Giass_i:^i3^:^ Book ,^0- C^^s^%. HAYES ^rEAIORlAL FOUNTAIN AND STATUE OF CAI'TAIN JOHN PARKER, LEXINGTON COMMON. / LEXINGTON THE BIRTHPLACE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY ^-^T^ A HANDBOOK CONTAINING AX ACCOUNT OF THE I'.ATTLE OF LEXINGTON — PAUL REVERE'S NARRATIVE OF HIS FAMOUS RIDE- A SKETCH OF THE TOWN AND THE PLACES OF HISTORIC INTEREST — INSCRIP- TIONS ON ALL HISTORIC TABLETS — DIRECTORY — MAP AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS By FRED S. PIPER, .TVrolHAX Ol INK I.K.\IN<;T<).\ 'llISTOKlCAL SOCIETY. Cr.pyright l'.K)2 by Irvinjr V. I'ox. LEXINGTON PUBLISHING CO. LEXINGTON 1902 .1 THE OLD MONUMENT ON THE COMMON Sacred to the Liberty and the Rights of Mankind!!! To the FreedoxM and Independence of America, Sealed and Defended with the Blood of her Sons. This Monument is erected By the inhabitants of Lexington, under the patronage and at the expense of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, To THE Memory of their Fellow Citizens, Ensign Robert Munroe and Messrs. Jonas Parker, Samuel Hadley, Jonathan Harrington, Jr., Isaac Muzzy, Caleb Harrington and John Brown of Lexington, and Asahel Porter of Woburn, Who fell on this Field, the First Victims to the Sword of British Tyranny and Oppression, on the morning of the ever memorable Nineteenth of April, An. Dom. 1775, The Die was Cast ! ! ! The Blood of these Martyrs In the cause of God and their Country WAS THE Cement of the Union of these States, then Colonies, and gave the spring to the Spirit, Firmness AND Resolution of their Fellow Citizens. They rose as one Man to revenge their Brethren's Blood, and at the Point of the Sword, to Assert and Defend their native RiCiHTS. They nobly dar'd to be free ! ! the contest was long, bloody and affecting. Righteous Heaven approved the solemn appeal. Victory crowned their arms ; and The Peace, Liberty, and Independence of the United States of America was their Glorious Reward. BUILT IN THE YEAR t799. ^ MUNROE TA\ERN. T WAS in the gray dawn of that April morning 1775 — "A glorious morning for America " — when the royal troops reached Lexington Common. They had heard the drum beat of the minute men, and advanced on "double- quick" with loaded muskets. About seventy minute men, brave de- fenders of their rights, had assembled to meet six hundred trained soldiers. " Too few to resist, too brave to fly," they did the best they could, and after years of conflict here begun, American liberty was born The colonists had long contended against British oppression. James Otis resigned his office as the King's advocate STONE CANNON. and defended the rights of Bos- tonians, — the first step in the revo- lution. The stamp act had been passed and repealed. Patrick Henry had spoken out boldly in Virginia. The first Continental Congress met September 5, 1774. The Pro- vincial Congress assembled one month later, assumed the govern- ment of the colony, except in Boston where the British troops were stationed, took measures to organize militia companies and to prepare for resistance by force if necessary. Executive power was placed in the hands of the Com- mittee of Safety, prominent members of wdiich were Dr. Joseph Warren and John Hancock. A close watch was kept over the movements of the British soldiers. The King had entrusted the government of Massachusetts to Gen. Gage, the commander of the British army in America. He was a man of weak character, and his petty and injudicious acts aggravated the inhabitants. Large quantities of military supplies had been collected at Salem and Concord. Gage's attempt to take the stores at Salem, Feb. 26, 1775, resulted in a ridiculous failure. In March it was reported that he intended to capture or destroy the stores at Concord, which, from this time on, were carefully guarded. The Provincial Congress, which had been in session in Concord adjourned April 15. The Committee of Safety adjourned at Concord April 17, and Samuel Adams and John Hancock, arch traitors in" the estimation of the Royal government, then became the guests of Rev. Jonas Clarke, pastor at Lexington. Gen. Gage kept his plans secret, and it is inter- esting to conjecture the part played by his wife who was the daughter of a New Jersey patriot. Gordon, who was chaplain ot the Provincial Congress, says in his " History of the Independence