery. But Nikki Stewart, the executive director at Old North Illuminated, stressed that it’s important that visitors do not tamper with the church or the crypts.

“Please don’t take bricks. We actually don’t even like people to touch them, really,” she said. “But I will say, to the best of our knowledge — and we looked — they didn’t damage anything.”

This isn’t the first time that the church has received a stolen object that was later returned out of guilt.

Over a decade ago, the church received a headstone that was stolen from nearby Copps Hill Burying Ground “decades earlier.”

Old North Church doesn’t maintain the grounds. But since the site is a stone’s throw away, they were able to return it to its rightful place.

Stewart says she is “moderately superstitious,” so she hasn’t actually touched the Curséd Brick with her bare hands. You can’t be too safe.

“Even before we had a way to display it, I was like, ‘It has to go back down there.’” Stewart said. “Tuck it in a corner somewhere. It wants to be home. It has to go back down there.”

The crypts under Old North Church are a relatively new attraction for the longtime Boston landmark. The crypts opened to visitors around the turn of the century and provide a unique look into the city’s history.

But as the addition of the brick shows, the church is making an effort to keep evolving in modern times.

“The crypt demonstrates that we may have the words “Old” and “Church” in our name, but we’re very interesting,“ Stewart said. ”There’s a lot to see here, there’s a variety of things to do.”

Old North Church is open to the public Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s also open Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The church also offers seasonal after-hours guided tours of the crypt (which are normally self-guided) in the fall. This year’s after-hours tours run through Nov. 1.

Check out the Old North Church website for more info.