Friends of Minute Man National Park
Preserving the Birthplace of the American Revolution
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"It seemed my duty": Concord and the American Civil War in 1863
Saturday, May 27
The Wayside: Home of Authors
10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Free
Join us at the Wayside to learn about the trials and triumphs of Concord in 1863.
The Wayside house will be open for guests to explore Nathanial Hawthorne’s Sky Parlor and writing space. Visit with Ranger Nadia Peattie to discuss Louisa May Alcott and the contributions of women on the home front. Stop by to meet members of the Liberty Rifles, a living history organization, who will be set up on the Wayside lawn.
At 2:00 p.m., join us for a special lecture entitled “A Blot Removed From Our National Honor; Emerson, Concord, and Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation" by historian Richard Smith.
To learn more, please click on the button below.
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Minute Man Open for the Season | | |
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Welcome Back! Minute Man National Historical Park is now open for the season. We welcome you to visit our historical sites, memorial landscapes, and Visitor Centers. Rangers are ready to answer questions, provide maps, passport stamps, and Junior Ranger materials at park Visitor Centers.
For more information and maps, please visit the park website.
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Tuesdays, May 30, June 27, and July 25
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Buttrick Gardens
Free, registration required
Join us for a free 30-minute tour of the Buttrick Gardens at Minute Man National Historical Park. Learn about the history and preservation of these beautiful gardens. We’ll find shady spots to view the historic plantings and discuss why the Buttrick Gardens recently received a Concord Historical Commission Landscape Preservation Award.
Buttrick Garden tours are sponsored by Friends of Minute Man, Minute Man National Historical Park, New England Nurseries, and Middlesex Savings Bank. This program is free and open to the public; registration is required.
For more information and to register, please click the below button.
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Thank you to our Buttrick Garden Tours sponsors! | |
National Park Service Director Visits Minute Man | | |
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National Park Service Director, Chuck Sams, recently visited Minute Man National Historical Park. History came to life as he stood on the North Bridge with Ranger Jarrad and held a musket ball fired on April 19th.
Director Sams also visited Hartwell Tavern, The Wayside, met with Friends of Minute Man National Park and Freedom's Way National Heritage Area, and toured some of the park's historic structures that are undergoing historic preservation as part of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).
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Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, reenactors, donors, and sponsors who made Patriots' Day 2023 a success!
Thousands of visitors joined in the week-long festivities. We watched the colonial militia engage the British troops along Battle Road, welcomed visitors into the Barrett House, braved the rain at the North Bridge Battle Commemoration, and solemnly lit our candles at the Patriot Vigil. The five-mile Battle Road hike, which allowed participants to follow in the footsteps of the ill-fated British Column, was enjoyed by a sell-out crowd.
But most importantly, we were grateful for the opportunity to gather for this cherished holiday and commemorate the first battles of the American Revolution.
Images: Patriots' Day 2023, clockwise from left to right: a Minuteman stands at the North Bridge, photo by Kathleen Fahey; 10th Regiment of Foot taking cover behind a stone wall near Hartwell Tavern, photo by Justin Murray Photography; civilian evacuees, photo by John Collins; Captain Brown's Company of Minute Men, photo by John Bradley.
To view more Patriots' Day 2023 photos, please click the below button.
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Sssurveying Amphibians and Reptiles | |
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Minute Man National Historical Park, UMass Boston, and the Town of Concord are interested in learning what kinds of reptiles and amphibians live at Barrett’s Mill Farm.
As you walk the trails, you may notice some large sheets of metal and wood lying on the ground. These are NOT litter! These are called coverboards, and they are imperative to our surveying methods. Amphibians and reptiles seek shelter under these boards, and by examining them once a month, we can see what resides underneath them and in this park.
Please do not remove, touch, flip, or otherwise disturb these boards. The more times they are disturbed, the less likely animals are to use them. Read more . . .
Image: Garter Snake at Minute Man National Historical Park by Kiah Walker.
To read and learn more about amphibians at the park, click on the button below.
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Beyond Battle Road
Items of interest outside the Park
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Robbins House: Civil Rights & Black History Lecture
Join The Robbins House on May 28th at 2:00 for a lecture by Dr. Jill Titus on her book "Gettysburg 1963: Civil Rights, Cold War Politics, and Historical Memory in America’s Most Famous Small Town." The lecture takes place at the Concord Museum. Click here for more information.
Revolution 250 Podcast: Bullet Strikes, Powder Horns & Archaeology Along Battle Road
Rev250 talks with Joel Bohy, Director of Historic Arms & Militaria at Bruneau & Co. Auctioneers and a regular appraiser on Antiques Roadshow, about the weapons and equipment used on April 19, 1775. Joel discusses muskets, powderhorns, and the stories of the people who carried them. Click here to listen.
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Thank you to our newsletter sponsors! | |
Friends of Minute Man National Park
North Bridge Visitor Center
174 Liberty Street
Concord, MA 01742
P: 978-318-7822
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The Friends of Minute Man National Park is an independent, member-based
non-profit 501(c)(3) organization supporting the Park's mission of
preserving and protecting the historic sites, structures, properties, and landscapes associated with the opening battles of the American Revolution.
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