Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, located approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) from downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after Revolutionary War patriot Paul Revere. In 1914, the Town of Revere was incorporated as a city. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 62,186 inhabitants.

History

Revere’s first inhabitants were Native Americans who belonged to the Pawtucket tribe and were known to colonists as the Rumney Marsh Indians. The Rumney Marsh was named by the English after Romney Marsh in Kent, England. 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). Nanepashemet is thought to have sometimes lived near the Rumney Marsh. One branch of his family took “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 role in the American Revolution as Rumney Marsh was the site of the first naval battle.

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. Revere had gained popularity after the publication of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1860 poem “Paul Revere’s Ride”.

In 1914, the Town of Revere became the City of Revere.

21st century

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.

Education

Revere Public Schools operates the city’s public schools. High school students attend either the Revere High School, Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School or the Seacoast School. Some students attend local charter schools in other cities such as the Pioneer Charter School of Science. There are three public middle schools: the Garfield School, Susan B. Anthony Middle School, and the Rumney Marsh Academy. Private Pre-K–8 schools include Eagle Heights Academy and Immaculate Conception.

Demographics

As of the 2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 53,692 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 78.1% White, 5.5% Black, 4.9% Asian, 0.3% Native American, 0% Pacific Islander, 6.0% some other race, and 5.3% multiracial. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 33.6% of the population (9.4% Salvadoran, 8.3% Colombian, 3.8% Puerto Rican, 2.3% Guatemalan, 2.0% Dominican, 1.9% Honduran, and 1.3% Mexican).

The population density was 9,420 inhabitants per square mile (3,640/km). There were 20,181 housing units at an average density of 3,372 per square mile (1,302/km²).

There were 19,223 households and 12,196 families living in the city. Of the households, 43.8% had children under the age of 18, 42.0% were headed by married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.41.

The age distribution of the population had 20.1% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males. For adults 18 and over, for every 100 females there were 95.9 males.

The median household income in the city was $62,568, and the median family income was $72,656. Males had a median income of $36,881 versus $31,300 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,587. About 10.2% of families and 12.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.9% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.

Following the 2020 United States Census, Revere became the fastest growing city in Massachusetts.