of the United States " : '• A daugh- ter of liberty sent word by a trusty hand to Mr. Samuel Adams, residing in company with Mr. Hancock about thirteen miles from Charlestown, that the troops were coming out in a few days — ." Several historical writers seem to confirm the belief that this " Daugh- ter of Liberty" was the wife of Gen. Gage, and that she gave Dr. Warren valuable information, which was sent by the " trusty hand " of Paul Revere, and William Dawes as well, to Adams and Hancock at Lexington. Relative to what followed, what can be more interesting or authentic than Paul Revere's own written narrative ?j The Saturday night preceding the igth of April, about twelve o'clock at night, the boats belonging to the transports were all launched, and carried under the sterns of the men-of-war. (They had been previously hauled up and repaired) . We likewise found that the grenadiers and light infantry were all taken off duty. From these movements, we e.xpected something serious was to be transacted. On Tuesday evening, the iSth, it was observed that a number of soldiers were march- ing towards the bottom of the Common. About ten o'clock, Dr. Warren sent in great haste for me, and begged that I would immediately set off for Lexington, where Messrs. Hancock and ,\dams were, and acquaint them of the movement, and that it was thought they were the objects. When I got to Dr. Warren's house. 1 found he had sent an express by land to Lexington, — a Mr. William Dawes. The Sunday loefore, by desire of Dr. Warren, 1 had been to Lexington, to Messrs. Hancock and Adams, who were at the Rev. Mr. Clark's. 1 returned at night through Charlestown; there I agreed with a Colonel Conant and some other gentlemen, that if the British went out by water, we would show two lanthorns in the North Church steeple ; and if by land, one as a signal ; for we were apprehen- sive it would be difficult to cross the Charles River, or get over Boston Neck. I left Dr. Warren, called upon a friend, and desired him to make the signals. I then went home, took my boots and surtout, went to the north part of the town, where I kept a boat; two friends rowed me across Charles River a little to the eastward where the Somerset man-of- war lay. It was then young flood, tlie ship was winding, and the moon was rising. They landed me on the Charlestown side. When I got into town, I met Colonel Conant and several others; they said t'ley had seen our signals. I told them what was acting, and went to get me a horse; I got a horse of Deacon Larkin silhouette of While the horse was preparing. Richard Devens, Esq., who rev. joxas c larke. was one of the Committee of Safety came to me, and told me that lie came down the road from Lexington, after sundown, that evening ; that he met ten British officers, all well mounted and armed, going up the road. I set off upon a very good horse: it was then about eleven o'clock, and very pleas- ant. After I had passed Charlestown Neck, and got nearly opposite where Mark was hung in chains, I saw two men on horseback under a tree. When I got near them, I discovered they were British officers. One tried to get ahead of me, and the other to take me. I turned my horse very quick^ and galloped towards Charles- town Neck, and then pushed for the Medford road. The one who chased me, endeavoring to cut me off, got into a clay pond, near where the new tavern is now built. I got clear of him, and went through Medford, over th^ bridge, and up to Menotomy. In Medford, I awaked the Captain of the ^Minute Men ; and after that, I alarmed almost every house, till I got to Lexington. I found Messrs. Hancock and Adams at the Rev. Mr. Clark's; I told them my errand, and enquired for Mr. Dawes; they said he had not been there; I related the story of the two officers, and supposed that he must have been stopped, as he ought to have been there before me. After I had been there about half an hour, Mr. Dawes came ; we refreshed ourselves, and set off for Concord, to secure the stores, etc., there. We were overtaken by a young Dr. Prescott, whom we found to be a high Son of Liberty. I told them of the ten officers that Mr. Devens met, and that it was prob- able we might be stopped before we got to Concord; for I supposed that after night, they divided themselves, and that two of them had fixed