D.L. Moody Conversion Site
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Marker Inscription
D.L. Moody. Christian Evangelist, friend of man, founder of Northfield Schools, was converted to God in a shoe store on this site. April 21, 1855.
The Story
On this Boston site in 1855, a young shoe salesman named Dwight L. Moody experienced the religious conversion that redirected his life. Moody went on to become one of the most influential evangelists of the nineteenth century, preaching to vast audiences and founding the Northfield Schools in Massachusetts. The marker fixes the humble spot — a shoe store — where that transformation began.
Why it matters
Moody helped shape modern American evangelism, and his far-reaching career began at this ordinary storefront.
Plan your visit
NearbyMake a day of it — museums, food, and places to stay near this marker.
Museums & culture
- Griffin Museum at Digital Silver Imaging5.7 mi away
- Cyrus Dallin Art Museum6.2 mi away · 611 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- Edmund Fowle House6.2 mi away · 26;28 Marshall Street, Watertown, MA
- Drive By Projects6.3 mi away · 81 Spring Street, Watertown, MA
- Smith Museum Archives6.4 mi away · 5;7 Jason Terrace, MA
- Jason Russell House6.4 mi away · 7 Jason Street, Arlington, MA
Attractions
- Harvard Square3.2 mi away
- 1899 MIT Observatory site5.8 mi away
- Heartbreak Hill (Top/End)6.3 mi away
- Arlington Center Historic District6.4 mi away
- Central Street Historical District6.4 mi away
- Pickerel Rock6.6 mi away
Food & drink
- Lexington House of Pizza9.5 mi away
- Dunkin'10.3 mi away · 10 Woburn Street, Lexington, MA
- Formosa Taipei10.4 mi away
- Bruegger's Bagels10.4 mi away
- Spirit of India10.4 mi away
- Clay Oven10.4 mi away · 1666 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA
Places to stay
- Homewood Suites4.9 mi away · 1 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA
- The Lodge at Brandeis10.3 mi away
- Hilton Garden Inn10.4 mi away · 450 Totten Pond Road, Waltham, MA
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 52 Fourth Avenue
- Best Western10.5 mi away · 380 Winter Street
- Extended Stay America10.5 mi away · 32 Fourth Avenue
Places data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hours and details change — call ahead.
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Related people
- · Dwight L. Moody
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
D.L. Moody Historic Marker
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Dwight Lyman Moody was a young shoe salesman in Boston when, on this spot in April 1855, a Sunday-school teacher's words led to the religious awakening that redirected his life. He would go on to become one of the most influential evangelists of the nineteenth century, drawing vast audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and founding the Northfield schools in Massachusetts to educate young men and women. This modest storefront conversion was the quiet beginning of a public ministry that shaped American revivalism for decades.
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