Matt Beres currently serves as the executive director of the Arlington Historical Society, located at the Jason Russell House & Museum in Arlington, MA. He also serves as the curator of the Wilmington Town Museum and works as a tour guide at the Concord Visitor Center. Previously, Matt has held positions more locally at the Concord Museum and Thoreau Farm.

Revolutionary Valor: The Stories of David Lamson, Samuel Whittemore, and Hannah Hall Adams

March 28, 2025

Matt Beres

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On April 19, 1775, as the British Regulars retreated from Lexington back toward Boston, they passed through the village of Menotomy, facing fierce resistance from the Provincial forces of surrounding towns. Of the approximately 73 British Regulars and 49 Provincials killed on April 19, 1775, 40 Regulars and 25 Provincials lost their lives along the 1.5-mile stretch between the Foot of the Rocks and Cooper’s Tavern, which is now Arlington’s city center. This village witnessed the largest engagements of the day, with many families caught in the turmoil of battle right in their own homes.

These are three of their stories.

Harvard’s Year of Exile

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.

The Spring Issue is Here!

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!

TriCon at 200: Faith in Action Since 1826

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.”

Matt Beres

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Revolutionary Valor: The Stories of David Lamson, Samuel Whittemore, and Hannah Hall Adams