themselves in such passages as were most likely to stop any intelligence going to Concord. I likewise mentioned that we had better alarm all the inhabitants till we got to Concord ; the young Doctor much approved of it, and said he would stop with either of us, for the people between that and Concord knew him, and would give the more credit to what we said. We had got nearly half way ; Mr. Dawes and the Doctor stopped to alarm the people of a house; 1 was about one hundred rods ahead, when I saw two men, in nearly the same situation as those officers were, near Charlestown. I called for the Doctor and Mr. Dawes to come up ; in an instant I was surrounded by four ; — they had placed them- selves in a straight road, that inclined each way; they had taken down a pair of bars on the north side of the road, and two of them were under a tree in the pasture. The Doctor being foremost, he came up: and we tried to get past them: but they being armed with pistols and swords, they forced us into the pasture: the Doctor jumped PORTRAIT BY STUART. ^ his horse over a low stone wall, and got to Concord. I observed a wood at a small distance, and made for that. When I got there, out started six officers, on horseback, and ordered me to dismount ; — one of them, who appeared to have the command, examined me. where I came from, and what my name was? I told him. He asked me if I was an express? I answered in the affirmative. He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and added, that their troops had catclied aground in passing the river, and that there would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the country all the way up. He immediately rode towards those who stopped us, when all five of them came down upon a full gallop ; one of them, whom I afterwards found to be a Major Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, clapped his pistol to my head, called me by name, and told me he was going to ask me some questions, and if I did not give him true answers he would blow my brains out. He then asked me similar questions to those above. He then -ordered me to mount my horse, after searching me for arms. He then ordered them to advance and to lead me in front. When we got to the road, they turned down toward Lexington. When we had got about one mile, the Major rode up to the officer that was leading me and told him to give me to the Sergeant, As soon as he took me, the Major ordered him, if 1 attempted to run, or anybody insulted them, to blow my brains out. We rode till we got near Levington meeting-house, when the militia fired a volley of guns, whicli appeared to alarm them very much. The major inquired of me how far it was to Cambridge, and if there were any other road. After some consultation, the Major rode up to the Sergeant, and asked if his horse was tired. He answered him he was— he was a Sergeant of Grenadiers, and had a small horse — then, said he, take that man's horse. I dismounted and the Sergeant motmted my horse, when they all rode toward Lexington meeting-house. I went across the burying-ground, and some pastures, and came to the Rev. Mr. Clark's house, where I found Messrs. Hancock and Adams. 1 told them of my treatment, and they concluded to go from that house towards Woburn. I went with them, and a Mr. Lowell, who was a clerk to Mr. Hancock. When we got to the house where they intended to stop, Mr. Lowell and myself returned to Mr. Clark's to find what was going on. When we got there, an elderly man came in ; he said he had just come from the tavern, that a man had come from Boston, who said there were no British troops coming. Mr. Lowell and myself went towards the tavern, when we met a man on a full gallop, who told us the troops were coming up the rocks. We afterwards met another, who said they were close portrait of by. Mr. Lowell asked me to go to the tavern with maj. wii.liam dawe; him, to get a trunk of papers belDiij^iiiK to Mr. Hancock. We went up cham- ber, and while we were gettintj the trunk, we saw the Britisli very near, upon a full march. We hurried towards Mr Clark's house. In our way, we passed througli the militia. Tliere were about fifty When we had got about one hundred yards from the meeting-house, the British troops ap- peared on both sides of tlie meeting- house. In tlieir front was an officer on horseback. They