Don and I spent a few days seeing Boston and Lexington/Concord. Stay tuned for the post on Boston! While in Boston, before heading down to Lexington, Don met a new friend! Welcome to the gang, Leo the Lobster!
Lexington and Concord is a cute pair of towns both about 40 minutes from Boston. The two towns are, of course, famous for the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. Concord is best known for being the town where Great Britain hid munitions. Concord is now the literary heart of the US, with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s house as an iconic tourist site. Lexington is known for the beginning of the American Revolution with Lexington Battle Green.
One thing not to miss are the three main Historical Society Houses, Hancock-Clarke House, Buckman Tavern, and Munroe Tavern. Each one had a different historical importance, and really, none of them should be missed. The Hancock-Clarke House is, to me, the most fascinating of the Historical Society Houses because it played a huge historical role in the first few days of the Revolutionary War.
Located at 36 Hancock Street in Lexington, the house belonged to the Hancock family for a period of time – John Hancock lived here as a young boy. John Hancock’s father, commonly revered to as “The Reverend Hancock,” purchased the site in 1699, and built the house in 1738. Ownership was transferred to the Clarke family in 1752, when Reverend Clarke took over.
The house is fascinating and very well maintained. It’s a two story house with a chimney, center hall, a kitchen, dining area, a small room downstairs and three rooms upstairs. The family was wealthy enough that they had wallpaper, which was uncommon at the time. When the house was restored, pieces of the wallpaper were found and are now maintained in plastic frames on the walls.
The coolest room was certainly upstairs. This room embodied the massive historical value of this house. The house is most famous for being where, on the evening of April 18, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams stayed the day before the Revolutionary War broke out. John Hancock and Samuel Adams were some of the most vocal members of the Revolution and it was thought that the invading British would seek them out first. With this in mind, Dr. Joseph Warren in Boston dispatched William Dawes and the famous Paul Revere to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock.
It was not uncommon at the time for two men to sleep in the same bed due to family size and lack of central heating. At the time, Hancock and Adams were sleeping in this room:
The room is really cool, the original drapes exist along with some furniture, including an armoire owned by the Hancock family and a table owned by the Reverend Clarke that Hancock and Adams sat at to drink tea the night before the Revolutionary War commenced.
The other bedroom functioned as a study, used by Reverend Clarke. The most fascinating thing in this room was his desk, along with a laminated “journal,” wherein Reverend Clarke detailed the different events of the day. If you look at the date of the 7th, Reverend Clarke talks about the weather, “cold, raw,” and then you see who showed up – “Lady Hancock, Mr. Hancock…”
Next up was Buckman Tavern – known for the meeting place of the Massachusetts militia before the skirmish on Lexington Green. On the way I passed by a beautiful memorial to the militiamen.
Buckman Tavern was just that – a tavern. It was built in the early 1700s and was the first public house in Lexington. It stayed within the Buckman family and became a sort of icon of the Revolutionary War – it served as a gathering place for the Militiamen on the days they would train and practice on the Lexington Green. Buckman Tavern also became the meeting area before the skirmish on Lexington Green when the “first shot” was fired.
Munroe Tavern was the last of the Historical Houses. Located at 1332 Massachusetts Avenue, Munroe Tavern focuses on the experiences and perspectives of the British army during the Revolutionary War. The main room has a detailed and sophisticated map of the route of the British army at the start of the war and the unique experiences and challenges they faced. On the afternoon of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the British soldiers turned the tavern into their headquarters, mainly for Colonel Hugh Percy and his thousand-men strong group of soldiers. The dining room was converted into a field hospital for the wounded British soldiers. George Washington ate dinner at the tavern in 1789 – upstairs is the table at which he ate.
Munroe Tavern was interesting mainly because it highlited the experiences that the “enemy” had – it reminds you that both sides of a war feel loss and trauma.
And, of course, Don made a new friend.
