Minute Man National Historical Park

On our way back to NH, Nan and I stopped for a couple of days to tour the Minute Man National Historical Park at Concord and Lexington, MA.

We walked park of the Battle Road trail.

What it may have looked like then. This photo was from a reenactment.

Following Paul Revere's route.

One of the farmhouses he passed as he sounded the alarm.

These are Rangers in training. We learned a lot by listening.

They were standing on the site of "Parker's Revenge," where the Lexington militia attacked the retreating British in retaliation for the deaths on Lexington green at dawn.

Stone marker

The Battle Road is well preserved....you can go back in time in your imagination as you walk along.

Ruins of the Thomas Nelson home. The family evacuated during the battle and when they returned home they found a wounded British soldier on their doorstep. They nursed him, but he died the next day.

Grave marker

Site of Josiah Nelson's house

The story of what happened here

Minute Man Boulder

And what happened here:

The site where Paul Revere was captured and then released.

The story of the capture

The location of the capture

How far the British soldiers had to march back to Boston

At the Hartwell Tavern, costumed re-enactors bring to life the minute men.

Loading the musket....doubt if the original minute men had the benefit of protective eye wear.

Cover your ears!

Hartwell Tavern...where travelers to and from Boston stopped and shared the latest news.

The building dating from 1733 was the typical country inn of the period.

Inside

Original hardware

Concord was also the home of many famous poets and authors of the period.

The Wayside,where in the 1880s, authors kept the spirit of the Revolution alive in their writings.

The Louisa May Alcott house, home of "Little Women."

John Greenleaf Whittier's house.

Our tour continued to the North Bridge, site of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World." This is the Buttrick House, home of Major John Buttrick of Concord, who gave the order to fire on the British.

About the Buttrick house

The muster site

Huge tree & roots on the grounds...just like the tree.

The bridge as seen from the house.

THe bridge has been reconstructed.

Monument to the Minute Men

A portion of Emerson's Concord Hymn engraved on the front.

The entire poem

Not comparing myself to Emerson, but let me try my hand in poetry to describe the scene today.

A new bridge arches o’er the waters,

The battle past, the freedom won.

Fear not to play here now our daughters,

No more a threat, no need for gun.

Calm and peaceful is the flood,

That flows serenely ‘neath the span.

Our debt is paid, the price was blood,

That we may be American.

Next to North Bridge is the Old Manse, another authors' residence.

Built in 1770, another witness of the events that happened here.

No tour of the authors would be complete without visiting their graves, especially when they're all buried near each other in a single cemetery. The road in was a little scary with an RV.

But I did find a parking space near Authors' Ridge 

Admirers have left many mementos  

 And notes

  Back at the campground, I thought you'd like to see this unique RV....a "Rotel," or rolling hotel. Passengers ride up front like a bus, and sleep in the back. Compartments underneath hold a refrigerator, stove, folding picnic tables, and other supplies.

I'm guessing the pop-out houses a dressing and/or bathing area.

Picture from the website. The tour group in our campground was from Germany.