Wright's Tavern

Wright's Tavern is a historic tavern located in the center of Concord, Massachusetts. It is now a National Historic Landmark owned by the Society of the First Parish, Concord, with important associations with the Battle of Lexington and Concord at the start of the American Revolution.

Wright's Tavern
Wright's Tavern
Wright's Tavern is located in Massachusetts
Wright's Tavern
Wright's Tavern is located in the United States
Wright's Tavern
LocationConcord, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°27′36″N 71°20′57″W
Built1747
Part ofConcord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic District (ID77000172)
NRHP reference No.66000793
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 15, 1966[1]
Designated NHLJanuary 20, 1961[2]
Designated CPSeptember 13, 1977

Overview
Information plaque from the front of the Tavern

Wright's Tavern was built in 1747 by Ephraim Jones, who operated it until 1751. At the dawn of the American Revolution in April 1775, it was managed by Amos Wright, whose name it has borne ever since. On April 19, the day of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, when the courthouse bell announced the approach of Major Pitcairn's British troops, the Concord Minutemen assembled at Wright's Tavern. Later, after Pitcairn's arrival in the Concord square, British officers refreshed themselves in the tavern.[3]

The tavern also has earlier links to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress which met next door in October 1774, in the First Parish Church. With John Hancock as president and Benjamin Lincoln as secretary, the Congress consisted of 300 delegates from Massachusetts towns who passed measures ending tax payments to the Crown and organizing a militia force to defy King George III by arms if necessary. Wright's Tavern was used as a meeting place for committees of the Congress during the 5-day session.

Wright's Tavern ca. 1895–1905. Archive of Photographic Documentation of Early Massachusetts Architecture, Boston Public Library.

Since the Revolution the building has been put to many uses. Today the tavern is still in good condition with red clapboards and a double-hipped (monitor) roof above its two main stories. It is being restored to its 1775 condition as a museum and scheduled to open in 2024.[4]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. "Wright's Tavern". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved August 24, 2009.
  3. Hudson, Alfred Sereno (1904). The History of Concord, Massachusetts, Vol. I, pp. 6–7. Concord, Massachusetts: The Erudite Press.
  4. "Concord's Wright Tavern: Updates for CPC". Town of Concord. January 2022.
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