Living History Sites

The site of the famous "Shot Heard Around the World," the Old North Bridge served as the flashpoint of the American Revolution. To this day, historians debate who fired the first shot, here, which led to the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

The Harrington House belonged to that of Jonathan Harrington whom, according to local history, crawled back to his house to pass in his wife's arms after being mortally wounded during the Battle of Lexington and Concord

At dawn on April 19, 1775, an unknown shot shattered the silence in Lexington. British Redcoats and colonial militia clashed, leaving blood on the field. In Concord, the patriots struck back, and as the British retreated, gunfire hounded them to Boston, thus sparking the American Revolution

Once an influential shipbuilding center, Newburyport now houses the Custom House Maritime Museum, which interprets the region's naval history.

In the days leading up the Battle of Lexington and Concord, James Barrett stored military supplies, including small cannons, from that were smuggled out of Boston amid rising tensions with the British.

This home, now known as the "John Quincy Adams Birthplace," was John and Abigail Adams' residence during the Revolutionary War. While John served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Abigail managed this home and served as an advisor to her husband in his public role.

One of the oldest residential buildings in Boston, this structure was once the home of one-and-only Paul Revere, an avid member of the Sons of Liberty.

The site of the first known Colonist offensive attack during the Revolution, Meriam's Corner marks where the British column, retreating to Boston, was ambushed by local militias.

Located near where Paul Revere was captured during his famous ride, one of Revere's compatriots was able to escape and alert Hartwell family, who continued to raise the alarm about the advancing British troops.

The oldest standing church in Boston, it once signaled lookouts in Charlestown, which triggered Paul Revere's famous ride to alert militia of the advancing British Regulars across the Massachusetts countryside.

A proving ground for the Patriot cause, the infamous Battle of Bunker Hill was the first pitched battle between New England soldiers and the British. Although the British claimed the field, some 1,000 British soldiers and Marines were wounded or killed in action.

Known by several names over the past two centuries, it is now known as the Wright Tavern, named after its owner during the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Amos Wright.