Minuteman National Park, Concord, Massachusetts

11 October 2021

1036

R. Linda:

A place I love in Massachusetts is the towns of Concord and Lexington. Talk about colonial places to visit; these two rate high on me list. Concord, being me fav, is down by the Concord River, the section where the Minuteman National Park is located.

There be a centre for information on the area and a gift shop, which I know be a must for lady visitors, especially me, Mam, who bought four Revolutionary Soldier Christmas ornaments that grace our tree every year. The centre gives a history of "The Shot Heard Around The World" and all that transpired on that fateful day, April 19, 1775. 

However, me fav place is the park itself, which be a lovely walk to the North Bridge, where it all happened. The place is scenic, and I don't think a bad picture could be taken of the area, even on a cloudy day. Look here:

This is the Old Manse next door to the park. It has the most beautiful old handblown windows.

This attractive and well-maintained relic of the American Revolution has quite the history. It was built in 1770 in the Georgian style and constructed for patriot William Emerson. From the upstairs windows in the back, you can see the North Bridge, where all the day's excitement came down. Both Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne lived in the house for a time. The veggie garden out back was planted by none other than Henry David Thoreau in honour of Hawthorne's wedding to Sophia Peabody (Sophia was one of the famous Peabody Sisters, hawkers of the reform movement and founders of kindergarten. If you need to know more look them up!).

Side view of the manse, which I thought was a Dutch Colonial

Entrance to the park

The body of water seen in the above photo be the Concord River. That be the famous North Bridge ahead and the monument to the day's memory straight ahead.

The Minuteman Statue

I found this statue awe-inspiring. It was created by Daniel Chester French in 1871. The statue is of a patriot who steps away from farming to pick up a long rifle and join the Battle of Concord.

To think that the night before the Battle of Concord, Paul Revere and others had ridden at night to warn of the British coming to take a large arms cache and sounded the alert that the colonial militiamen needed to get to the bridge to stop the British . . . as you stand on that bridge it be easy to visualise.

The Old North Bridge

To stand on and cross this bridge is a thrill for history buffs. To think what happened between the patriots and the British soldiers that day so long ago was right where one be standing, 'tis a sobering thought. 

Fields along the Concord River

This is a beautiful place in the fall and is not to be missed if you are in the area. Afterwards, going down the road to the old Colonial Inn's Merchant's Row restaurant for dinner or a drink is also a treat. The inn was built in 1716 and oozes colonial everything in the atmosphere, and you can book a room and stay if you want. 

Gabe

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