Lex250
About the Battle of Lexington
On the morning of April 19, 1775, approximately seventy members of Lexington’s town militia faced down eight hundred British troops on the Lexington Green. The British were marching to Concord, where they expected to confiscate a stockpile of weapons intended to be used for rebellion. The troops stopped on the Lexington Green and faced the Lexington militia. A shot was fired. Nobody knows who fired that shot, but with it and with the ensuing musket fire, the American Revolution began. The Battle of Lexington, as it would later be known, was brief, but resulted in the deaths of eight colonists. The British marched on to Concord, where they faced a much larger group of colonists, from all over the area, at the North Bridge. The Revolutionary War would end six years later with a colonial victory in 1781 and the birth of the United States of America.
Patriots’ Day Reenactment 2025 Recap
Click here to watch the event.
Photos and video courtesy of John Zhao, Vikram Ananth and LexMedia.
Events
July 10, 2025
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Freedom in All Its Forms- A Lex250 Band Concert by MetWinds
VO250
Inspired by Lexington’s historic VO2 telephone exchange (VO standing for Volunteer), which once connected our community, VO250 is our call to action—linking us through service, just as Lexington’s residents came together 250 years ago for a common cause.
In 1775, people—free, indentured, and enslaved—stood side by side, united by a shared purpose. Today, we honor that revolutionary spirit by coming together once more, this time through volunteerism. VO250 is a celebration of volunteering, service, encouraging every Lexingtonian to give back in ways that strengthen our community for generations to come.
Whether it’s volunteering by mentoring, environmental stewardship, supporting local nonprofits, or lending a hand at community events, every act of service carries forward the legacy of those who built and defended this town. Join us. Answer the call. Be part of VO250.
Levels of Participation
Individual Participant: 10 Hours
Hank Manz Level: 100+ hours
Community-Wide Goal: 250,000 Hours!
Tours
At the Lexington Visitors Center, you’ll find three fascinating and entertaining guided tours that will give you an in-depth look at Lexington and the start of the American Revolution.
Battle Green Tour
The Battle Green Tour is a one-hour tour by an expert guide dressed in colonial attire. You will walk on
foot to explore the Battle Green as well as the Henry H. Kitson Minuteman Statue, the Revolutionary War Monument, the Captain John Parker Monument, The Old Belfry, and the Old Burying Ground.
Liberty Trolley Tour
The Liberty Trolley Tour is a 90-minute tour where a guide is dressed in authentic period dress and will share historically accurate information about the Battles of Lexington and Concord and everyday life in Colonial America. You’ll drive by historic sites like the Minuteman Statue, The Paul Revere Capture Site, author homes like Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and the Old North Bridge in Concord, MA.
Charter Tour
If you’re interested in seeking a personalized experience with your group of friends, family members or colleagues, try a Charter Tour. Guides will transport you back to April 19, 1775, when the Battles of Lexington and Concord changed the course of American History. Transportation is offered through a coach bus or trolley. Some important sites visited include the Lexington Battle Green, Battle Road/Minuteman National Park, the Alcott Orchard House, and the Old North Bridge in Concord.
To learn more about our tours and purchase tickets, click here.
Lexington’s Witness to 1775 Houses
As part of Lexington’s 250th celebrations, the Lex250 Commission established a project to identify and honor each of the known pre-1775 Lexington, Massachusetts structures with a small, seasonal, ground banner. Only 24 of the hundreds of structures that stood throughout Lexington in 1775 stand today. The banner depicts the Captain Parker statue located on the Lexington Green and Lexington’s 250th Commission logo. These will be in place seasonally for 2025 and 2026. We have gathered their stories to honor these “celebrities in our midst.” Coming soon, you will find a summary of each, including:
- The name of the house as we would call it in 1775. As was common practice, this highlights the name of whoever owned or lived in the homestead at the time of the Battle.
- The address, estimated original construction year, and the name generally used for the property by local historians.
- The designation “Home of a Minute Man” where a member of the Lexington Militia Company was residing on April 19, 1775. In some cases, the man’s service in the Battle of Lexington has been established, while in other cases he may have served with the company later in 1775. Similar qualifications are made for “Home of a Revolutionary Soldier” and “Home of a Town Founder.”
Riding through History
Riding Through History is a public art initiative that blends art and history with six life-sized fiberglass horse statues, adorned by jury-selected artists, and sited strategically in Lexington center during the Semiquincentennial celebratory period. The horse is emblematic not only of Lexington’s storied equestrian heritage, but of the legendary journeys of Paul Revere, William Dawes, and others, as they rode through the countryside on April 18, 1775, alerting the townspeople of the imminent arrival of the British regular troops. Riding Through History is being conducted under the direction of the Lexington Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex 250), a town committee appointed by the Select Board.
