By Dr. Nancy Watson
Back to All Hometowns

Lexington, MA

Lexington was incorporated in 1713, evolving from the earlier settlement known as Cambridge Farms. Originally a farming community organized around its town common, Lexington developed the classic New England pattern of shared land, meetinghouse governance, and tightly woven civic life. On April 19, 1775, the town’s quiet green became the site of the opening battle of the American Revolution, forever linking Lexington to the birth of the nation. Today, its preserved Battle Green, historic taverns, and colonial homes reflect a community where local life and national history remain inseparably connected.

Lexington, MA

Recent Posts

Munroe Tavern 

Munroe Tavern 

Standing beside Munroe Tavern in Lexington, it is difficult to imagine how quickly this quiet colonial tavern became swept into the chaos of the opening day of the American Revolution. Built in 1735, the tavern originally served travelers moving along the busy road between Boston and Concord. Taverns like this were essential gathering places in colonial […]

Lexington, Massachusetts
Women’s Liberty Monument 

Women’s Liberty Monument 

This is the Lexington Women’s Liberty Monument, officially titled “Something is Being Done” that was unveiled in May 2024 in the historic center of Lexington. The memorial was created by sculptor Meredith Bergmann and was commissioned by the organization LexSeeHer to recognize the women whose stories had been left out of Lexington’s public monuments.   The phrase engraved beneath where […]

Lexington, Massachusetts
Hancock-Clarke Parsonage 

Hancock-Clarke Parsonage 

Standing along the roadside in Lexington, the Hancock-Clarke Parsonage preserves one of the most important gathering places connected to the opening of the American Revolution. Built in 1737, the parsonage became forever tied to the dramatic events of April 18-19, 1775, when Paul Revere and William Dawes arrived here warning that British troops were marching toward […]

Lexington, Massachusetts
“Stand Your Ground” Monument

“Stand Your Ground” Monument

On the Green in Lexington, there is this stone monument, low to the ground, a rough granite boulder.  Carved into ts surface are words that carry the weight of a nation’s beginning: “Stand your ground. Don’t fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here.” These words are […]

Lexington, Massachusetts
Revolutionary War Monument

Revolutionary War Monument

The Revolutionary Monument on Lexington Green, erected in 1799, is widely considered the first monument in the United States specifically commemorating the American Revolution. The monument stands on Lexington Battle Green, the site where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired on April 19, 1775. Twenty-four years after the battle, the town of Lexington […]

Lexington, Massachusetts
Minuteman Statue

Minuteman Statue

Standing on the Lexington Battle Green, the Minuteman statue captures a single, defining moment in American history: The morning of April 19, 1775. This figure represents Captain John Parker, commander of the Lexington militia, not a professional soldier, but a farmer, husband, and father. Before dawn, he gathered 77 local militiamen on the town common […]

Lexington, Massachusetts