made a short halt : when I saw and heard a gun fired, which appeared to be a pistol. Then I could distinguish two guns, and tlien a con- tinual roar of musketry ; wlien we made off with the trunk. TO.MB-STONK OF CAl'T. I'ARKER. Capt. Parker commanded his company not to tire unless fired upon. The British approached on both sides of the meeting house following the lead of Maj. Pitcairn. who ordered the Minute Men to disperse. As they did not disperse he repeated the order with added emphasis, and fired his pistol at them. Both sides claimed that the other fired first but it seems conclusive that the first shot came from the British, who fired two volleys, the second with fatal effect. The Minute Men returned a few shots from the position they had taken, and dispersed, continuing the fire as best they could from their places of retreat. After about half an hour's delay the British proceeded to Concord, where they were so warmly received that they soon began their retreat over the same route. They were attacked by the gathering army of patriots from all sides. The British officers tried to restore order among their soldiers and check the retreat but in vain, till they met Earl Percy with reinforcements half a mile beyond Lexington Com- mon toward Boston. Here, under the protection of two field pieces and the reinforcements, the British had their first rest after sixteen hours steady marching. They remained in this vicinity about two hours, pillaging and burning buildings, killing cattle, etc. After caring for the wounded at Munroe Tavern, eating and drinking all that they could get, they killed the bar tender, set fire to the house and re- sumed their retreat. Fortunately the fire was discovered and extin- guished before much damage had been done. Seven Lexington men (and one Woburn man) were killed, and 9 wounded on and near the Common in the morning, and 3 were killed and I wounded in the afternoon. Thus Lexington lost more men during the day than any other town. Danvers being second with a loss of 7 killed, 3 wounded, and i missing. The total losses for the day were, Provincials, 49 killed, 36 wounded and 5 missing ; British, 73 killed, 174 wounded and 26 missing. Such, in brief, were the events that ushered in the Dawn of Liberty in Lexington. It was twenty years after ihe Pilgrims landed at Plymouth and five years after Peter Bulkley settled at Concord when Robert Her- larkenden built the first house in Cambridge Farms. Cambridge, about this time, comprised a large tract of land extending from the Charles along the Shawshine to the Merrimac River. The first settlement was near Vine Brook. Most of the meadows and some of the uplands were found free from wood and brush, probably having been burned by the Indians. Before permanently settled, Cambridge people used these lands as an additional source of hay. Prominent among the early inhabitants who settled here are the names Munroe, Tidd, Bowman, Bridge, Reid, Wellington and Merriam. Cambridge Farms remained the north precinct of Cam- bridge till 1 69 1 when it was incorporated as a separate parish. Benjamin Estabrook was the first minister of the town at a salary of ^40 a year, A meeting house was built on the southeast corner of the Common where the marble tablet now stands. Mr. Estabrook died July 22, 1697, and on the 7th of November, 1697, John Hancock of Cambridge was chosen a candidate to preach till the following May. He was publicly ordained Nov. 2, 1698, and continued his ministry here for fifty-five years. ■JV U] ■^ Oi ft " < ^■^ ^ A H 1 A portion of this house was built about i6g2 by the town as a residence for the first minister, Rev. llenjamin Estabrook. The town was incorporated as Lexington March 31, 1713, taking its name probably from Lord Lexington, a British statesman of prom- inence at this time. Town officers were immediately chosen and the following month the selectmen voted to ''erect a payer of stocks" as required by law. Just where the stocks was built is uncertain but probably, according to common custom, near the meeting house. This same year a new meeting house was built near the old one. It was 50 ft. by 40 ft. and 2S ft. high. The first school house was erected in 171 5 on the Common where the granite monument now stands. The town early became noted for its military spirit and took