Early this year, National Park Service archeologists working at Minute Man National Historical Park discovered five musket balls that were fired during the
world-changing event known as “The Shot Heard Round the World” on April 19, 1775.
Early analysis of the 18th-century musket balls indicates they were fired by colonial militia members at British forces during the North Bridge fight.
When did the American Revolution begin? At the North Bridge on April 19, 1775, with “the shot heard round the world”? In Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, with the Declaration of Independence? John Adams thought the Revolution was over by the time the first guns were fired. It “was effected in the minds and hearts of the people.”
Arguably, that crucial turning-point occurred in Concord two hundred fifty years ago, when on October 11, 1774, delegates from all over Massachusetts, roughly 243 representatives from close to 200 towns, including the District of Maine, gathered in the Congregational meetinghouse (now First Parish) to deal with “the dangerous and alarming situation of public affairs” touched off by Britain’s harsh reaction to the Boston Tea Party.
The Buttrick Gardens at Minute Man National Historical Park look better than ever after several years of hardscape preservation projects that enhance the natural beauty of the historic gardens. Owned by the Buttrick family from the colonial period until the 1960s, the gardens were installed and expanded by three generations of the Buttrick family from 1911 to 1962, when they conveyed the property to the National Park Service.
Concord has many historic sites of interest. Here is contact information
for each, along with their hours of operation. Please check the website before visiting, as sites may be closed on
holidays or for private events.
One of the most important decisions we can make is where to spend our time – either on a visit, or when thinking about where to put down roots and build a family and community. One of the aspects of Concord that attracts so many people from around the world to come here – to spend time, or to stay – is the unique essence of ‘place.’
Stories, if well-told, can inspire. Tours of historic sites, like those in Concord, are fertile grounds for inspiration. So it was for Gary Graham, an American fashion designer and artist who visited The Old Manse Museum in 2023.
I had the pleasure of introducing Gary to the museum in a tour, entitled, Flipping the Script: The Women of The Old Manse. What followed was the launch of his collection entitled, Tnumarya's Object Lessons of The Old Manse. The name is derived from Ralph Waldo Emerson who referred to his beloved Aunt Mary Moody Emerson with the anagram, Tnumarya.
Welcome to Concord! Wondering how to make the most of your time here? Whether you are in town for a morning, a day, or a weekend, this itinerary will help you get started!
Some folks visit Concord for its role in the American Revolution, while others are on a mission to see a favorite author’s home. If you are eager to visit sites related to Concordians who influenced American culture thanks to their connection to Transcendentalism, here is a nice way to turn that interest into a pleasant walk in Concord, Massachusetts.
There’s nothing like getting wrapped up in a good cozy mystery. For the Agatha Christie lover, true crimes close to home are particularly enlivening. At Concord’s Old Manse Museum, home of the famous Emerson family and witness house to two revolutions, there lurks an unsolved puzzler.
