Wright's Tavern is a historic

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...

located in the center of

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the co ...

. It is now a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

owned by the Society of the First Parish, Concord, with important associations with the

Battle of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, ...

at the start of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

Overview

Wright's Tavern was built in 1747 by Ephraim Jones, who operated it until 1751. At the dawn of the

in April 1775, it was managed by Amos Wright, whose name it has borne ever since. On April 19, the day of the

, when the courthouse bell announced the approach of Major

Pitcairn The Pitcairn Islands (; Pitkern: '), officially the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, is a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean. The four i ...

's British troops, the Concord

Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

assembled at Wright's Tavern. Later, after Pitcairn's arrival in the Concord square, British officers refreshed themselves in the tavern.Hudson, Alfred Sereno (1904). ''The History of Concord, Massachusetts'', Vol. I, pp. 6–7. Concord, Massachusetts: The Erudite Press. 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 John Hancock ( – October 8, 1793) was an American Founding Father, merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor o ...

as president and

Benjamin Lincoln Benjamin Lincoln (January 24, 1733 ( O.S. January 13, 1733) – May 9, 1810) was an American army officer. He served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Lincoln was involved in three major surrenders ...

as secretary, the Congress consisted of 300 delegates from

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

towns who passed measures ending tax payments to the Crown and organizing a

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

force to defy

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

by arms if necessary. Wright's Tavern was used as a meeting place for committees of the Congress during the 5-day session. 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 currently serves as educational space for the Concord Museum and as the headquarters of East Side Studio Architects and Nashawtuc Architects.

References

External links

Wright Tavern listing
at ''New England Travel Planner''
Concord Museum signs historic agreement to operate the Wright Tavern
2016 {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Concord, Massachusetts National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts Commercial buildings completed in 1747 National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts Taverns in Massachusetts Taverns in the American Revolution Drinking establishments on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Concord, Massachusetts Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts

Overview

See also

References

External links