an active part in the French and Indian Wars. The staunch character and determination of the men composing the militia was finally displayed in the battle on the Common, April 19, 1775, when Capt. John Parker and 70 men faced 600 trained soldiers of Britain. Lexing- ton men participated in 17 different cam- paigns during- the Revolution. The population of the town was not above Soo in 1775. ^^ the Civil War the town furnished more than her full quota. In 1875 the town celebrated the cen- tennial anniversary of the battle in a grand fashion. Business in Boston and throughout this part of the State was generally suspended, and from an early hour people poured into Lexington by every possible REV. lOHN HANCOCK. conveyance. The streets were soon so crowded that carriages could not approach within a mile of the center. Careful estimates placed the number of visitors at 100.000. The day was ushered in by a salute of 100 guns at sunrise. The weather was fair but very cold for the season, and the experiences at dinner in the big tent on the Common and at the ball in the evening were not of pure delight. Among the guests of honor were President LI. S. Orant and his cabinet. One of the most interesting ceremonies of the day was the unveiling of the stat- ues of Adams and Hancock, cut from Carrara marble. The statue of Adams was made in Rome by Martin Milmore. a Boston artist. The statue of Hancock ELIZABETH (LARK HAN( 0( K. WIFE OF REV. |OH.\ HAN( fXf liOW.MAN HOLSE liUILT. AMOL'T 164c), was made in Florence by Thomas R. Gould, also a Boston artist. The contracts stipulated that the statues should be delivered in Lex- ington on or before January i, 1875; but with intense anxiety their arrival was witnessed by the light of a bright moon Saturday, April 17. Another important presentation to the town at this time was Pitcairn's pistols, by Mrs. John P. Putnam of Cambridge, N. Y. On the retreat of the British on the afternoon of April 19, 1775, a skir- mish took place near Fiske's Hill in which Maj. Pitcairn was wounded and fell from his horse. These pistols with the horse and accoutre- ments were captured by the Provincials, and later sold at auction in Concord. The holsters and pistols were purchased by Nathan Barrett who presented them to General Putnam, from wdiom they descended to his grandson, the husband (deceased) of the present donor. At one time quite a lot of manufacturing was done in Lexington, but to-day it is chiefly a residential suburb. There are many good STATUE OF SAMUEL ADAMS IN GARY LIBRARY, farms, devoted to the pro- duction of milk and gardening. In 1875 Wor- cester was the only place in the State that produced more milk than Lexington. The soil is rugged and much diversified. For the most part it is produc- tive and contains many rich peat meadows. The town is noted for its healthfulness and high elevation, being about 10 miles from the coast and 230 feet above sea level. A steam railroad was built from Lexington to Boston in 1846, and in 1900 — J901 electric street STATUE OF JOHN HANCOCK IN GARY LIBRARY. railroads were built to Arlington, Bedford, Waverly, Concord, Wal- tham and Woburn. The population of the town and valuation by 50 year periods has been as follows: — 1650, population 30, valuation unknown; 1700, population 350, valuation unknown ; 1750, populatio// 761, valuation unknown: 1800, population 1006, valuation 5251,052.00 : 1850, population 1888, valuation $1,869,453.00; 1900, population 3831, valuation 15,182,060.00. . STAND YOUR CROUN'O. . , OONT riREUNLEISsVlRt'DXlPOr THEY MF-AN TO HAVE A WAR :.eT !T •BEGIN HER^ IIOUI.DHR MARKlNc; LINE OF HATTLE BOULDER. The words of Capt. Parker are found in a letter by his grand- son, Theodore Parker, to George Bancroft, as a tradition in the Parker family. It was confirmed by Co). Wm. Munroe, the orderly sergeant of Capt. Parker's company. The estimated weight of this boulder is fifteen tons. LEXINGTON COMMON, A committee was chosen at a public meeting in 1707 to treat with " Nibour Muzzy" about the purchase of a piece of land lying north of the meeting house. Four years later negotiations were completed and in consideration of ^16 " Nibour Muzzy"' deeded to the inhabit- ants of Cambridge Farms a certain parcel of land estimated to contain one and one-half acres. In 1722, the town enlarged the Common