The Battle Road Scenic Byway

British soldiers fire upon advancing militia led by Colonel Barrett as the British guard the Old North Bridge and their soldiers march towards Colonel Barrett’s Farm to find hidden munitions during a Reenactment Celebration of April 19, 1775, The Old North Bridge, Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord MA.

A commemorative marker stands on the site where the Committee of Safety and the Committee of Supplies met at the Black Horse Tavern on April 18, 1775. Three members stayed at the tavern overnight and escaped when British troops marched by around three o’clock in the morning on April 19.

A lovely brick walkway lined with benches leads visitors to the Cyrus Dallin Art Museum housed in the historic Jefferson Cutter House in Arlington Center.

Residents and visitors relax at Whittemore Park, listen to live music, and enjoy craft beer at the Arlington Beer Garden every Saturday June through September.

A photo of the Old Burying Ground in Arlington, which is the resting place of Jason Russell and nine other Patriots killed on April 19, 1775 along with over 50 other soldiers of the American Revolutionary War.

The Jason Russell House, circa 1740, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is managed by the Arlington Historical Society with the adjoining Smith Museum, and is the site of some of the bloodiest fighting on April 19, 1775. Reenactment of the battle at Jason Russell House occurs annually.

Historic Houses come alive when hosts can share stories of historic moments with visitors

Bicycle the Minuteman Bikeway that runs parallel to the Battle Road Byway throughout Arlington providing access to the Jason Russell House and other historical sites of the Byway as well as other recreational activities in Arlington Center.

A plaque at the Foot of the Rocks in Arlington marks the location where between at least two thousand British troops and a similar number of Minute Men converged here and began a firefight which lasted until the British finally reached the sea at Charlestown.

The Old Schwamb Mill, Arlington has been continually operating since 1650 and currently operates as a museum where woodworking demonstrations are given to the public. Waterpower harnessed from Mill Brook running under the bridge powered the Mill in its early days.

The interior of the Old Schwamb Mill in Arlington showcases woodworking tools and materials currently used to create oval shaped frames. The Mill includes community space and a gallery featuring work by local artists.

A statue of George Washington, a Freemason, proudly stands in front of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library, which hosts many exhibitions every year including the long-term installation that illustrates what daily life was like for people during the American Revolution entitled “Sowing the Seeds of Liberty: Lexington and the American Revolution.”

Minutemen Statue recognizes the importance of April 19 in America and in Masonic heritage. The Museum was built in Lexington as a 200th anniversary commemoration of the battles at Lexington and Concord.

The Scottish Rite Mason Museum and Library hosts contemporary exhibits such as "Picturing What Matters, An Offering of Photographs from George Eastman House Collection.”

At Lexington Battle Green, the proud statue of a Minuteman stands atop a base of boulders surrounded by flowers and landscape to commemorate the hallowed ground where the fighting began in the early morning hours of April 19, 1775.

A great boulder on Lexington Battle Green marks the line on which the Lexington Minute Men stood. Etched into its face are the memorable words of Captain Parker: “Stand Your Ground, Don’t Fire Unless Fired Upon, but if They Mean to Have a War, Let it Begin Here”.

The First American War Memorial stands in tribute to the fallen Militia Men on April 19. Testifying in part: “Sacred to Liberty and the Rights of Mankind. The Freedom and Independence of America, Sealed and Defended with the blood of her sons…” These men are buried on the Battle Green.

John Hancock and Samuel Adams stayed overnight at the Hancock-Clark house to evade the British who were searching for them. They evaded capture because both Paul Revere and William Dawes stopped here separately to warn them that the British Troops were on their way.

A Lexington Event Calendar is located at the Buckman Tavern adjacent to the Battle Green. The Buckman Tavern served as a restaurant and bar and was the headquarters of the Lexington Militia. Although the April 19 weekend is a highlight, the calendar shows events and activities scheduled throughout the year.

Lexington sponsors a weekly Farmer's Market during the summer. It is held on "Town Conscious" land that was purchased by the Town 50 years ago to stop commercial development on a critical corner on the Byway.

Battle Road sign in Minute Man National Historical Park showing reclaimed landscape that allows visitors to experience the Battle Road as it may have existed on April 19, 1775.