After seeing the Historical Houses, Don, Leo, and I went to see the Lexington Battle Green. Also known as Lexington Common, this is the main town common for the town of Lexington and a public park. The park is famous for the first shot of the Revolutionary War, though know one quite knows who fired it. On April 19, 1775, local militiamen, who had gathered at Buckman Tavern, marched onto Lexington Green, forming two rows to face British Troops ordered to the green. The two sides eventually exchanged fire, but no one knows if it was the militiamen or the British soldiers that fired first. The green is beautiful; be sure to check out the Minute Man Statue at the front of the park.
Located just up the road at Rt 2A West on the border of Lincoln and Lexington (if you are using Google Maps, use 250 North Great Road in Lincoln as your destination), the Minute Man Visitor Center/National Historical Park Ranger Station is a must see. The main area illustrates, via exhibits, a ton of history about Paul Revere’s Ride, the battle at Lexington Green, and the “shot heard ‘roud the world” battle at the North Bridge. The Park Rangers there are kind and knowledgeable, and can answer all your questions. They can provide you with a map and schedule of programs. While there, check out “The Road to Revolution,” a 30-minute presentation that runs throughout the day. The parking lot is somewhat removed from the Visitor Center, and is accessed by a nice little stroll down a wooded path.
Continue up the road and check out the Paul Revere Capture Site, located at 180 North Great Road in Lincoln, within the Minute Man National Historic Park. While passing through Lexington to warn that the “Regulars were coming,” Paul Revere and his fellow riders, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott, ran into a group of mounted British officer. Dawes was able to escape, as he knew the town and the land better than Revere; Dawes jumped a stone wall on his horse and escaped; Revere was captured and questioned. He was eventually released, as the British troops had bigger problems, however, they didn’t let Revere go without taking his horse. Revere walked back into town just in time to hear the shots at Lexington Green.
One of the coolest things we saw in Lexington/Concord was the Hartwell Tavern musket demonstration. The Hartwell Tavern, located up the road from the Paul Revere Capture Site on Virginia Road, is small, but still interesting to stroll through. It is a restored 18th century home and tavern on a section of the “Battle Road” called “Bay Road.” This road ran from Boston to west Massachusetts and was the road the British troops used to enter Lexington/Concord on April 19, 1775. Remember our friend Dr. Prescott from above? After fleeing the British troops, Dr. Prescott found himself at Hartwell Tavern where he alerted the family of the impending army arrival. Based on Dr. Prescott’s warning, residents were able to be warned in time, which allowed the minutemen a timely arrival at the North Bridge.
The best part of Hartwell Tavern is the musket demonstration – done at different times throughout the day, the demonstration teaches you the science and physics behind the Minutemen’s musket, how it was assembled, loaded and fired, and how the minutemen formed their lines on the battlefield. Doing the demonstration was an energetic girl, Allison, who started by pointing out that women probably would not be firing these muskets very much, if at all. Despite this, she put on a great demonstration, and really knew her stuff.
Head to 174 Liberty Street to check out the North Bridge Visitor Center and the Old North Bridge. The Old North Bridge is famous for the “shot heard ’round the world.” based on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem “Concord Hymn.” In 1775, the Colonial militia hid their weaponry by burying it in fields near the North Bridge. They then confronted a group of British troops who were patrolling the North Bridge. The Colonial militia successful drove the British back to Boston. And thus began the Revolutionary War.
The Old North Bridge can be a little hard to find – first locate the North Bridge Visitor Center. To the right of the main entrance before the stairs and the main door, you will see a small sign and a light gravel path.
Don and Leo had to, of course, do a mock battle. Leo obvi played the Redcoat.
For more information, be sure to visit the Lexington Historical Society website or their Instagram @lexhistsoc. Thanks to everyone in Lexington and Concord who showed Don and Leo and I the best time! We are so grateful for your hospitality and sharing your beautiful towns with us. Cannot wait until next time!
Happy Lexington/Concord travels!