by the purchase of an additional acre at a cost of ^25. This was the origin of Lexington Common, the birthplace of American liberty BUCKMAN TAVERN. There are at least ten houses standing in Lexington to-day that antedate the Revolution. The oldest house in town was over a century old at the time of the battle, having been built about 1649 by Nathaniel Bowman. Of the twelve taverns once doing active business in Lexington, the oldest was built in 1690 by Benjamin Muzzey, and now known as Buckman Tavern. It stands on Bedford street beside the old battle ground, and although the tablet giving brief historical data has been recently removed it may be easily recognized. It contained the first store in town and in it the first post office was opened in 181 2. The business of this house was said to be more with "carriage folks" than with teamsters. It contained nine fire- places and is architecturally the finest of the old houses in town. \ K W//'\\ \\ Jf^' 'i \ I f rf^^) "^ XsS/ L" ^E^ \ J ^ ^HhI if^ ^.^'::::" Kp: , , ■'.,^' •■■,_' ' BUCKMAN TAVERN. John Buckman, a member of Capt. Parker's company, was the landlord in 1775, and here the minute men assembled on the morninj^ of the battle. Two wounded British soldiers were brought here on the afternoon of the conflict, one of whom died and was buried in the old cemetery. The house is in good condition to-day, and proudly retains the scars made by British bullets during the only official visit ever paid to Lexington by His Majesty's soldiers. MONUMENT, On the west side of the old Common stands the granite monument, erected in 1799, in memory of the men killed in the Battle of Lexing- ton and the cause for which they fought and died. It is probably the first monument of the Revolution. The bodies of the slain were origi- nally buried in a common grave in the old cemetery, but in 1835 the remains were taken up, placed in a lead covered casket, this encased in a mahogany sarcophagus and deposited in a tomb that had been constructed in front of the foundation of this monument. Edward Everett was the orator of the occasion. The inscription on this monument was written by Rev. Jonas Clarke, the minister of the town from 1755 to 1S05. Here beside this old monument Lafayette was welcomed to Lexington Sept. 2, 1825, and here Kossuth was received by the town May 11. 1852. A copy of the in.scription will be found on the page facing the title page of this book. In recent years it has become a custom on Memorial Day to decorate it wnth wreaths and flowers. revoi.utioxarv soldihrs' MONrMExr, BELFRY, At a Town Meeting held June 15, 1 761, "Mr. Isaac Stone came into said meeting and gave the Town a Bell to be for the Town's use forever — which Bell was there, and weighed Four Hundred and Sixty Three pounds — for which the Moderator in the name of the Town returned him thanks. " Then voted, To hang ye Bell on ye top of ye Hill upon ye south side of Lieut. James Munroe's house." The committee for building this "Bell free" rendered their account the following year, which shows the cost to have been ^2i-i2s-io>^d. In 176S, it was removed to the south side of the common near the present site of the old monument. '• Here it remained for thirty years summoning the people to worship, warning them at nine at night to rake up the fires and go to bed and tolling for them when, one after another, they passed away." From this belfry the alarm was rung on the morning of April 19, 1775, calling the Minute Men to the common. It was purchased by a son of Capt. Parker in 1797, and removed to the Parker place in the south part of the town where it was used for a wheelwright's shop. There it remained till 1891, when it was pre- sented to the Lexington Historical Society and removed to Belfry Hill near the spot where it was built. The bell long ago disappeared, but the tongue is treasured by the town as a valuable relic of the past and may be seen in Gary Library. THE OLD BELFRY. HOME Ol MARK I. AMj NAlilAN MUNKOK. MARRETT MUNROE HOUSE. On the opposite side of the avenue from the Soldiers* Monument, stands the house of Marrett and Nathan Munroe, built 17:9. HANCOCK-CLARKE HOUSE. Next after the battleground, this old parsonage is the most interesting and important place, historically, in Lexington. It stands on Hancock street, about five minutes walk from