Lexington and Concord. April 19, 1775. Where and when the Revolutionary War started is well known.
Not so well known is the fact that Harvard played an important, if odd, role afterward in the early days of the Revolution, turning its campus over to the nascent American army. On May 1, 1775, undergraduates were dismissed and given an early summer vacation. Classes resumed on Oct. 5 in Concord, 20 miles away — the beginning of a wartime academic sojourn.
Patriots' Day is almost here, and this issue of Discover Concord brings you a list of events, the parade route, and much more to make your celebration special. Also in this issue is an in-depth look at the new PBS documentary "Henry David Thoreau," a fascinating piece on how the Concord Lyceum came to be, and a look at how Massachusetts civilians on the homefront managed the challenging months of January - May 1776. Freedom's Way National Heritage Area is launching an exciting program you won't want to miss called "Declaring Independence: Then & Now" in more than 20 towns across Massachusetts. With two special fold-out inserts, maps, lists of shops, and so much more, you'll want to get your copy early!
This year, the Trinitarian Congregational Church (TriCon) on Walden Street is celebrating its 200th anniversary. However, from the early days of Concord’s founding in 1635, there was only one meeting house, and that was First Church in the center of town. In 1778, Reverend Ezra Ripley assumed
the pastorate, a position he would
hold for 63 years. By 1825, First Parish, like many Congregational churches
in Massachusetts, had changed, adopting a Unitarian theology. But
not all parishioners were happy with
“Dr. Ripley’s church” or his unorthodox preaching. In March 1826, nine dissenters, joined by seven townspeople, left First Parish to form their own “religious conference.”
His eyes are bronze, formed in fire; and if you walk from Concord Center two blocks up Monument Street, you will find him staring at you from where he stands high atop a granite base, overlooking the North Bridge battle site and the straight gravel path from the bridge to the road. He is the Minute Man statue created by Concord sculptor Daniel Chester French, and was witness to part of the story you’re about to read.
