BOSTON – The tomb doors below the Old North Church in Boston are being replaced for the first time since the 1800s, giving archaeologists and historians a rare look inside. In one of the tombs there was a full skeleton that you could see holding a cross with its arms across its chest and in one of the other tombs we could also see some remains wearing a set stockings that must’ve been knit back in the 1800s,” project manager Lauren Knollmeyer told WBZ-TV Wednesday.

The doors were removed as part of a restoration project, a careful process that took about nine months.”We had to treat everything with the utmost care. The doors were so fragile when we were taking them out,” said Knollmeyer. “We just filled holes, repaired any minor cracks and we put a sealant on the doors.”

The crypt below the famous Old North Church was built in 1732. About 1,100 people are buried down there, including some notable figures in Boston’s history.