A visitor enjoys a walk along the Battle Road Trail beginning at Fiske Hill in Lexington and continuing through to Meriam’s Corner, Concord. The trail is bounded by picturesque stone walls and contains interpretive signs and markers. It is a multi-use accessible trail consisting primarily of stone dust.

Even in winter, visitors can view interpretive panels throughout Minute Man National Historical Park documenting events and stories. At the Jacob Whittemore House, the conflicting roles and duties of being a farmer and a militia man are discussed in one of these interpretive markers.

Reenactors bring to life the battle at the newly "discovered" Parker's Revenge site, practicing in March for the April 19th festivities. Here are the Militia holding their ground.

Reenactors bring to life the battle at the newly “discovered” Parker’s Revenge site, practicing in March for the April 19th festivities. Here the British are shown attacking the militia.

Reenactors bring to life the battle at the newly “discovered” Parker’s Revenge site, practicing in March for the April festivities. Here British soldiers quickly move past the Jacob Whittemore House.

Stone boulders and a stone wall create the site where Paul Revere was captured and where William Prescott escaped to carry the Alarm to Concord. Visitors can walk or bike along the adjacent Battle Road Trail.

Cyclists stop at the Interpretive panels telling the story of Paul Revere’s ride and capture. The site is accessible to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Proposed Battle Road Scenic Byway signage are designed in different color/size configurations.

Travelers can visit the fully restored and furnished historic Hartwell Tavern and its expansive grounds. Seasonal activities include guided tours and demonstrations of everyday life of the local farmers in 1775 as well as its role in the events of April 19, 1775.

Historic Houses and sites in the Minute Man National Historical Park come alive through Living History demonstrations, interpretations, and reenactments.

A family with a stroller takes a walk along the fully accessible path of the original Battle Road. Up ahead is the Hartwell Tavern which is on the Trail.

The story of the Battle Road is full of discovery, with historians and archaeologists uncovering new evidence of lost stories even through technology. Park interpreters give life to this uncovered evidence.

Militia reenactors move into position in the wooded landscape that played such a significant role in the battle of the Bloody Angle.

Reenactments occur all along the Byway. At Meriam's Corner, for the first time on April 19, 1775, the Minutemen and Militias became the aggressors, firing upon the British here and for the duration of the retreat.

The Historic Meriam House stands at the edge of the Minute Man National Historic Park, Battle Road Unit. It is the site where thousands of militias from neighboring towns converged to drive the British back to Boston.

Near the battles at Meriam’s Corner is Brooks Village, a family compound of several houses, barns and stone walls with several features that give visitors a flavor of colonial life and the events of 1775. Brooks Hill is the site where British troops encountered the Framingham and Sudbury militias

The Wayside: Home of Authors is the first literary site added to the National Park Service. This beautiful structure that has been home to famous literary figures such as Louisa May Alcott and now serves as a Visitor Center for this section of Minute Man National Historic Park.

Orchard House (c. 1650) is most noted for being where Louisa May Alcott wrote and set Little Women in 1868. This noble home also has a rich history stretching back two centuries beforehand, as well as more than 100 years of life as a treasured historic site open to the public.

This Concord First Settler Marker (1635) is located between the Orchard House and the Wayside. English and other settlers had well over 100 years before April 19 to develop their own notions of self governance, independence, and interdependence.

A family enjoys a quiet time at the beautiful and contemplative site of the Old North Bridge during early springtime.

Crowds gather to experience the spectacular reenactments and special events at Minute Man National Historic Park’s Old North Bridge.

The Major John Buttrick House, Concord, MMNHP, is located across the byway from the North Bridge Visitor Center Parking area.

Barrett’s Farm in Concord is the newest Unit of Minute Man National Historic Park. The British marched to Barrett’s Farm on April 19, 1775 but were unsuccessful in their quest to locate hidden munitions there.

A family enjoys an up close and personal experience with farm animals.

This part of the Battle Road Scenic Byway depicted here is a beautiful, picturesque winding road that can inspire reflections upon the battles, lives and stories of the people who fought, farmed, and lived here and set this country on its path to freedom.