the Common. The one-story, gambrel roofed ell was the original house built by Rev. John Hancock in 1698. It contained a good sized living room and the parson's study down stairs, and two small, low cham- bers. Rev. John Hancock married Elizabeth Clark of Chelmsford, and to them three sons and two daughters were born and reared to maturity in this small dwelling. The frame is oak, hewed by hand, and shows little signs of decay. In 1734 Thomas Hancock, the second son of Rev. John Hancock, at this time a prosperous Boston merchant, built the main portion of the house for his parents. The wainscotting in this part of the house is particularly handsome. In all, there are eight rooms and a fireplace in each, except one chamber. The outer walls of the main part of the house contain a layer of bricks extending from the sills to the eaves. Here Rev. John Hancock lived from 169S till his death in 1752. In 1755 Rev. Jonas Clarke, who married a granddaughter of Mr. Hancock, became pastor of Lexington and the occupant of this house. John Hancock, the governor and signer of the Declaration, spent much time in his boyhood at this old home of his grandparents, and here he was visiting in company with Samuel Adams when Paul Revere made his famous ride. Here, also, at this time was the beautiful Dorothy Ouincy, John Hancock's fiancee, to whom he was married the following August. Solomon Brown of Lexington had been to market at Boston April 18, and on his return late in the afternoon informed Sergt. Munroe that he had seen nine British ofiicers passing up the road. Munroe, suspecting that their intention was to capture Adams and Hancock, placed a guard of well-armed men about this old house. Some time after Paul Revere delivered his mes- sage of warning, Adams and Hancock, for their greater safety, were conducted to the old parsonage in Burlington and later to Mr. Amos Wy man's house in Billerica. Hancock sent a letter back to Dorothy Ouincy. requesting her to follow him and bring they?// 6' sabiion that had been sent to them for their dinner, which she accord- MEETiNG HOUSE TAHLiLT. lhxi\(;ton ( ommon. 1 Hgly did. At the time of the battle it was all open country between Mr. Clarke's house and the battle ground, and the firing was plainly seen from the chambers. The house originally stood on the opposite side of the street from its present location. With the aid of patriotic men and women in various parts of the country, Lexington Historical Society purchased the house, removed it to its present po- sition in 1896, and restored it as far as possible to its original condition. It contains the valuable and interesting col- lection of the Historical Society. It is kept open to the public throughout the year, and in 1901 was visited by not less than fourteen thousand people, represent- almost every state in the union, as well as many foreign countries. Admission is free. On Sundays it open only in the afternoon. ;n t r\ — m I N KOii T.A \ i:r N. inu Cliair used l)y GKoiMii; W asiiini. lox ;it (liinuT in tlii> li.ilisf, X>.v. .\ ir.SIt. MUNROE TAVERN. About one-third the distance from the Center to the East Village on Massachusetts Avenue, stands Munroe Tavern, built in 1695 by William Munroe. When Earl Percy reached Lexington with rein- forcements on the afternoon of April 19, 1775, he made this old hostelry his headquarters, and here his wounded soldiers were treated in the front room at the left of the entrance. The front room at the right was the bar room, and in the ceiling is a bullet hole made by the discharge of a British musket. Here Washington was entertained at dinner in J7S9, and the armchair in which he sat is still to be seen. Some time soon after 1770 an ell, now removed, was built on the northwest side of the house containing a hall about 60 x 20 feet, in which balls and parties were held, and it was here that Hiram Lodge of Free Masons was instituted Dec. 12. 1797. HOUSE OK JONATHAN HARRIN(;TON. THE HARRINGTON HOUSE. On one corner of Elm avenue and Bedford street, about ten rods back of the line of the Minute Men in the battle, is to be seen the home of Jonathan Harrington, who, wounded by a British bullet, dragged himself to the door and there died at his wife's feet. OLD NORMAL SCHOOL. On the opposite corner from the Harrington house stands a building erected in 1822 for the Lexington Academy, which was discontinued about ten years later. In 1839 the building was given to the State and there the first Normal School in America was opened under the direction of Rev. Cyrus Pierce. 