Black Patriots of Lexington
Series and Episode Descriptions
The Black Patriots of Lexington is a nine-part series where Sean D. Osborne has conversations with acclaimed historians, reenactors and educators to provide insights into 11 Black patriots who played significant roles in the American Revolution. Five of those patriots were active combatants on April 19, 1775. Three of those soldiers were Lexington residents and two were Afro-Indigenous soldiers from Natick who fired on retreating British Regulars near the Lexington Green.
Episode 1 | Cate and Prince Chester
Public historian Margaret Micholet and master weaver Michelle Parish explore the often overlooked role of Black men and women, like the husband and wife team of Cate and Prince Chester, in the production of domestic linen. Domestic linen was favored by the Reverend Jonas Clarke and other colonists who were boycotting British goods in response to the Stamp Act of 1765.
Episode 2 | Prince Estabrook
Revolutionary War reenactor Charles Price offers a riveting account of the life of Prince Estabrook, a combatant during the Battle of Lexington, the first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War. Discover if Prince Estabrook or his enslaver Benjamin Estabrook is paid for his three year enlistments in the Continental Army.
Episode 3 | Eli Burdoo
Professor Zine Magubane and historical reenactor, Emmett Bell-Sykes on the compelling story of Eli Burdoo, a third-generation freeborn Lexington resident who becomes an indentured orphan and then as a member of the Lexington militia, a combatant on April 19, 1775.
Episode 4 | Silas Burdoo
Professor Zine Magubane and curator Stacey Fraser on Silas Burdoo the third-generation freeborn Lexington resident who reportedly becomes the most wealthy of the Black veterans who fought on April 19, 1775.
Episode 5 | Caesar and John Ferrit
Professor Zine Magubane explores the life of yeoman Caesar Ferrit and his son John who while responding to the Lexington Alarm, along with other members of the Natick Militia, become the first Indigenous people known to have fired upon the retreating British Regulars on April 19, 1775.
Episode 6 | Venus Roe
Public historian Margaret Micholet and curator Stacey Fraser present the unique viewpoint of Venus Roe who was an enslaved servant at the home of Captain James Reed of Woburn District (now Burlington). On April 19, 1775 the Reed home sheltered John Hancock and Samuel Adams and served as a temporary prison for up to twelve British Regulars.
Episode 7 | Pompey Fiske
Historian William Poole on the life of Pompey Fiske who went from an enslaved witness of the intense fighting at Fiske Farm on April 19, 1775 to a soldier in the Continental Army.
Episode 8 | Adam Tidd
Historian William Poole shares the amazing life of Adam Tidd and his journey from being an enslaved servant of Lt. William Tidd of Captain Parker’s Company to a soldier in the Continental Army and later the father of a renowned Boston musician.
Episode 9 | Pomp Blackman
Professor Robert Bellinger on the life of Lexington boarder Pomp Blackman who befriended Amos Fortune of Woburn, served in the Continental Army, and amassed a small fortune.
The series is a co-production of ABCL, Tricons 2 Red Tails and LexMedia.
Available to view at
LexMedia on Demand
The Lexington Depot — Now open as a Museum
Lexington Historical Museum’s fourth museum – The Lexington Depot – is now open! The Depot first operated as a train station from 1846 until 1977. It has recently been remodeled into a dynamic exhibition and education space for all of Lexington’s history, from pre-colonial times to the present day!
In April 2025, as Lexington celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, Lexington Historical Society became Lexington History Museums, and opened a new museum in the very center of town! Our new museum, The Lexington Depot, tells diverse and sometimes surprising stories of people who have lived, worked, and played here. Through displays and interactive exhibits, meet architects, farmers, activists, musicians, and others who have shaped our town through the years.
Displays Include:
- Mid-Century Modern Architecture
- Lexington Change Makers Through Oral Histories
- Creating Community
And many more…
Paul Revere’s Ride
In 2024, the Economic Development Office received a $48,000 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. This funding will go towards creating a 5-to-7-minute animated video of Paul Revere’s Ride that will play on repeat in the Diorama Room of the Lexington Visitors Center. The intention of this video is to inform and educate visitors and tourists about Lexington’s involvement in the American Revolution. The video follows Paul Revere and the other riders as they travel to warn Lexington and Concord about the British ploy to capture a large stockpile of guns and gunpowder. In January of 2025, the Economic Development Office contracted BluBlu studios to create the animated video. The video is anticipated to be completed in March 2025, and is expected to be up and running in April 2025.
