Hartwell Tavern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hartwell Tavern |
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Hartwell Tavern, pictured in 2019
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| Alternative names | Ephraim Hartwell House |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Saltbox |
| Location | Lincoln, Massachusetts (Concord until 1754) |
| Address | North County Road |
| Coordinates | 42°27′14″N 71°17′36″W / 42.4538°N 71.2932°W |
| Construction started | 1732 |
| Completed | 1733 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 (including the cellar) |
Hartwell Tavern is a very old building in Lincoln, Massachusetts. It's also known as the Ephraim Hartwell House. This place is famous because it played a part in the very first battle of the American Revolutionary War. That battle was the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.
Today, Hartwell Tavern is a historic house museum. It's part of the Minute Man National Historical Park. You can find it on North County Road, near Battle Road. Park rangers dress in old-fashioned clothes from the colonial times. They offer programs and tours from late May to October. The building itself was built in 1733. It looks like a saltbox house, which is a type of old American home.
History of the Tavern
The Hartwell Tavern was built in 1733. It was a home for Ephraim Hartwell and his wife, Elizabeth. Ephraim's father, Samuel, gave them the land. Samuel lived nearby in a house that was even older.
Ephraim and Elizabeth had many children. By 1756, they had nine kids living in their house! To earn more money, Ephraim decided to open his home as an inn. An inn was like a hotel and restaurant for travelers. It stayed an inn until the 1780s.
The area where the tavern stands was part of Concord until 1754. Then, it became part of a new town called Lincoln.
After Ephraim passed away in 1793, his son John took over the tavern. The building remained a home for many years. In 1967, the National Park Service bought it.
In the 1980s, the Park Service worked to make the tavern look like it did in 1775. They kept some parts that were added later, in 1783 and 1830. Most of the original building from 1733 is still there. This includes the main structure, foundation, walls, and some floors. About 65% of the original building remains today.
The original sign from the tavern is now on display. You can see it at Buckman Tavern in Lexington.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord happened very early on April 19, 1775. British soldiers marched right past the Hartwell Tavern. They were going to Concord and then came back past it on their way to Boston.
Three of Ephraim Hartwell's sons were involved in the fighting. Samuel, John, and Isaac were minutemen from Lincoln. Minutemen were local soldiers ready to fight at a moment's notice. They fought at the Old North Bridge and along the battle road. All three brothers later served in the main Revolutionary War army.
A famous event, the "Midnight Ride," happened the night before the battle. Paul Revere and William Dawes were riding to warn people about the British. A British patrol stopped them near the tavern. But another rider, Samuel Prescott, managed to escape. He jumped his horse over a wall and rode through the woods.
Prescott arrived at the Hartwell Tavern and woke up Ephraim. He told Ephraim that British soldiers were coming. Ephraim then sent his slave, Violet, to warn his son Samuel and his family down the road. Samuel's wife, Mary, then carried the message to Captain William Smith. Captain Smith was the leader of the Lincoln minutemen. His home is still standing along Battle Road. Thanks to these warnings, the minutemen knew the British were coming. They were ready at Old North Bridge before the enemy arrived. Prescott also made it all the way to Concord to spread the alarm.
Gallery
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The Hartwell Tavern in the 1960s
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Another view of the south-facing façade
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The tavern's sign
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The reverse of the sign
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A replica of the original sign is used on the trail in front of the tavern