26 THEODORE PARKER. Theodore Parker was born on the old homestead in the south part of Lexington known as " Kite End." Here his grandfather, Capt. John Parker, had lived, and from this place he was summoned by the alarm bell to command his company April 19, 1775. Theodore Parker was one of the most notable men Lexington has produced. He was born Aug. 24, 1810, in the old house whose former location is now marked by the granite monument placed there by his devoted parishioners. The house in whicli he was born was destroyed sometime previous to 1S50. He was a remarkable scliolar, a liberal thinker, a lover of nature and his fellow creatures. He died in Flor- ence, May 10, i860, and was buried in the Protestant cemeterv there. THE OLD BURYING GROUND. A short distance off Massachu- setts Avenue near the junction of Elm Avenue and in the rear of the Uni- tarian Church is the old burying ground. It is a pleasant plot with outlook across broad meadows to rising hills in the distance. So far as known, it contains the oldest graves in town; there are two or three stones bearing the date of 1690, and probably older unmarked graves. Here the bodies of the Lex- ington men, killed in the battle, were originally buried in one grave. Here a British soldier who died in Buck- man's Tavern was buried. It contains the graves of the first three ministers of the town — Estabrook, Hancock THEODORE PARKER. (At agi' of 42.) OLD BURYING GROUND, Hi^ XCOCK-CLARKE TOMl! IN CENTRE. and Clarke. In 1S84 the town erected a substantial granite monument over the grave of Capt. John Parker. A marble obelisk marks the grave of Gov. Wm. Eustice, governor of Massachusetts 1823-1S25 and a member of Capt. Parker's company. The Hancock tomb contains the remains of Rev. and Mrs. John Hancock, Rev. Ebenezer Hancock, Rev. and Mrs. Jonas Clarke, Mrs. Mary Clarke Ware, — wife of Rev. Henry Ware, D. D., — and three other children of Mr. Clarke. The tomb was sealed in 1843, when the last daughter of Mr. Clarke was buried there. 28 THE OI UEST GRAVESTONE IN THE OLD GRAVEYARD. RELICS Lexiii£;t4Ui po.-ssesses many intcrcstiiiji ami valuable rrlits <»f past centuries, aiuoiii; Avliieli are the followiiis : In The Town Hall is a fine oil painting 8x12 feet of the Battle of Lexington by Henry Sandham, owned by the Lexington Historical Society. On the frame are these inscriptions — "too few to resist, too p,ra\e to fly." "THE DAWN OF LIBERTY" APRIL 19 — LEXIN(iTON — I 775- (This picture is reproduced on the cover of this book.) 29 Caky Library contains fine marble statues of Samuel Adams and John Hancock, a marble bust of Theodore Parker, Pitcairn's pistols — the first wea- pons used against the Colonists on Lexington Common, — the tongue of the bell that sounded the alarm April 19, 1775, besides many valu- able portraits and framed documents of historical value. Hancuck-Clarkp: Housic is the chief repository of the town and contains nearly the whole collection of the Historical Society, numbering nearly one thousand articles. Prominent in this collection are portraits of Rev. and Mrs. John Hancock, painted by Smibert, silhouette — life size, — of Rev. Jonas Clarke, set of Doolittle's engravings of the battle of Lexington and Concord, sword of Robert Newman who hung the lanterns in the North Church 'steeple for Paul Revere, pocketbook of Joshua Bentley who rowed Revere across the Charles River on the night of April 18, 1775, cannon balls fired by Earl Percy's troops April 19, 1775, muskets and swords used by Minute Men, silk vest and gold ring once worn by Gov. John Hancock, ink well and sermon case of Theodore Parker, lantern formerly used by Paul Revere, piece of the drum that beat the alarm for the Minute Men to assemble, etc. TONGUE OF THE OLD CHURCH BELL Which, on the morning of April 19th. 1775, sounded the Alarnn summoning the Citizens of Lexington to rally and resist the approach of the British, .MODERN Ll:;\l.\GTON, THE OLD HELFRV CLLi;. GUIDE TO PLACES OF INTEREST, «ifors Avill Jiinl it to tlicir advantage to sec the various plaees in the t'olloAviiig order, starting at the '• Minnte Man'' an