Lexington
Battle Green
- The first skirmish of the American Revolution took place here at dawn on
April 19, 1775. Captain Parker of the militia is immortalized in a statue on
one end of the Green. The Revolutionary War Monument here was erected in
1799. Just above the Green is the Old Belfry whose bells summoned the militia
on that fateful day. |
The
following three sites are run by the Lexington Historical Society. Information on location,
hours, and admission fees can be found at the Society's web site. |
Buckman Tavern - Located opposite the
Lexington Battle Green, this is the location where several dozen members of
the Lexington militia gathered in the early hours of the morning on April 19,
1775 to await the arrival of the British column. The Buckman
Tavern is located at 1 Bedford Street, Lexington, MA 02420. |
Hancock-Clarke House - On the evening of April
18, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams were guests of the Reverend Jonas
Clarke in the parsonage. Fearing that they might be captured by the Regulars,
William Dawes and Paul Revere were sent to Lexington with news of the
advancing Regulars. The Hancock-Clarke House is within walking distance of
the Lexington Battle Green. The Hancock-Clarke House is located at 36 Hancock
Street, Lexington MA. |
Munroe Tavern - On the afternoon of
April 19, 1775, the tavern served as the headquarters for Brigadier General
Earl Percy and his one thousand reinforcements. The Regulars occupied the
tavern converting the dining room into a field hospital. The Munroe Tavern is
on the east side of Lexington. The Tavern is located at1332 Massachusetts
Avenue, Lexington, MA 02420. |
Battle
Road Trail, Minute Man National Historic Park - This 5 1/2 mile pathway
for walking, bicycle, or wheelchair follows a part of the route taken by the British
Regulars on their march from Boston to Concord and back. The trail parallels
route 2A in Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord and Lexington Road in Concord.
Along the trail are historic houses, farmlands, wetlands, and fields.
Highlights include the the Bloody Angle where the
Battle Road made sharp turns providing ambush points for the colonists, the
site of Paul Revere's capture during his famous ride, the restored
18th-century house of Captain William Smith of the Lincoln Minute Men, and
the Ephraim Hartwell Tavern (now an interpretive site) where travelers were
offered bed and board. |
North Bridge, Minute Man
National Historic Park - The North Bridge is the site of the first effective
forcible resistance to the British Parliament's rule in America. Visitors can
cross the reconstructed bridge and see Daniel Chester French's minute man
statue. The North Bridge Visitor Center overlooks the site. For directions to
the site and hours of operation, see the information at the Minute Man
National Historic Park web
site. |
The Lexington Visitor Center, operated
by the Lexington
Chamber of Commerce, is located near the Lexington Battle Green and the Buckman Tavern. At the Center, you can view a diorama of
the Battle of Lexington and pick up brochures and directions to area
attractions. Public restrooms are available.
The Minute Man National Historical
Park Visitor Center on route 2A in Lincoln offers orientation
programs, exhibits, information, ranger programs, and a bookstore. This is a
good place to begin your visit to the Park. One feature of the exhibit design
is a specially-commissioned mural by artist John Rush that depicts Colonists
and British Redcoats fighting along the Battle Road. Public restrooms are
available.
The North Bridge Visitor
Center at Minute Man
National Historical Park in Concord is in the former mansion of Major Buttrick of the Concord Minute Men. The Center offers an
exhibit of clothing, uniforms, and accoutrements of Colonial militia and
British Regulars as well as information, ranger programs, and a bookstore.
Public restrooms are available.
The Concord Visitor
Center, operated by the Concord Chamber
of Commerce, is located on Main Street in the center of Concord behind the
Middlesex Savings Bank. At the beautiful new Center, brochures and information
for Concord area attractions are available. Public restrooms are located at the
Visitor Center.
Concord
Museum - Concord's remarkable past is brought to life through
artifacts from an outstanding collection, self-touring galleries, period rooms,
audio narrations, and hands-on activities. Highlights include the Exploring
Concord film and the engaging "Why Concord?" history galleries
containing many Revolutionary War artifacts including the "one, if by
land, and two, if by sea" lantern, immortalized by Longfellow's Paul
Revere's Ride. The Concord Museum also has exhibits pertaining to Concord's
literary past and interesting changing exhibitions.
National Heritage
Museum - The National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA, is
an American history museum founded and supported by Scottish Rite Freemasons
in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.