Reuben Brown House facts for kids

The Reuben Brown House is an old-fashioned house in Concord, Massachusetts. It's built in a style called colonial style. Sometimes people call it the Peter Bulkeley / Reuben Brown House because of its long history.

History of the Reuben Brown House

The Early Years (Colonial Era)

The Reuben Brown House was built in 1725 by a man named Reuben Brown. He was a saddler, which means he made and fixed saddles for horses. Some people think the house might have been built even earlier, around 1667, by Peter Bulkeley. But most of what we see today was built or updated by Reuben Brown in 1725.

Reuben Brown designed his house to include a shop for his saddlery business and a barn. He was a true patriot, meaning he strongly supported American independence. He helped get supplies for the Minutemen from Concord. These brave soldiers fought in the very first battles of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775.

On April 19, 1775, the town bell rang, and a gun fired. This was a warning that British soldiers, called "redcoats," were coming! Reuben Brown quickly rode his horse to Lexington to report that a fight had happened there. He rode over 100 miles to Boston and back to Concord to share the news.

When the British soldiers marched out of Concord, they targeted Reuben Brown's house first. They took his supplies and tried to burn down his barn. Luckily, the fire was put out quickly, and both the house and barn survived! Some stories even say that the very first American flag was shown in Reuben Brown's backyard during the Concord fight. Also, a historic stone wall behind the house was used by the Minutemen to watch the British soldiers.

A Busy House (Civil War Era)

After the American Revolution, the house still had a saddle shop. Other parts of the house were rented out to families.

Many famous people from Concord visited the Reuben Brown House. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a well-known writer, was a good friend of Reuben Brown. Emerson became so famous that many fans would come to his own house just to stare at him! To get some peace and quiet, Emerson rented the upstairs library at the Reuben Brown House for ten years.

Henry David Thoreau, another famous writer, wrote in his journal about a big yard sale held at the Reuben Brown House in the 1850s. John Brown, a famous abolitionist who fought against slavery, also stayed as a guest in the house in 1857. The Alcott family, who were also writers and thinkers, visited the house too.

The House as a Museum and Restaurant

In 1886, a man named Cummings E. Davis moved into the house. He had a special collection of old American furniture and other items. He would show his collection to people for a fee. Later, a group called The Concord Antiquarian Society took care of his items. They eventually owned the house.

The Antiquarian Society used the house to display their collection of items from the American Revolution. But in 1930, they moved their valuable collection to the Concord Museum. They were worried the Reuben Brown House might burn down and destroy their priceless artifacts.

In the 1930s and 1940s, the house became a public restaurant called The Old Mill Dam. It was open every day, serving lunch, tea, and dinner. Dinners were even cooked in the old brick oven for special parties. The restaurant was decorated to look like it was from the time of the American Revolution.

The famous writer E. B. White mentioned the house in his 1939 book, One Man’s Meat. He wrote about seeing a car parked in front of the house with a man listening to the radio.

Since the restaurant closed, the Reuben Brown House has been a private home.

Images for kids

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  The house illuminated by autumn colors